Only weeks after the release of Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan in the United Kingdom, we have been honored to have the book chosen to be featured as BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week. Narrated by Jack Klaff (with a slightly liberal interpretation of a Japanese English accent), Episode 1 is currently up with four more forthcoming later this week.
Their website makes it appear that the audio files are only up for seven days, so don’t miss these as they come out!
It’s probably worth noting that you’ll only be able to listen if you’re in the UK, or using a proxy server so the BBC site /thinks/ you’re in the UK.
Actually, I was able to hear it from the United States without any problem. Go figure. But thanks for pointing out the possibility.
I was able to hear it from Japan without a problem as well. 🙂
Also streams fine in Denmark and ep. 2 is up as well. But oh boy, was the readers choice of trying to dramatize the Japanese’s speech ever a bad choice. I take it that the Japanese in question spoke to Jake in Japanese.
Excellent. I love Denmark although I’ve never been. (I know that doesn’t make sense but it would be too long to explain). The faux Japanese accents were a little much. The problem with radio is that you can’t subtitle things and I don’t think Watanabe Ken is willing to work for BBC wages so I guess that was their way of telling the listener, “He’s speaking to Japanese people!” Yes, almost all the conversations in Tokyo Vice were originally in Japanese. Thus, I have rewritten it in Japanese (not translated) but the book scares the hell out of publishers there. I’m even thinking of putting out the Japanese version for free down the road, since I kept the rights.
Only major problem with Denmark is that cloves are not to be had anywhere, so if you ever make it to these parts, bring plenty or settle for regular smokes 😉
I just finished reading the book last week after the paperback finally appeared on these shores (UK). I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and it fully deserves to be a Book of the Week IMHO…and to have better narration!
BTW It’s just the BBC iPlayer’s TV content that is restricted to the UK.
Haha, the Japanese accent is ridiculous, but the rest of the reading is wonderful.