Investigative journalist Jake Adelstein details his career covering the Japanese criminal underworld, from his early days reporting in Tokyo to the high-stakes confrontation with Yakuza boss Goto Tadamasa that forced him into police protection. The interview thoroughly examines the Yakuza's culture, including the history behind their tattoos and the ritual of the sacrificial finger, and discusses the decline of the crime syndicate in modern Japan. Later, the conversation covers Adelstein's unique projects, such as investigating human trafficking and the Fukushima disaster, before revealing his path to becoming a Zen Buddhist priest. Finally, he introduces his latest book, The Devil Takes Bitcoin, which chronicles the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange collapse.
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00:00 Start
02:38 Adelstein's origin story as a reporter in Tokyo.
08:37 The unique dynamic between police, press, and Yakuza.
18:31 Becoming a target of Yakuza boss Goto Tadamasa.
26:49 Deep dive into Yakuza history and their code of conduct.
31:30 Yakuza cultural symbols: tattoos and the sacrificial finger.
50:13 Continuation of Saigo's story and the messy finger-cutting incident.
1:11:19 Japanese anti-Semitism and the Om Shinrikyo cult.
1:18:52 Work on the U.S. State Department human trafficking study.
1:35:43 Reporting on the Fukushima disaster and Yakuza in the nuclear industry.

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Inside the Yakuza | Jake Adelstein | Ep. 375