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tsentas's review against another edition
3.0
A pretty decent story, gives a great sketch of the interaction between the Japanese press and the police, and the seedier side of Japan. In terms of narrative story arc, I felt it suffered a bit towards the end and it felt a bit rushed. Given that it is a true story, however, I can understand how some details needed to be glossed over or left a bit vague. In addition I thought that in some parts the writing felt a bit too cliche for the genre and that some phrases and passages were a bit too overly contrived so as to strike a certain tone or mood.
All in all, an enjoyable read and a book that certainly encourages further reading into Japanese culture and social life.
All in all, an enjoyable read and a book that certainly encourages further reading into Japanese culture and social life.
ijb5094's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
3.75
curiouskey's review against another edition
1.0
Do not read if you're interested in crime or the yakuza.
At best, this is douche-porn; a heavily embellished tale designed to make the writer seem awsome and badass, unintentionally showing his utter incompetence and inability to understand other human beings.
At least, that's what it came across as until I threw in the tower half-way through.
Interestingly, his writing is also very amateurish, for someone paid to do it for so long.
At best, this is douche-porn; a heavily embellished tale designed to make the writer seem awsome and badass, unintentionally showing his utter incompetence and inability to understand other human beings.
At least, that's what it came across as until I threw in the tower half-way through.
Interestingly, his writing is also very amateurish, for someone paid to do it for so long.
wannabekingpin's review against another edition
5.0
all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: Jake learns Japanese and moves there in pursuit for journalist career. The rules are different there, and the book picks up the pace here, setting up an amusing tune of this white jewish man jumping traditions and politeness hoops in a foreign country. All that said, work goes well, including the whole structure of building relationships with co-workers, sources, cops… Which can get quite costly.
One day a yakuza contacts him, letting him know that Jake’s name was mentioned in trustworthiness context. This is where the story starts getting darker, for Jake gets to see beyond Love Hotels, Hostess clubs, where people dress up for you, to be your best friend until you run out of money. Beyond that there’s dark, gritty, nightmarish web of debt, loan sharks, human trafficking, and destroyed lives.
My Opinion: This is a very, very masterfully written book. With facts, memories, experiences woven into one smooth if nightmarish tale. Don’t know about you, but Japan to me was always that dream country, something exotic and far, far away, so very different from anything we know here. But truth is much more simple. Yes, there’s differences. Yes, there’s plenty of pros, pluses. But there’s just as many cons, minuses. Just as in any country.
A very good book. Reminded me of this one I read long ago called “Yakuza Moon“. This one gets a 5 out of 5. And no, it is not made to slander. Merely a country this journalist lived in, a place where he found this, and was in a position to make a difference, no matter how small.
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: Jake learns Japanese and moves there in pursuit for journalist career. The rules are different there, and the book picks up the pace here, setting up an amusing tune of this white jewish man jumping traditions and politeness hoops in a foreign country. All that said, work goes well, including the whole structure of building relationships with co-workers, sources, cops… Which can get quite costly.
One day a yakuza contacts him, letting him know that Jake’s name was mentioned in trustworthiness context. This is where the story starts getting darker, for Jake gets to see beyond Love Hotels, Hostess clubs, where people dress up for you, to be your best friend until you run out of money. Beyond that there’s dark, gritty, nightmarish web of debt, loan sharks, human trafficking, and destroyed lives.
My Opinion: This is a very, very masterfully written book. With facts, memories, experiences woven into one smooth if nightmarish tale. Don’t know about you, but Japan to me was always that dream country, something exotic and far, far away, so very different from anything we know here. But truth is much more simple. Yes, there’s differences. Yes, there’s plenty of pros, pluses. But there’s just as many cons, minuses. Just as in any country.
A very good book. Reminded me of this one I read long ago called “Yakuza Moon“. This one gets a 5 out of 5. And no, it is not made to slander. Merely a country this journalist lived in, a place where he found this, and was in a position to make a difference, no matter how small.
scheu's review against another edition
4.0
It was nice, for a change, to read a book about Japan that didn't spend hundreds of pages explaning the cultural differences between Japan and the West. This is the other side of Confessions of a Yakuza, the side where the human toll is readily apparent. I suppose that "smart" criminals ignore the consequences of their selfishness.
tittypete's review against another edition
5.0
Japanese culture. International police procedural. And a lot of hand jobs, butt-fingering and cigarette smoking. A Jewish-american dude becomes a cub reporter for a nippon newspaper and works his way up the journalistic corporate ladder. Throughout, he becomes more and more aware of the slimier side of life in Japan. SPOILER ALERT: there is a lot of non-traditional sex. Also swords sometime. Loved it.
lavoiture's review against another edition
3.0
I went between a 3 and a 4 here and eventually I gave it a 3 because it couldn't quite hold my attention at the end. I would probably give it a 3.5 if that were a possibility. I'd say it's worth a read, though.