Jake Adelstein: The secrets of the Yakuza | ABC Conversations Podcast

Published 2024-06-12
Jake Adelstein moved from America's Midwest to Japan 30 years ago as a student.

He took the opportunity to re-invent himself as a dogged crime reporter and quickly became got to know the Yakuza, Japan's organised crime gangs, which were so enmeshed in civil life, they were almost untouchable.

Eventually, Jake found himself on the wrong side of one of the most powerful Yakuza bosses in Japan.

When Jake's life was on the line, he found protection from his nemesis, Tadamasa Goto, in surprising places.

Further information
Tokyo Noir is published by Scribe

Jake's other books are called Tokyo Vice and The last Yakuza: Life and Death in the Japanese Underworld

CREDITS:
Carmel Rooney, Executive Producer
Sarah Kanowski, Presenter
Nicola Harrison, Producer

All Comments (2)
  • @YahWay.
    I arrived in Japan in 1997 and I can't remember the first time. I saw Jake's name in the paper and figured he'd been there for a hundred years