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Roppongi
Roppongi is an 'adventure-travel-fiction' story, exploring the crazy and often dangerous world which is living and working as a foreigner in the Roppongi nightlife industry of Tokyo, Japan. The novel follows the (mis)adventures of its travel-addicted protagonist Zack, and in that respect is similar thematically to Alex Garland's 'The Beach' or Gregory David Roberts' 'Shantaram.' Accordingly, the reader is viscerally transported into the surreal realms of Roppongi, as Zack attempts to come to terms with a series of life-changing events unfolding at rapid pace. In the process, the novel punches through the impossibly glamorous surface of Roppongi and plunges the reader deep into its seedy underbelly ... showing a disturbing side of Japan not often written about in the English language.
- GenresFiction
396 pages, Paperback
First published January 13, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 13, 2012
Well, because I'm the author, it's probably better to include the first couple of pre-publication reviews here instead. Go to the website www.roppongithenovel.com for more information.
REVIEW 1
12th January 2012.
Review by "Fresh Underground Culture Magazine"
Visit the review on their website here: fucmonline.com/fucmwp/?p=1329
Roppongi, Tokyo. In a shadowy but glamorous world designed for maximum hedonism, things and people are not always what they seem. In this, his first novel, Nick Vasey deftly portrays the mindset and experiences of a veteran traveller, the happy-go-lucky protagonist, Zack.
Woven into this epic tale are the comings and goings of an eclectic array of characters who inhabit the mean-streets and pleasure-domes of Roppongi. In peeling back the layers of personalities and agendas via exploring the working lives of Roppongi insiders in various environments, it seems Vasey has pulled off the difficult job of narrating a multi-faceted novel of good and evil's 'shades of grey,' without becoming overly sentimental, or judgmental.
If you have not been to Roppongi, this novel will either encourage or deter you in equal measure, depending on your own predilections. In the meantime, we can certainly salute the emergence of what may yet prove to be a cult adventure-travel novel on a par with Alex Garland's 'The Beach' or Gregory David Roberts's 'Shantaram.'
REVIEW 2
12th January 2012
Review by Fredrik Hjelm - visit his website here: http://thaiboxingchampion.tripod.com/
2002 US Champion Muay Thai - K1 (Team Andy Hug), & ex Roppongi habitué.
This is an engagingly written and strangely compelling novel. Written by a seasoned industry insider, Roppongi punches through the impossibly glamorous surface of 'High Touch Town' and plunges the reader deep into its seedy underbelly ... showing us a disturbing side of Japan not often written about in the English language.
In the same way fatal crocodile-attacks in Australia boost rather than curb tourist numbers, I suspect in years to come that 'Roppongi' will be responsible for ever-greater numbers of wide-eyed thrill-seeking hedonists launching themselves into the alluring but sinister melting-pot which is Roppongi after dark.
REVIEW 1
12th January 2012.
Review by "Fresh Underground Culture Magazine"
Visit the review on their website here: fucmonline.com/fucmwp/?p=1329
Roppongi, Tokyo. In a shadowy but glamorous world designed for maximum hedonism, things and people are not always what they seem. In this, his first novel, Nick Vasey deftly portrays the mindset and experiences of a veteran traveller, the happy-go-lucky protagonist, Zack.
Woven into this epic tale are the comings and goings of an eclectic array of characters who inhabit the mean-streets and pleasure-domes of Roppongi. In peeling back the layers of personalities and agendas via exploring the working lives of Roppongi insiders in various environments, it seems Vasey has pulled off the difficult job of narrating a multi-faceted novel of good and evil's 'shades of grey,' without becoming overly sentimental, or judgmental.
If you have not been to Roppongi, this novel will either encourage or deter you in equal measure, depending on your own predilections. In the meantime, we can certainly salute the emergence of what may yet prove to be a cult adventure-travel novel on a par with Alex Garland's 'The Beach' or Gregory David Roberts's 'Shantaram.'
