close
Official audiobook image coming soon Play Audiobook Sample

Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan Audiobook

Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan Audiobook, by Jake Adelstein Play Audiobook Sample
FlexPass™ Price: $17.95
$9.95 for new members!
(Includes UNLIMITED podcast listening)
  • Love your audiobook or we'll exchange it
  • No credits to manage, just big savings
  • Unlimited podcast listening
Add to Cart
$9.95/m - cancel anytime - 
learn more
OR
Regular Price: $20.95 Add to Cart
Read By: Jake Adelstein Publisher: Random House Audio Listen Time: at 1.0x Speed 7.00 hours at 1.5x Speed 5.25 hours at 2.0x Speed Release Date: October 2009 Format: Unabridged Audiobook ISBN: 9780307713162

Quick Stats About this Audiobook

Total Audiobook Chapters:

90

Longest Chapter Length:

09:53 minutes

Shortest Chapter Length:

10 seconds

Average Chapter Length:

07:03 minutes

Audiobooks by this Author:

2

Other Audiobooks Written by Jake Adelstein: > View All...

Publisher Description

From the only American journalist ever to have been admitted to the insular Tokyo Metropolitan Police press club: a unique, firsthand, revelatory look at Japanese culture from the underbelly up. At nineteen, Jake Adelstein went to Japan in search of peace and tranquility. What he got was a life of crime . . . crime reporting, that is, at the prestigious Yomiuri Shinbun. For twelve years of eighty-hour workweeks, he covered the seedy side of Japan, where extortion, murder, human trafficking, and corruption are as familiar as ramen noodles and sake. But when his final scoop brought him face to face with Japan’s most infamous yakuza boss—and the threat of death for him and his family—Adelstein decided to step down . . . momentarily. Then, he fought back. In Tokyo Vice, Adelstein tells the riveting, often humorous tale of his journey from an inexperienced cub reporter—who made rookie mistakes like getting into a martial-arts battle with a senior editor—to a daring, investigative journalist with a price on his head. With its vivid, visceral descriptions of crime in Japan and an exploration of the world of modern-day yakuza that even few Japanese ever see, Tokyo Vice is a fascination, and an education, from first to last.

Download and start listening now!

"I've never been to Japan, and before I picked up this book, I certainly didn't know anything about its sex trade or mafia underworld. Tokyo Vice contains a lot of information on this sort of thing, but it's also the very personal story of the author's own life. The introductory pages give a hint of troubles to come, as Jake is threatened into leaving Japan. Then we drop back some twenty years to follow his growth as a reporter, from the tough entrance exams for a Japanese newspaper, and it's 3/4 of the way through the book before we really find out how he's managed to get into such deep water with a particularly nasty yakuza crime boss. This was tough reading in parts - it's very matter-of-fact about some seriously nasty stuff - but it was also a very moving tale of personal struggles and ethical dilemmas. Definitely recommended."

— Rachel (5 out of 5 stars)

Tokyo Vice Listener Reviews

Overall Performance: 3.8333333333333335 out of 53.8333333333333335 out of 53.8333333333333335 out of 53.8333333333333335 out of 53.8333333333333335 out of 5 (3.83)
5 Stars: 7
4 Stars: 7
3 Stars: 9
2 Stars: 1
1 Stars: 0
Narration: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 (5.00)
5 Stars: 1
4 Stars: 0
3 Stars: 0
2 Stars: 0
1 Stars: 0
Story: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 (5.00)
5 Stars: 1
4 Stars: 0
3 Stars: 0
2 Stars: 0
1 Stars: 0
Write a Review
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Narration Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Story Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    — Edward Winterberger, 1/25/2023
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Great stuff. Read it quickly and it was hard to put down. Interesting from the perspective of someone living in Japan and illuminating a lot of little-known dark sides to the culture. Not sure how interesting it would be to someone not interested in the country. Seedy. "

    — Oli, 2/13/2014
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Nice read. The last chapter is the most exciting bites. Recommended! "

    — Priscilla, 2/10/2014
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " At over halfway through this book I really don't want it to end any time soon. The author reads his work easily, and it feels like someone familiar telling you a story with just enough background information to make sure you're in the loop. It is some of the best non-fiction I've read in a long time. "

    — Christopher, 2/7/2014
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " I thought this book was amazing and very informative. As an American who only sees Tokyo through TV or in a magazine, I never thought of the alternative lifestyles and crimes that are taking place. Although the story was very interesting and kept me turning the page, I would have liked to get a little more background on the author. And call me nosy but I really wanted him to elaborate on his family or maybe how his wife felt about his decisions and how it affected their lives. Besides that I thought the book was great and I didn't want it to end. I'm definitely going to read more material about gangs and organized crime in Japan. "

    — Tyne, 1/27/2014
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " A fascinating look into the life of an organized crime reporter in Japan. What I found particularly interesting was the story behind the story -- the one that came from reading between the lines. This is a side of Japan that I did not experience, and frankly am glad I didn't. "

    — Kyle, 1/25/2014
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " this would be an amazing movie. "

    — Ross, 1/19/2014
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " An excellent insider/outsider's look at the seedy Tokyo underworld. Jake Adelstein is an excellent storyteller, if still a little unsteady at the long form of a book, rather than the newspaper articles he wrote for a decade. It even has a real-life twist at the end! Highly recommended. "

    — Dan, 1/16/2014
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " I had hopes for this, but it didn't really work. Lots of great anecdotal material but when you close the book you don't feel you've really experienced the Tokyo underworld. David Mitchell's number9dream did a better job, and that was so fictional it was sometimes semi-hallucinatory. "

    — Timothy, 1/1/2014
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " mildly amusing ...but thats abt it i am thinking of giving up half way ..dont know what the fuss was abt "

    — Ribhu, 12/23/2013
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " It shows the dark side that can't be seen "

    — Pamela, 11/30/2013