Customer Reviews

Confessions of a Yakuza: A Life in Japan's Underworld

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Okay, Okay, so the reviews below probably have said it all for me rendering this opinion moot but for the fact that I wanted to boost the star rating of this charming little book: A book that will have you wishing it was twice as long before you are half way through it. This is ostensibly the autobiography of a dying, retired yakuza boss as told to his attending physician. An interesting contrivance but not essential to the story at hand which is random, expertly told vignettes describing the life of a really extraordinary character whose life happens to revolve around the Japanese underworld. Extraordinary I say because this was a boy born into a family comprising the then nascent Japanese middle class: the future "sarariman," who nevertheless is so high spirited that he turns his back on what promises to be a life of relative ease (if only through dint of hardwork) for one of adventure. Extraordinary because the fellow is six feet tall in a world where the average man's height is 5' 4"; extraordinary because he is a fellow who is not afraid to buck the rules of a hidebound society, even those of the underground world which embraces him after he has left mainstream society; extraordinary because he has the kind of personality that causes his superiors to become devoted to him and his inferiors to buckle under to his rule when it is time for him to lead, and finally extraordinary because the fellow has the uncanny ability to recite events in a page turning manner.
This Yakuza's confession is a look at Japan during its transition into the industrial age; a time when the country's view of itself as the land of the rising sun was just begining to take on the sinister overtones that led to the second world war. So, while the primary objective is to describe the life of a Yakuza foot soldier and then boss, it also describes and encompasses the lot of contemporary common man who was caught between the exploitative daibatsu labor market that promised nothing more than a subsistance life and the repressive and whimsical powers of the governmental organs whose purpose seems to have been to keep order for the same. This Yakuza describes a world in which the common man, unprotected by the powers of the land seeks security instead in the context of a web of interconnecting social obligations which protect and sustain him in return for his undying loyalty.
Japan has a wonderful tradition of humorous and outrageous autobiographies by such roguish characters that is unknown in Western literature and this book is a really, truly wonderful addition to that venerable line.
I recommend this book as not only a quick, light, easy and fun read but also a beautiful pyscho-cultural study of late Meiji era Japan, warts and all.

I thought this was an interesting peek into a shadow world that few non-members live to tell about. The interview style of writing keeps the story moving and allows the author to interject his own insights. There are a few areas where the translation was editted and anecdotes are glossed over, but they don't detract from the overall enjoyment of this work. I recommend it for anyone interested in seeing what life in the old-time Japanese mafia was like. I enjoyed this book so much, that I passed it along to my Dad. If you like Japan and its culture, you'll like this book. Gambatte!

The book is a soft read; it keeps you interested only if you enjoy reading of real life Japan, which I do. Not one of the best flowing tales with a lot of holes (probably due to the translation of the extended interview the book is based on.) Story does not delve deeply into the "world" of the yakuza but tries to show it on the surface through the story of one of its fringe members. Human interest vice violence

This book is a "memoir" of sorts, a biographical tale of a retired yakuza as dictated to his doctor. This man is a "yakuza" in the word's original sense--a professional gambler, not the organized gangsters that the word is used to refer to today.

The ex-yakuza in this story, as he tells his tale over the months, knows he is slowly dying. He starts to see the doctor, a general practitioner in a quiet suburban neighborhood, when he realizes that is body is really starting to fall apart. His doctor knows the man's in a bad way, but he replies with optimistic predictions when his patient asks things like, "I don't have much time left, do I?"

Over several visits, the doctor realizes what a hard and amazing life the man has led. He asks to interview him for a book, and the yazuka agrees. The doctor then deals with a range of emotions: a desire even he doesn't understand to record the man's tale and tell it to the world, a sense of urgency due to his knowledge of the man's health, and an awareness of the need not to pester the old man with daily visits and long interviews. (This hesitance may arise from a healthy respect for the still-formidable old man.)

Anyone looking for graphically violent and prurient tales about modern-day Japanese gangsters robbing banks and shooting at each other will be greatly disappointed--although there is some violence. The most fascinating aspect of this novel is its portrayal of how people interacted with each other so much differently back then--ways we would consider cryptic today, hiding their emotions, putting up with insults, acting with almost subservient humility to save face for their companions or organization. Putting on a brave face when faced with amazing adversity.

(Plus, even though this book is a translation, you'd never know it. The translation is seamless, and written in a style that's perfect for the story. Also, the translator is British, so while reading this, try to imagine someone like Bob Hoskins speaking in a tough-guy Cockney accent.)

An interesting aspect of the book that is interspersed among the remembrances and also propelling them along are brief passages that describe the situation in which a particular day's interview was conducted--for instance, whether the ex-gambler was in good spirits that day, whether his wife was in the room, whether it was late at night.

