The Last Yakuza: A Life in the Japanese Underworld

‘Sacred, ferocious, and businesslike, Adelstein describes the Japanese mafia like nobody else.’ Roberto Saviano, on Tokyo Vice


When acclaimed journalist Jake Adelstein hires a former Yakuza boss, known as the ‘Tsunami’, to be his driver and bodyguard, he soon finds himself swept into the violent heart of Tokyo’s organised crime syndicates.

From gambling rackets and ritualised killings, to the forbidden pleasures of ‘soapland’, Adelstein’s unlikely friendship with the ‘Tsunami’ gains him unprecedented access to the Yakuza – now under threat after years of tacit acceptance from Japanese society. But in a culture that prizes loyalty and honour above all else, how far can they go in their quest for truth about Tokyo’s criminal underworld?

A riveting history of the Japanese mafia, featuring an unforgettable cast of supporting characters, The Last Yakuza is an electrifying – but ultimately uplifting – story of one man’s life of crime.


‘Terrific, expertly told and highly entertaining.’
George Pelecanos, on Tokyo Vice