" Hi this is Brian where you're listening to WNYC on demand. Podcasts streaming in MP3 downloads available when you wanna listen. At wnyc.org. And iTunes. --"

" Sure. His misadventures. I think you would call him that as a reporter covering the cruises of the Japanese mafia. Led to his life being in danger among many other things he's here to talk about his new book. Tokyo vice an American reporter. On the police beat and Japan -- welcome to WNYC. Very much for -- to be here he grew up in Missouri and decided to go to college in Japan -- down Missouri's and I -- and even after eighteen years there I think I was ready to see a little more of the world must push to be from. -- faced before and you ended up staying in Japan and becoming the only American reporter for the Japanese paper Yomiuri Shimbun. I don't know transpire."

" Well you know of course when I got to depend on myself that they actually had a national health insurance plan worked and you can get good medical care course and the -- never wanna leave the country. Which which is which is a joke but it's also true. I have like Japan I'm in ways it's a very interesting culture. And in and getting into the newspaper was a and wonderful surprise. You were the -- the wrong suit here interviewed tell -- that story okay okay enough. Now actually fashion tastes have changed but at the time. In in Japan you'll only wore black suits to funerals. When I went to buy my first -- not having won all through college. I went to bought this it was on sale which -- was a relief could -- who being liked. It kind of -- dinner party suit. But and actually in actually about the -- for -- which was for funerals so I showed up my black -- and my black suit. At the newspaper school newspaper office everyone made fun of me for being clueless idiot because obviously know when shows up to a job interview and in a -- for."

" And another cultural difference they had to absorb blows. Knowing what it meant when you've got to a crime scene where there was a body and somebody had their shoes and socks on her shoes and socks off."

" Yeah typically when Japanese people I mean just like when Japanese people in our a home -- take off their shoes and their socks. Pumps contentious issues. When people kill themselves they tend to take off their shoes to. I'm so if you see your body with snowshoes on you can usually sued and the pets here on suicide unless of course it's staged to look like a suicide. You've been included writing a lot about the mafia the accrues. Tell us about them who are of the Yamaguchi -- that's the largest group. The only that you may have been around for six generations and they are. Kind of -- Wal-Mart of organized crime on -- 86000 known. Mafia members in India and Japan right now and the him you -- is about 40000 -- about half the market. The Senate and coldly where they have an entire city block. I'm like a fortress for the offices. And they're involved in all kinds of financial activity how much much more than just loan sharking protection money. Is -- last year Lehman Brothers Japan was ripped off for 350 million dollars and a very elaborate fraud. Which Yamaguchi we've played some significant part. There was the illegal fraud in which Lehman Brothers was ripped off -- supposed to some others remain yeah yeah yeah I you know I mean you know and they were the victims and."

" There's a mafia server different. Function in society it's probably funny way to put it but role in the economy your role and in Japanese life then know what we think of as the mafia here."

" Will offer -- in the mafia in Japan is very. It's it's legal entity like the Rotary Club it's not illegal so we'll let you mean the mafia is legal okay for example Ana brought this with -- has -- there's a mafia. -- is a fan magazine. Okay which I can't read were America's intent here here's a here's a a list of the nineteen of the ninety top members of the Yamaguchi and including their biographies and past criminal records. And you can buy this on any news antivirus on any newsstand. Yup -- a comic book devoted to the lives of these current leader in my favorite actors are built upon a -- and who loves these things who's a fan base is really in the fan base is the opposite of handling and and your typical white collar worker who -- dreams of having a glamorous life. You know. Doing whatever that we once have a -- chicks want to money."

" Listeners anybody else familiar with the Japanese mafia or wants to Colin with any questions for -- JK Edelstein. An American who work for the Yomiuri Shimbun on the police beat. In Tokyo his new book is called Tokyo -- an American reporter on the police beat in Japan. Let me go to the policing how do you think big city policing is different in Japan than here in New Yorker elsewhere in the United States --"

" hand -- this -- brought over at some sweet sour all in tower squid -- dollars and crops like groceries themselves with I'm I'm glad how many people do my kids love it. -- first -- and the Japanese have the the police box systems almost in every street corner in Japan and major in. And then in a major city you have. The police somewhere. Standing there are giving directions so the police presence is huge that that's certainly deterrent to to crime and the police don't aren't in their cars isolated from the public. They're walking on bicycles. And the other thing of course about he would in the police in Japan to this much different from the way it is here is that. They pretend to be a friend here and cultivate a more friendly image amid the priest took it BC to have a mascot. Come in people could. So. You're the only American reporter on the beat how to defend your reporting and your ability to report. Look for source an adjustment issues the first time I went to deal -- a police station where I was assigned to. I went into the mix say hello to the vice captain and he assumed that I was an Iranian escape from the holding cells and called a bunch of cops to like -- me before I can escape. That sent. And -- report crazy tone. But but in general. Once you demonstrate that you understand the subtleties of Japanese culture and you can be polite and well behaved. And that you understand the cup mindset I didn't have any problem -- as a police reporter. The fact that you're Jewish helped you get your first story published right. Well yeah I mean they it helped my him. Yeah I've been helped because I was. Working on a story about a bunch of Israelis that were being shaken down by the Japanese mafia because they were working on the street selling trinkets and stuff that they bought Paul. So yes the that the Jewish things certainly helped. And it being a foreigner hinder. You are reported. No and in most almost every time it was actually a cost because. Your foreigners who used to count on the stress with the snows I released account and then make you memorable. And you also attract kind of an odd ball moment of the cops and the guys that aren't happy with their jobs are that are such straight arrows that are so unpredictable that they are treated as prized by their counterparts -- your crucial member told you that you are both in the information industry. What do you mean by that. This is a great town conical -- yeah senior member of seniors and what he sent us. To meet the first time we met west we were both in the information industry as reporter my job was to find out embarrassing secrets that people didn't want public. And as a -- his job was to make sure that I didn't write the secrets and get paid for. So what I'm trying to do my job he's trying to prevent me from doing the job suppressing information and collecting black -- money. So if you become more likely -- as a result of your experiences in Japan. Well I mean. If you if you hang around Yakuza cops America's all the times of course you're gonna learn from them I mean like to like anything they have their own knowledge and wisdom so I suppose that I become a look like them. And then Carroll gardens are under your NRC Richard you're listening author of Tokyo nice hello."