REVIEW 2
12th January 2012
Review by Fredrik Hjelm - visit his website here: http://thaiboxingchampion.tripod.com/
2002 US Champion Muay Thai - K1 (Team Andy Hug), & ex Roppongi habitué.
This is an engagingly written and strangely compelling novel. Written by a seasoned industry insider, Roppongi punches through the impossibly glamorous surface of 'High Touch Town' and plunges the reader deep into its seedy underbelly ... showing us a disturbing side of Japan not often written about in the English language.
In the same way fatal crocodile-attacks in Australia boost rather than curb tourist numbers, I suspect in years to come that 'Roppongi' will be responsible for ever-greater numbers of wide-eyed thrill-seeking hedonists launching themselves into the alluring but sinister melting-pot which is Roppongi after dark.
March 28, 2012
Peripatetic Australian Zack Morrissey is a chick magnet and all round likeable guy in 1998, back when international travel wasn’t so complicated. He’s crewing on a tourist boat in Israel, partying it up and having a good time, but not a wild time; also he’s not making as much money as he wants. Hence the compelling need to return to a notorious district of Tokyo called—and vividly depicted in Nick Vasey’s debut novel—Roppongi.
Why Roppongi? In short, it is:
. . . a non-stop party-shop, a crazy rollercoaster-ride of drugs, drinking, partying and gorgeous women. Money flowed freely from a slashed, seemingly limitless financial aorta, and it was actually his job to make every night the biggest party he could. Since everyone was hell-bent on getting as f***ed-up as they could as often as they could, his job was perhaps better defined as conductor to this hedonistic orchestra. Lawyers, bankers, brokers, wankers . . . it really didn’t matter. They’d all come to his bar thirsting for a wild time. And how he’d delighted them! Under his expert helmsmanship, Bongoes had become legendary for excess.
That excess, and a difficult breakup, had driven Zack out two years before. Now Zack is ready to explore and exploit its possibilities again. His adventures begin promisingly on the flight to Tokyo where Zack charms a married flight attendant for a tryst in Roppongi. From there, it’s a wild ride of sex, drugs, and violence as Zack re-integrates himself into Tokyo’s underworld. Through mostly Zack’s observations, the inanimate but highly animated character of Roppongi emerges, rising to the level of some mythical beast that rewards those who embrace its culture—particularly the outsiders, the ‘gaijin’—with a surrealistic party atmosphere always on the go. Zack is ideally suited for this environment, and vice (pun intended) versa. For the reader he’s a wonderful guide and for the friends who fatefully join him there, a one-man welcome committee.
It doesn’t take long for Zack to re-establish his place as a drug conduit and start making lots of money, but it does take some time before a concrete plot emerges. This occurs when Zack’s drug activities—and his general popularity and influence in Roppongi—draws the enmity of Max, an ambitious Nigerian trying to penetrate Tokyo’s criminal element. Max is a nasty, violent character who comes to epitomize the menace of Roppongi. People begin to die as Max steps up his efforts to infiltrate a Tokyo gang. Zack sees what’s going on but finds himself powerless to do much about it, especially after he falls in true love with a Canadian girl, whom he must protect. But protect from what? Max? Roppongi? Himself?
Taken as a travelogue, Roppongi works very well. The descriptions of the area, and Japanese culture in general from an ex-pat’s point of view, are well crafted with fluid, energetic prose:
In a few short steps they voyaged to a parallel dimension. A world of darkness and rising mists, of flashing strobes mixed with a sea of UV-enhanced psychedelic colour. Insinuating itself throughout this fantastic dreamscape was the relentless pumping energy coming from the speakers. The energy was absorbed, mutated, and subsequently reflected in exultation by the seething mass of super-charged people crowding the dance-floor.
As a novel, though, the book did not succeed as well. The plot was not as exciting as the environment—which could be taken as a compliment to the handling of the setting—and took too long to unfold for my taste.
Part of that is due to overwriting in parts, such as the long setup for the scene in the morgue. The over-reliance on adverbs occasionally led into purple prose, as did a tendency to favour decorative verbs over “said” in speaker attributions. Much of the dialogue could have been pared down. It all made the book seem longer than it needed to be, a common trait with self-published works.
