39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bloody Moon, March 23, 2008
This review is from: Yakuza Moon: Memoirs of a Gangster's Daughter (Hardcover)
Whereas the samurai encapsulates the image of the pre-modern ideal of Japanese masculinity through his martial skill, stoic nature, self discipline, and code of honor, the yakuza, Japanese gangster, supposedly carries on a number of these traditions in the modern, or post-modern, world, especially the codes of honor and respect for not only his superiors but his inferiors. Wearing traditional Japanese garb, an expensive Western suit, or a loud aloha shirt, pockets full of money from sometimes questionable businesses, and carrying centuries of culture within his being, the yakuza has come to fascinate not only the Japanese populace, but the world at large through primarily his depiction in film and crime novels.
Shoko Tendo is the second daughter and third child of the yakuza oyabun, Japanese gang boss, Hiroyasu Tendo and she witnessed his great excesses and eventual downfall, but she was not involved in the gang herself and therefore is unable or not willing to expunge deeply upon the topic of her father's involvement with the yakuza, but instead writes on her life and how her father's being a yakuza would affect her life for years to come. It is for this very reason that I believe that a number of Western readers are disappointed with Yakuza Moon: Memoirs of a Gangster's Daughter. They are looking for a memoir that will feed into their cinematic/stereotypical ideals of what Tendo's life should be like, but instead they receive a thin tome written by a woman who suffered from continuous abuse at the hands of men who were yakuza and these men, instead of being paragons of virtue, Japanese tradition, and honor are alcoholic, cowardly dope fiends who beat on those weaker than them and cower from those who are stronger.
What Tendo gives the reader is a cathartic, honest account of a woman who is connected to the shady crime underworld and how it ostracizes her from mainstream Japanese society. Scoffed at by her teachers, neighbors, and classmates after her father is imprisoned, Tendo becomes a yanki, female delinquent and gang member, and finds herself growing addicted to a number of narcotics starting off with huffing paint thinner to injecting heroin daily all the while drifting from detention centers to abusive relationships. At times, it seems she finds peace, but eventually these fleeting moments are shattered by harsh reality.
Another criticism that I have read concerning the memoir is that it is poorly written, and that it seems like a sordid tale written by a grade-schooler. Tendo herself apologizes about the writing in the book's afterward stating that she has next to zero formal education (she nearly ceased doing school work after elementary school, having become a yanki at 12). Leaving the quality of writing behind, Tendo does have the tendency to foreshadow in a sophomoric way and her moralizing is a bit weak, but the bare bones honesty of a woman opening her heart to the reader makes the overall read overcome its limitations in craft. A fine memoir that attempts to shatter some of the stereotypes associated with the yakuza, Yakuza Moon: Memoirs of a Gangster's Daughter makes for a quick and enlightening read on the subject of the Japanese underworld.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Life of a Yakuza Daughter, September 9, 2007
This review is from: Yakuza Moon: Memoirs of a Gangster's Daughter (Hardcover)
A great read, was hard to put down once I got started. Not at all the type of life you would expect from a family that was once very powerful.
Her child hood bullying, drug use during her teen years, and horrible relationships with men in the past serve as a warning that just because a life style may appear to be glamorous does not mean that it is.
Told with shocking truth, Shoko Tendo's memoir is a great read.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Painful, December 9, 2009
This review is from: Yakuza Moon: Memoirs of a Gangster's Daughter (Hardcover)
I expected an inside look at the Yakuza from the viewpoint of someone raised in that culture and in the family of a Yakuza boss, unfortunately this was not the case. This book is to those interested in the Yakuza what "Growing up Gotti" is to those interested in the history and culture of the Mafia in America.
That said, it is an accurate depiction of the life of a woman raised in a Yakuza family that falls from riches into poverty, a depiction of the stigma attached to the children of the Yakuza in Japan and the role of females in Japanese society, particularly the poor.
If your view of Japanese culture is based on an appreciation of Japanese art, architecture and philosophy then this book will be an eye opener to the reality of the common culture in modern Japan. Reading this book was for me like watching a train wreck in slow motion, it is a diary of habitual poor choices and bad decisions made by a young girl who was never equipped by her upbringing to make good ones.
I highly recommend this book to anyone raising a child as a "What not to do" guide, and a look at just how quickly a life can be ruined by lacking the self esteem that only parents can give children.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
