Confessions of a Yakuza Kindle Edition

The main subject of this book ( Eiji )is a gambler, who spent his life running gambling houses through the 1910s-1940s Japan before retiring. So, if you are expecting the usual American Mafia stuff you won't find that here. Eiji may be an unreliable narrator since he was a murderer, and career criminal so you should keep that in mind when reading this.However, the many tales you will hear of are amusing and interesting. From his first forays into running card games as a child for gamblers, his vigorous youth that led him into some absurd moments, his military stint in the occupation of Korea (from which he profited) in the military, to the climax of the book the firebombing of Tokyo during WW2 (and how he profited from it) you will see over 30 years of life go by in a flash.

Got recommended by. It by a friend cool story they’re people just like us but shows what they did in times of need and how yakuza worked

I decided to buy this book because I believe that Bob Dylan's "Love & Theft" is one of the finest musical albums I have the pleasure of listening to. After reading this book, I can see why it would have an influence on Bob Dylan. The story is about a man who gets caught up in a remarkable world during a time of great changes. There are pleasures he enjoys and hardships he endures, you can understand why this tale had to be told. Much like the Dylan album it harks back to a bygone era, both pieces tell tales of worlds seperated by thousands of miles but now more distant from us by time then they are to one another. A fine read, regardless of what brought you to considering a purchase. I highly recommend the book.Don't expect this to be about a very seedy underworld, the Yakuza feel different, as if they were human, not some cold-blooded killing machines.

It may sound odd that I use the word honor in the context of a gangster which is exactly what the yakuza were and are, but the man profiled here is completely old school in all its best connotations. Essentially, the background concerns a very old man about to die who tells his story to the random doctor who happens to examine him. The interviews are conducted over a series of weeks and they occur at the yakuza's home. To say that he lived in interesting times is definitely an understatement. Most of the action occurs before World War II, and, in those days, being a yakuza meant only running gambling houses. To do anything else was beneath them. One can see why the police were rather tolerant in regards to their general operations in light of this eventuality. The man described here eventually became the head of a local branch of the brotherhood, but the stories of his rise and his ever-so-complicated interactions with women were what most impressed this reviewer. This was a pretty fantastic read, and its value is all the greater should you be rather ignorant about Japan (as was the case with this reviewer).

I read this book expecting a much more modern account of underworld activities in Japan. What this text actually is, however, is the story of a Yakuza mob boss from the 1920s-1940s. The Yakuza at that time was all about gambling, and had no interest in the other more illicit activities which it uses to make money today. This story is a bit more dated than I was looking for.

I just got involved in this one and couldn’t stop. The crime and womanizing get monotonous but I think that’s part of the feel of a yakuza life. I found it very interesting, more so because I recognized some of the local places in Tokyo they talk about.

A good little biography that serves as an interesting memoir of a Yakuza, a unique perspective to Japanese history, and ultimately a story of a complex man's life, with good, bad, and ugly.

I enjoyed this read because it was a book of personal recollections of a real life Yakuza. Some of the stories were very charming. Even though main character Eiji was likely a bad guy, he came off like a good guy and I found myself rooting for him, hoping that the stories were accurate and true because I wanted to believe they actually happened. I would recommend this book to readers who want to hear stories from a gangster who actually lived the life of a Yakuza.