The proofreading, on the other hand, while not perfect, is far better than most self-published books. What errors exist are inconsequential and have no negative impact on the reading.
I also had trouble relating to Zack; he isn’t my type of character. He’s an unusually lucky and talented guy who doesn’t need to invest much effort in things. It all comes easily to him, be it work, sex, accommodation, drugs. His women are universally drop dead gorgeous and he always wins at pool, unless he’s trying not to. Bad things do happen to him, or rather to the people he cares about, but there is an apparent invincibility about him that, by contrast, weakens the other characters, who are otherwise appealing. It was hard for me to pull for Zack, not because he was unlikeable, but because it doesn’t seem he needs anyone to pull for him.
In a scene on a lake with the Carla, the charming Canadian girl he falls in love with, he hesitates to swim, claiming he doesn’t know how. Aha, he’s not perfect, the reader thinks. But no, he then jumps into the water, fearlessly. Not even a hint of kryptonite for this Super-dude. A minor weakness such as an inability to swim could have provided a window to what has to be a lonesome and troubled soul inside. Though he masks it by a generous and charismatic exterior, Zack is driven by an every-man-for-himself philosophy that promotes lying to get jobs, doing and dealing drugs, and rationalizing other short cuts in life. Zack does experience personal growth in the novel and the events do make a deep impact on him. But I wasn’t convinced those impacts would be lasting.
What is lasting is the impression of Roppongi. There’s no denying this novel is an R-rated whirlwind that will likely prove great entertainment for people less pickier than me, the pro-Zacks (pun not intended) who probably make up the majority of the audience this author is trying to reach.
Why Roppongi? In short, it is:
. . . a non-stop party-shop, a crazy rollercoaster-ride of drugs, drinking, partying and gorgeous women. Money flowed freely from a slashed, seemingly limitless financial aorta, and it was actually his job to make every night the biggest party he could. Since everyone was hell-bent on getting as f***ed-up as they could as often as they could, his job was perhaps better defined as conductor to this hedonistic orchestra. Lawyers, bankers, brokers, wankers . . . it really didn’t matter. They’d all come to his bar thirsting for a wild time. And how he’d delighted them! Under his expert helmsmanship, Bongoes had become legendary for excess.
That excess, and a difficult breakup, had driven Zack out two years before. Now Zack is ready to explore and exploit its possibilities again. His adventures begin promisingly on the flight to Tokyo where Zack charms a married flight attendant for a tryst in Roppongi. From there, it’s a wild ride of sex, drugs, and violence as Zack re-integrates himself into Tokyo’s underworld. Through mostly Zack’s observations, the inanimate but highly animated character of Roppongi emerges, rising to the level of some mythical beast that rewards those who embrace its culture—particularly the outsiders, the ‘gaijin’—with a surrealistic party atmosphere always on the go. Zack is ideally suited for this environment, and vice (pun intended) versa. For the reader he’s a wonderful guide and for the friends who fatefully join him there, a one-man welcome committee.
It doesn’t take long for Zack to re-establish his place as a drug conduit and start making lots of money, but it does take some time before a concrete plot emerges. This occurs when Zack’s drug activities—and his general popularity and influence in Roppongi—draws the enmity of Max, an ambitious Nigerian trying to penetrate Tokyo’s criminal element. Max is a nasty, violent character who comes to epitomize the menace of Roppongi. People begin to die as Max steps up his efforts to infiltrate a Tokyo gang. Zack sees what’s going on but finds himself powerless to do much about it, especially after he falls in true love with a Canadian girl, whom he must protect. But protect from what? Max? Roppongi? Himself?
Taken as a travelogue, Roppongi works very well. The descriptions of the area, and Japanese culture in general from an ex-pat’s point of view, are well crafted with fluid, energetic prose:
In a few short steps they voyaged to a parallel dimension. A world of darkness and rising mists, of flashing strobes mixed with a sea of UV-enhanced psychedelic colour. Insinuating itself throughout this fantastic dreamscape was the relentless pumping energy coming from the speakers. The energy was absorbed, mutated, and subsequently reflected in exultation by the seething mass of super-charged people crowding the dance-floor.