The book is also fascinating for its portrayal of the reality and inevitability of getting old. There are sharp contrasts between the young man's boundless courage and energy and the old man's labored breathing and creaky joints.

Finally, what's touching about the story two men's shared desire to get his story recorded and told. The doctor told his patient right from the outset that the reason for the interviews was to write a book about them. So many of the old man's acquaintances were dead, and he didn't seem the type to want to impress people anyway, that it's unlikely that fame or recognition were his motivations. The old man often points out how "we yakuza were just gamblers then; we didn't do anything but gamble. No real yakuza sold drugs, loansharked, or extorted money. In fact, they took great pains to get along with their shopkeeper neighbors, and often made "gentlemen's agreements" with other organization--and honored those agreements at great risk or even great detriment to themselves. They were also a "mutual support" organization in which gambling joints that were bringing in a lot of money put people on the payroll from places that were hurting.

All in all, this is a fascinating look at a way of life that is completely different from what we know today and which doesn't exist anymore--even in the exact locations where the old man's stories took place.

Incidentally, Bob Dylan apparently borrowed lines from this book in a song from his 2001 album, "Love and Theft." For details, just do a web search for "Confessions of a Yakuza" and "Bob Dylan".
--MellowMonk.com

In the the opinion of a 20 yr old college student who is interested in Japan in general, I found this book to be delightful and more of a luchtime type of read. It doesn't go in too deep on any subject but keeps its interest so that I kept wanting to read it. The format is that of an old man telling a friend of his life which includes being a Yakuza. It takes place back when everyone still wore Kimonos as everyday dress in Japan and the Yakuza gangs were a bit different from what they are now, so if you're looking for more current information this may not be it. Apart from the gangs, you do learn about the culture. I'd say it was worth the money.

It may sound odd that I use the word honor in the context of a gangster which is exactly what the yakuza were and are, but the man profiled here is completely old school in all its best connotations. Essentially, the background concerns a very old man about to die who tells his story to the random doctor who happens to examine him. The interviews are conducted over a series of weeks and they occur at the yakuza's home. To say that he lived in interesting times is definitely an understatement. Most of the action occurs before World War II, and, in those days, being a yakuza meant only running gambling houses. To do anything else was beneath them. One can see why the police were rather tolerant in regards to their general operations in light of this eventuality. The man described here eventually became the head of a local branch of the brotherhood, but the stories of his rise and his ever-so-complicated interactions with women were what most impressed this reviewer. This was a pretty fantastic read, and its value is all the greater should you be rather ignorant about Japan (as was the case with this reviewer).

This book is a simple read. It is about one man's life with the Yakuza. I was a bit surprised since it dispelled my preconceived notions of the Yakuza. I agree with the reviewer below - it does seem like a 'goodfellas' set in Japan. It is about the life of a man who started out as a kid as a lookout for dice games held in a warehouse. It progresses through his interesting career and life. At the conclusion of the book, I felt quite sad for the man whose life this book is about. It's a decent lazy Sunday afternoon read about a career criminal in Japan - take it as such. I also agree with another reviewer - it seems like this individual was involved in local, territorial issues - not a high ranking, key player. For me however, it did demystify a lot of my preconceived notions of the Yakuza. I walked away with the feeling that organized crime in Japan is pretty similar to organized crime in the states.

I really enjoyed this book. It's simple, yet fascinating. The life of a pre-WWII gangster in Tokyo centered around gambling operations, which the doctor/author introduces to the reader through the biography of one hardened patient from a different era.

The book's subject has a refined old-world gangster quality that demands respect and makes the story more compelling.

I particularly like the subject's disdain for an easy life, instead embracing the adventure of the Japanese underworld.

Apparently Bob Dylan cited the book on an album. Bob aside, the book is terrific!

This book painted a totally different, from how it is traditionally in movies and books, picture of yakuza world, at least how it was before World War II. I understand that things changed since but I didn't know that originally yakuza was all about gambling. The book consists of the memories of old yakuza that do not necessarily represent logically completed story but rather various pieces, hystorical and personal, that together show the atmosphere in Japan at that time period. Quite unique book.

The story is very deep and emotional, and the writing is of a wonderful style. I enjoyed this book for the look into the past of Nippon-shoto's criminal organizations, and for the grace with which the author tackled difficult issues.

The life of the hero is both interesting, and strangely depressing. He seems to show a lot of regret for his actions - and yet no effort was made in his confessing to cover them up.

The title fits quite well, also - it is just that, the confessions of a true Yakuza. While today, people think of pop culture portrayals of Yakuza as gunslinging, tourist-murdering hooligans, this sheds light on what Yakuza are traditionally.
-Kana