If you're interested in Japan in general, you might want to check out Tokyo Vice by Jake Adelstein. He's an American journalist who spent years in Japan on the crime beat. Needless to say, this is kind of rare.
Any nonfiction book that starts out with the yakuza threatening the author's life is bound to be dark and probably compelling. Knowing that the author survives gives the book its own kind of tension. Does he pursue the story? How does he not get killed? What led him there? What led him to later combat human trafficking?
I've been interested in the topic of the justice system and the Japanese underworld pretty much since I read my first manga touching on it maybe six years ago. I must say that I am intrigued by the lens Adelstein provides the opportunity to look through in this case, and I'm looking forward to seeing what insights I gain through the course of the book. I may check back in after I've read it.
Do you know of any good nonfiction books about aspects of Japanese culture? Do recommend.
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