Tokyo Vice

Jake shows me his phone, sharing a photo he claims is worth a billion dollars. It’s a yet to be released shot of a crime family boss with the president…

By Sandra Barron for JSRC originally posted on March 9th, 2011 It was one of those nightmare commutes. A crowded train finally pulled up to a rush-hour platform, dense with…

On the 8th and 15th of this month, in Japan and in parts of Asia, they celebrate Nirvana Day. It commemorates the death of the Buddha and his liberation from…

However, if the Tokyo Prosecutorial Board again rules that prosecution of the TEPCO executives is warranted then a team of lawyers will be chosen to play the role of the…

The National Police Agency of Japan is at long last (and after much public pressure) considering revising Japan's archaic adult entertainment laws to allow dancing past midnight! Yes, Japan may…

Maybe the detective was right, because while the Yamaguchi-gumi may not have substantially expanded their operations, they are certainly trying to expand their appeal internationally. Recently, they debuted their own…

Japan Subculture Research Center has taken a long sabbatical since December of 2013. We meant to get things off with a bang this January but our editor in chief and…

There are very few gaijin (foreigners) who know what happens on the dark side of the rising sun like Robert Whiting. Whiting is an American author and journalist living in…

The thing about the worst of the yakuza—and they're not all evil—is that you can't worry only about your own physical safety. There's a chance that your friends or loved…

Roppongi's iconic dance club, Muse, became the latest victim of the crackdown on illegal dancing when police announced on Sunday morning that it had raided the club and arrested manager…