Tokyo Noir: in and out of Japan's underworld By Jake Adelstein

In the darkly comic sequel to Tokyo Vice, Jake Adelstein returns to a tumultuous Tokyo in 2008, where the echoes of his past life as the only gaijin crime reporter for the Yomiuri Shimbun linger. With the global economy in turmoil and Tadamasa Goto—the formidable yakuza boss—banished from the underworld, Jake believes he has a moment of respite. But as he attempts to rebuild his life, he confronts a more insidious adversary: himself.

Now working in due diligence, Jake leverages his investigative prowess to uncover hidden truths about powerful entities that prefer to remain shrouded in secrecy. The landscape of organized crime has transformed, revealing a web of corporate fronts disguising yakuza connections. Pachinko parlors become battlegrounds for ethnic tensions, while the infamous TEPCO scrambles to cover up its negligence leading to the catastrophic Fukushima meltdown. Amidst these revelations, Jake grapples with a corrupt government that outstrips the yakuza in its moral depravity.

As personal tragedies strike unexpectedly, Tokyo Vice: Shadows of the Underworld delves deep into the blurred lines between the stories Jake chases and the life he inhabits. With sharp wit and poignant observations, Adelstein takes readers on a gripping journey through a world where danger lurks in every corner and the truth is often stranger—and darker—than fiction.