As a novel, though, the book did not succeed as well. The plot was not as exciting as the environment—which could be taken as a compliment to the handling of the setting—and took too long to unfold for my taste.
Part of that is due to overwriting in parts, such as the long setup for the scene in the morgue. The over-reliance on adverbs occasionally led into purple prose, as did a tendency to favour decorative verbs over “said” in speaker attributions. Much of the dialogue could have been pared down. It all made the book seem longer than it needed to be, a common trait with self-published works.
The proofreading, on the other hand, while not perfect, is far better than most self-published books. What errors exist are inconsequential and have no negative impact on the reading.
I also had trouble relating to Zack; he isn’t my type of character. He’s an unusually lucky and talented guy who doesn’t need to invest much effort in things. It all comes easily to him, be it work, sex, accommodation, drugs. His women are universally drop dead gorgeous and he always wins at pool, unless he’s trying not to. Bad things do happen to him, or rather to the people he cares about, but there is an apparent invincibility about him that, by contrast, weakens the other characters, who are otherwise appealing. It was hard for me to pull for Zack, not because he was unlikeable, but because it doesn’t seem he needs anyone to pull for him.
In a scene on a lake with the Carla, the charming Canadian girl he falls in love with, he hesitates to swim, claiming he doesn’t know how. Aha, he’s not perfect, the reader thinks. But no, he then jumps into the water, fearlessly. Not even a hint of kryptonite for this Super-dude. A minor weakness such as an inability to swim could have provided a window to what has to be a lonesome and troubled soul inside. Though he masks it by a generous and charismatic exterior, Zack is driven by an every-man-for-himself philosophy that promotes lying to get jobs, doing and dealing drugs, and rationalizing other short cuts in life. Zack does experience personal growth in the novel and the events do make a deep impact on him. But I wasn’t convinced those impacts would be lasting.
What is lasting is the impression of Roppongi. There’s no denying this novel is an R-rated whirlwind that will likely prove great entertainment for people less pickier than me, the pro-Zacks (pun not intended) who probably make up the majority of the audience this author is trying to reach.
February 1, 2012
Having lived in Tokyo for as an ex-pat for 4.5 years, I believe the author, Nick Vasey, has captured the spirit of Roppongi brilliantly in this novel. The friendships and situations portrayed are very similar to what I experienced. A lot of people have their own story about Roppongi, I'm happy to read Nick's story because I can relate to it. I agree with another reviewer, this is a book I'd like to see as a movie!
His character 'Zack' perfectly portrays the experience of someone who lived, and survived, a year in Tokyo. He shares his experience with friends who haven't been there, and he wants to go back. I don't blame him. Back in Tokyo, he settles into a job in Roppongi, catching up with his friends, and enjoys his new life.
In real life Roppongi, if you're associated with a club or bar, you're an instant celebrity, as 'Zack' was. At some point, you realize some of your friends are very important people, then you realize they're involved in things you don't want to know about. It's at that point that things can change rapidly, and your life will change forever. So many things can happen so quickly around you that you don't really understand what's real, and for someone like 'Zack' who isn't Japanese, it takes a lot to get through these situations, in an unfamiliar world.
This book reminded me why I think Tokyo is one of the most interesting cities in the world, and Roppongi should be a destination for anyone looking for an adventure.
His character 'Zack' perfectly portrays the experience of someone who lived, and survived, a year in Tokyo. He shares his experience with friends who haven't been there, and he wants to go back. I don't blame him. Back in Tokyo, he settles into a job in Roppongi, catching up with his friends, and enjoys his new life.
In real life Roppongi, if you're associated with a club or bar, you're an instant celebrity, as 'Zack' was. At some point, you realize some of your friends are very important people, then you realize they're involved in things you don't want to know about. It's at that point that things can change rapidly, and your life will change forever. So many things can happen so quickly around you that you don't really understand what's real, and for someone like 'Zack' who isn't Japanese, it takes a lot to get through these situations, in an unfamiliar world.
