Tokyo Underworld: The Fast Times and Hard Life of an American Gangster in Japan by Robert Whiting (1999, Hardcover)

Tokyo Underworld chronicles the curious relationship between America and Japan from the ruins of the occupation to the economic boom of the 1980s and 90s. It is a story of corruption, back room deals, CIA and yakuza collaboration and politicians on both sides of the Pacific becoming wealthy men via, bribes, tributes and outright theft.
We also get to look into the life of Nick Zappetti, an American black marketeer and petty criminal who opens a pizzaria in Tokyo's Roppongi district and hosts the various politicos, yakuza, athletes, celebrities and heads of industry who embody the sweetheart deals given to the Japanese by American officials that lead to Japan's meteoric rise to prominence.
Zapetti's rise and fall mirror Japan's economic boom and bust as his story is interwoven with tales of treachery, cloak and dagger intrigue and flat out corporate theft. This book is a must read for history buffs, anyone more curious about the curious relationship between the United States and Japan or anyone with a romanticized view of things Japanese.

A revealing book of the wrongdoings of the political and crime machine which in Japan is so colluded that they not only feed each other but in a snow storm you can't tell them apart. Could something like this survive in the U.S? Does Cuba-Castro and JFK, the mob the CIA ring any bells?

The third leg of the stool is the national police force, from simple graft and payoffs to the very top of the political system and the fourth leg is of course the foreign intelligence community; there was a certain honor system and of course lines that everyone would stay within.

Most of the Japanese variety of gansters are Korean and who operate the thousands of pachinko parlours a huge source of foreign capital which they funnel or smuggle back to North Korea.

Akasaka is a magnet for the zakuza, particularly the Tokyu (well almost any Tokyu) Hotel.

Nicola has turned into more or less just pizza and particularly after Zappetti died. Gangsters of a certain standing much preferred Serina or Mon Cher Ton Ton steak houses in Roppongi, where a nice steak dinner would easily cost $150 per person.

There are too many places to mention.

"Tokyo Underworld" is an excellent insider's peak into the real world of the the underworld in Japan.

Another excellent book to definitely read is "Tokyo Vice" by Jake Adelstein which describes "the-coming-of-age" underworld from about 1964 forwards.

Both these novels ring many memories; I landed in Japan at 18 in 1964 and lived in the Roppongi area for 37 years and in this case two blocks away from Nicola.

I had friends who were mob bosses, and still do. One of the bosses was mistakenly shot in the leg and killed his driver by waring mobs. The offending mob family brought the first-to-be gift of apology a size of 10 thousands bills that would choke a horse. The offended boss denied the offering and now has one very large GIRI (honor debt) to pay back in the future on call with, I am sure, no explanation required. On the other side, I also had a good friend who was a retired Director General of the National Detective Agency of the police force. I personally have lived through much and or most all of the experiences of these two authors from 1964 forwards and could have heavily contributed to both books or for that matter written both.

Occassionally the Ying and Yang gets out of balance. On such case occurred over the jailing of a particular boss. One of the Mob's lieutenants shot and hit the Director General of the National Policy Agency six times from 40 yards away. Compare that to our U.S. police who got into a gun fight with a fugitive and both fired six times point blank and missed each other entirely.

Both are factual and highly recommended.

Any Tanaka Peanuts anyone?

Riki Douza
Seattle