" Time tape drive expert Michael. -- in Japan for about five years since three of them respect you are all working enough bars. In the pleasure. Yes and especially in the Chinatown area -- And which it was a lot of like -- around. Let's just got a question we always short stories and -- World Cup in Japan which that was about. Seven years ago that the Yokohama police hearing. Kind of drunken belligerent orders actually wanted to cahoots with the who's at the port security and stadiums a wonder -- this picture that."

" There is an element of truth that yes Tom I well I don't think he went sound -- signed a formal alliance I think few from a police dissented in north hype which and that's their turf. Could you make sure that you know soccer hooligans behave themselves if we don't get their first."

" And thank you fill in queen -- WNYC Huntsville."

" bottom of what that he offered my understanding that -- side and other gangs. All owned firearms and use them. Despite the almost universal ban firearms in Japan so. Since many liberals in the United States would look to -- universal ban firearms. And interest that in your perspective given fact. Where these things exist. The bad guys still always get guns and use them anyway."

" Well actually I mean there is it is true that in -- the only people with country Yakuza. But at the same time they've made the penalties for using guns so. So odious. Longer prison sentences for owning one another sentence for firing one. Stronger sentence for injuring someone with that that come lately you see the Japanese samurai sword McCain come back as a weapon of assassinating your rivals there was a couple there was instant couple weeks ago where an you know crime members had its -- off with a sword and died. I'm so if you make guns. The penalties for owning and so horrible that you know we using it what guarantees -- forty years in prison even the -- are a little --"

" And she's -- great -- shorter prison term for killing somebody with a samurai story than you do what little fire I have absolutely the weapon of choice for the smart doctors and really because they -- you would actually get. A shorter prison term potentially oh yes oh yes -- there's there's that the you know I mean it's just a straight violation digital the dual two people holy Jihad. I'm -- of some sort of firearms saw you know there's no aggravating factors there. You even report on the sex industry. And its connections to the occurs and I see even because. You you write about ending up spending a night as -- as the host and getting paid for sexual favors to understand this correctly."

" No no none of that is completely wrong I do not get paid for doing it for any sexual -- this hoax that's that's that's where somebody trying to our vote I know -- host or hostess -- host has nothing to do with it's with with with sex -- hostess kind of like a fake. Boyfriend woman comes in you pour the drinks -- cigarettes you charmer and others and and make her feel like she's she's got a boyfriend trying to buy the expensive champagne like an escort service in the region -- what's an escort service I. I was never paid for for sexual favors as they as they host it in college when I was working as a massage therapist might across the line of legitimate massage therapy -- for this maybe more than we wanna know but what about the sex industry and its connections to the cruiser or how is that different from here in Austin okay you know. The Japanese adult entertainment industry is very legal except the one activist forbidden he has actual sexual intercourse so. You know it's it's a cameo radio station so I'm going to detail every sexual act the site's actual intercourse between -- man and -- woman. Can be legally sold and offered as a service. There is an anti prostitution law but it essentially has no punishment for the customer. Or the prostitute herself. -- himself. I'm so it's a very vague. Thing on the caucus and make their money on. Human trafficking. Or service will actually have actual intercourse guaranteed as part of the bill."

" To they have debates about stop and frisk and things like that police practice. Against young Japanese -- is there on the minority groups probably in Tokyo. You know to have an ethnic -- racial flash point like here but nevertheless those kinds of practices."

" You know Japan is -- 99% homogenous -- com there's a lot of discrimination against Korean Japanese nominee who were brought over a slave labor during Second World War and also. An outcast question Japanese call the -- mean. -- a -- And not surprising a lot of those people end up becoming rockets."

" And in terms of the police speed in general. Just to stop street crime -- are -- big debates in Tokyo where where police are too aggressive. No no no no one in Japan ever says that we are too aggressive however. There have been a number of cases where people have. And forced into confessing to crimes who didn't commit which was later revealed that the police and browbeat them during -- 23 days of interrogation police are allowed in Japan. And that has become an issue 23 days of interrogation oh yes and you can't have your lawyer present either. Thirty seconds left you left the paper after your life and your family's lives were threatened by the cruiser. And yet you continue to report and tell some stories from -- So now. After all that -- intensity you moving back to Missouri. I don't think so I am I've -- I'm committed to some people in Tokyo house keep going in and out of their further Fuller for the rest of my days. Can take -- hosting. American growth in Missouri is a reporter for the Yomiuri Shimbun the number one Japanese newspaper. He has now compiled some of his stories into a book Tokyo vice an American reporter on the police -- In Japan thank you very much."

" Thanks for listening to WNYC on demand. Please check out our other program to wnyc.org. Or on iTunes. This free service has made possible by our listeners become a member of WNYC. Today."