This book reminded me why I think Tokyo is one of the most interesting cities in the world, and Roppongi should be a destination for anyone looking for an adventure.
January 23, 2012
Amazingly and intriguingly suspenseful and intelligent writing. Made me contemplate the viability of packing up and moving to the Japanese petri dish of sin and hedonism that Roppongi is defined as and leaving the safety of my mundane pedestrian existence, in hard copy and not just via the vicarious journey this damn good read takes you on.
Mr Vasey is a star rising to altitudinal heights....catch him and this book as soon as you can.
Mr Vasey is a star rising to altitudinal heights....catch him and this book as soon as you can.
May 6, 2012
Let me start by saying I came to read Roppongi having been gifted a copy from the author through this very website. At first I thought I was really going to dislike the book. Initially I found the main character Zack annoying and somewhat tedious. I've always had a problem with the "traveler" type(and I have been one myself) who cultivates an air of superiority in relation to those who have taken the more worn path of the nine to five existence. I remember traveling through India/Nepal and meeting people who felt the need to constantly differentiate their "traveler" existence to that of the "tourist". I recall the often used line, the traveler knows not where he is going but knows where he has been, whereas the tourist knows not where he has been but only where he is going. While there may be a hint of truth in this, it's the self-righteous arrogance and the manner in which such types look down on the "meek, compliant masses who blindly slave away at their jobs", that grates on me. Wow that was a bit out of left field, wasn't it!? I guess what I'm trying to say is to each their own. Just as I don't subscribe to the view that those who opt out of the rat race are lazy, drug induced, parasitic hippies, nor do I believe that those who are career focused and want material wealth are clueless, self-adsorbed,damaged souls. But enough of my ravings, back to Roppongi.
Having lived in Tokyo and taught English in Roppongi, less than 30 meters from the infamous Gas Panic, I did enjoy seeing some of my old haunts committed to paper. Roppongi is a weird place and the book does an excellent job of conveying the Roppongi night-club scene. I thought the book was very well written and the story engaging, in fact at times I could not put it down. I also liked that the author portrayed how a hedonistic carefree existence, lived purely in the moment, can come at a pretty hefty price. Roppongi has it all, sex, drugs, underground raves, Yakuza, Nigerian gansters, a couple of murders and an eclectic mix of travelers. What more could one want in a novel!!
A compelling first novel and one which I do not hesitate in recommending. Well done Mr Vasey and I too would like to see Roppongi on the Big Screen one day.
Having lived in Tokyo and taught English in Roppongi, less than 30 meters from the infamous Gas Panic, I did enjoy seeing some of my old haunts committed to paper. Roppongi is a weird place and the book does an excellent job of conveying the Roppongi night-club scene. I thought the book was very well written and the story engaging, in fact at times I could not put it down. I also liked that the author portrayed how a hedonistic carefree existence, lived purely in the moment, can come at a pretty hefty price. Roppongi has it all, sex, drugs, underground raves, Yakuza, Nigerian gansters, a couple of murders and an eclectic mix of travelers. What more could one want in a novel!!
A compelling first novel and one which I do not hesitate in recommending. Well done Mr Vasey and I too would like to see Roppongi on the Big Screen one day.
February 19, 2012
Roppongi, just buy and read this book, have no hesitation because it is one that you will be wanting to read again and offer to your friends.
One day it will be recognised as not only a captivating story but also as a meaningful piece of art.
Reading the book is just like taking a little pill that takes you straight away in a maelstrom of life,
with lots of laughter, humour, adventures, also spiritual depth and sadness, but courage and useful philosophy.
You and your friends will be happy to own original prints of this marvel;
which, in my humble opinion, is bound to become a classical.
The reverse of the pill is that it does take some time to get back to reality,
but then you get back to it with a new eye.
One day it will be recognised as not only a captivating story but also as a meaningful piece of art.
Reading the book is just like taking a little pill that takes you straight away in a maelstrom of life,
with lots of laughter, humour, adventures, also spiritual depth and sadness, but courage and useful philosophy.
You and your friends will be happy to own original prints of this marvel;
which, in my humble opinion, is bound to become a classical.
