Tokyo Underworld
A fresh perspective on the economic miracle and near disaster that is modern Japan.
Through the eyes of Nick Zappetti, a former GI, former black marketer, failed professional wrestler, bungling diamond thief who turned himself into "the Mafia boss of Tokyo and the king of Rappongi," we meet the players and the losers in the high-stakes game of postwar finance, politics, and criminal corruption in which he thrived.
Here's the story of the Imperial Hotel diamond robbers, who attempted (and may have accomplished) the biggest heist in Tokyo's history. Here is Rikidozan, the professional wrestler who almost single-handedly revived Japanese pride, but whose own ethnicity had to be kept secret. And here is the story of the intimate relationships shared by Japan's ruling party, its financial combines, its ruthless criminal gangs, the CIA, American Big Business, and perhaps at least one presidential relative. Here is the underside of postwar Japan, which is only now coming to light.
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Book details
- Publisher
- Vintage
- Publication date
- 2000
- Print length
- 402 pages
- Language
- English
- ISBN
- 978-0375724893
Biography + Memoir + Historical
What to Know Before Reading Tokyo Underworld
In 'Tokyo Underworld,' Robert Whiting offers a compelling narrative of postwar Japan through the eyes of Nick Zappetti, a former GI turned crime boss. This unorthodox chronicle reveals the intricate connections between politics, finance, and organized crime, highlighting figures like the Imperial Hotel diamond robbers and the legendary wrestler Rikidozan. Whiting sheds light on the dark underbelly of Japan's economic miracle, exploring how democracy and crime intertwined during a transformative era.
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About the author
Robert Whiting
““In the world of Tokyo, crime and politics are two sides of the same coin.””
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