The reverse of the pill is that it does take some time to get back to reality,
but then you get back to it with a new eye.
August 22, 2013
Roppongi is one of my dream-books. I'm a big Tokyo-fan and I've been there in 2009. This book really captures the Japanese atmosphere. We follow Zack, a die hard and confident traveler who has an angel on his shoulder. Loud-mouthed but still social and emphatic, Zack is an immediately likeable character with a raw edge. To earn money for his next traveladverntures, he goes back to Roppongi - Tokyo, the most bizarre area of Tokyo full with strange Gajins (outsiders). All is well for Zack and the book is a great read for every traveler. But, luck has to run out sometimes...... It's a fast-paced book with a great lead-character that doesn't behave perfectly. There are some conflicting moral issues in this book, but I found it interesting and enjoyed the book immensely. A great read!
March 21, 2012
Thoroughly enjoyed navigating with the charming character Zack as he unfolded his trials and trivilations (sort of speak) in one of the world's "salacious undergrounds", Roppongi. I appreciate this much on point novel of how life could be like, as I have lived in undergrounds myself and could definitely relate. If Roppongi shall become a movie, it will be a great compliment to BLOW and The King of New York.
From G
From G
January 24, 2012
Thousands of foreigners living thousands of miles away from home in an area of Tokyo famous for its thousands of bars. There is no need to imagine. Read this book..what happens in Roppongi stays in Roppongi.....until this book came out! Thanks Nick! Great read; great memories!
March 18, 2012
Amazing novel. I won it in a contest on Goodreads, and to be honest, I didn't know anything about it. Reading it was an adventure into the underworld of a foreign city, with realistic characters and interesting dialect. Love, love, loved it.
January 18, 2012
Thouroughly enjoyable book, once I started, I got immersed in the Roppongi world and couldn't put it down. Great book Nick, can't wait till you write the next book about Zack's next adventure
January 19, 2012
Cannot wait to sit and read this book!!!!
January 20, 2012
cant wait to read this!
January 18, 2012
Cant Wait for the full read....
July 11, 2012
Nick Vasey's 'Roppongi': A great novel, emotionally touching, intellectually stimulating, well paced and the plots keep ever unfolding especially in the latter half of the book. In hindsight I appreciate that Nick has fleshed out the protagonist so well as it gave me enough details to reflect on and truly identify with him once events got into a fast gear. I also felt that Nick found good words to describe the drug and party scene of the last 15 years (not only in Roppongi)as many people seem to struggle with adequately describing them and feel he has taken his time to pinpoint drug related experiences in a manner that many could identify with without dragging on about it. The high drama evolving is exhilarating!
This is a great read!
Highly recommended!
This is a great read!
Highly recommended!
July 21, 2015
For a first book it's pretty stellar.
I have to say I thought this narrative was going to take off a LOT sooner, and also in an entirely different direction. Pretty incredible how the author creates this world to ponder. Some name dropping for Glamorama and The Pilgrimage, think I've got some books lined up to read now.
Interesting style, some great language, a bit dry and matter of fact with little suspense, but still I sucked it up.
I absolutely recommend this book if you've travelled or have an interest in seediness and crime. Nice work here. Indeed, it would make a great movie.
I have to say I thought this narrative was going to take off a LOT sooner, and also in an entirely different direction. Pretty incredible how the author creates this world to ponder. Some name dropping for Glamorama and The Pilgrimage, think I've got some books lined up to read now.
Interesting style, some great language, a bit dry and matter of fact with little suspense, but still I sucked it up.
I absolutely recommend this book if you've travelled or have an interest in seediness and crime. Nice work here. Indeed, it would make a great movie.
July 4, 2012
I can see this book as a movie with picturesque locations, wonderful villains and an undoubtedly charismatic hero. When is Nick Vasey's next book being published?
July 18, 2015
Review
Pretty intense, the author describes the setting very well. I enjoyed the fact that the yakuza were depicted in a more warm hearted fashion.
Pretty intense, the author describes the setting very well. I enjoyed the fact that the yakuza were depicted in a more warm hearted fashion.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews