Confessions of a Yakuza

by Junichi Saga

Paperback

Published February 22, 2013

About the author

Junichi Saga (佐賀 純一 Saga Jun'ichi?, born 1941) is a Japanese countryside physician and writer whose work records countryside experiences of numerous individuals (typically, his patients).

Reviews

[Ratijn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's go gambling!!

[Nathan Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

"The minute I saw his face, I felt we weren't going to hit it off. The feeling was right, too: I was going to end up killing him. It makes you think, doesn't it? But it's too easy to make the facts fit after the event."

Eiji (the Yakuza recounting his life) tells his stories in a way that is both colorful and to-the-point. He is able to (mostly) intuit the details that actually make each story worth telling. This, among other qualities, made this book a very captivating read and one I finished in just a few days.

Throughout, my emotional reactions to the book largely centered around its themes of tradition and honor (relatedly, I find the identification and discussion of themes in this context very interesting as the idea of "authorial intent" is quite different).

As Eiji earned the respect of the Yakuza and other members of his community, I found myself really compelled by the social webs of trust, respect, honor, and generosity that upheld their organization and overall way of life. In one story, Eiji is released from prison after taking the fall for organizing a gambling session despite being in his first year and virtually* innocent. Something swelled in me when he left that prison in the shivering cold at four in the morning, miles from civilization, and was greeted by all 80 members of their gang, offering him a clean kimono and words of gratitude.

Naturally, though, this kind of culture cuts both ways. Despite the existence of many strong and enterprising women in his stories, you don't have to look hard to see how the customs of the time left women out to dry at all caste levels. I don't count this against the book itself per-se, but it deserves mentioning, lest the "aura" of the stories' honor culture stand taller than it deserves.

Ultimately, it's hard to put my finger on why I won't give this book 4 or 5 stars instead, but it's true to my feelings. Maybe this isn't quite the genre for me.

[Foad Ansari · Rating 3 out of 5]

ئەم کتێبە ژیاننامەی کەسێکە بەناو ئایجی کە بەرپرس و سەرۆکی گرووپێکی یاکوزا بووە لە ژاپۆن . ڕووداوەکان دەگەڕێتەوە بۆ شەڕی یەکم ودووەمی جیهانی. یاکوزا گرووپێکی تاوانکارە و لە هەمووجیهان ناسراوە وەکوو مافیا لە ئیتالیا. لەوسەردەما کاری یاکوزا ڕێکخستن و دامەزرانی کازینو و قومارخانە بووە و هەمووداهاتیان لەو ڕێگەوە دابین دەکرا. کتێبەکە تا ڕادەێک تۆ لەگەڵ بارودۆخی ژاپۆن لە ڕووی کۆمەڵایەتی ئاگاداردەکات بەڵام ئەم کابرا خۆی کەسێکی زۆر زانا وزیرەک نەبووە وهەموو ژیانی ناو قومارخانە بەسەر بردووە تەنانەت لەکاتی شەڕ،  لەبەر ئەوەی زانیاری ورد و بەکەڵکی پێ نیە. ئایجی باسی خۆی لەسەردەمی منداڵی تا پیر بوون دەکات. باسی دەسپێکردنی بە قومار، ئه ندام بوونی لە یاکوزا، پیاوکوژی، زیندان، سەربازی، و .... نووسەری ئەم کتێبە دوکتۆرێکە(ساگا) و ئایجی چیرۆکی خۆی بۆ ساگا باس دەکات و ساگا دەێنووسێت.

[Zare · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a striking, beautifully wrtten story. It was so interesting I read it in a single sitting, which does not happen that often to me.

Main character is old crime boss, practically on his deathbed. When he decides to retire in japanese countryside he comes across the doctor (author) whom he starts to like very much. So much that after he witnesses doctor's affinity for history, especially history of small towns in Japan, he decides to tell him his life story.

While it is obvious that crime boss is a hard person, who lived the life of crime, murder and savage prison sentences, we are also given counterbalance - picture of the man who came from the poverty, who fought to survive but also tried to live according to some unwritten code of honor, trying to keep up with his image of hardcore criminal but also to try to be as human to possible to people around him. We are given very honest portrayal of people and what they are ready to do in order to survive, and I am not talking about savage violence, but down to earth coming to terms with the life they are living. Are they sometimes ruthless, yes, but not to the point of ruthlessness for the sake of ruthlessness, but to find a way out of the predicament they found themselves in, if possible with as little external suffering of others. You might call it small level thievery and con-artistry but when one has no other means, what else is left?

This is a story of very caste society, where everyone needs to find a position for oneself and try to live the best life possible living by the rules of his environment.

Again, a lot of unspoken lurks around the corner of the pages, potentially even very brutal, but these parts get skipped and only very human elements remain. Because of this book might be seen as an idealized view of the life of the Yakuza, that some would call even too polished or untrue. In my eyes it succeeds in telling a story of ordinary people who find themselves living an extraordinary life, told through their relations with others and their ways to keep their humanity. Nobody lives in the illusions of what Yakuza boss actually needs to do everyday, but it is refreshing to show how crime does not exist just for the crime sake but because of the way society is built, and there is just no other way to live for some strata of the society. It does not make saints of the criminals, but enables us to better understand what is it that drives their business forward. And it is not critique of the society - crime was, is and will remain. When there is a desire left unsatisfied there are always people who will try to profit on it.

Very interesting, and very beautifully written book (translation is excellent), full of love for the time past and the way old Japan once was.

Highly recommended.

[Elena Melanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book ao many times and enjoyed it each and every time. this book follows the local yakuza "mobster." The world mobster is incquotations because it is about how to actually be human.
it is a big hearted and wonderful read that takes you into time. reader, you will love it!!!!! that much I will say.

[Samuel Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome and detailed insight into life as a yakuza in the early to mid 1900’s.
Also general information about how Japan was in that time period before and during WW2.

Life in the military/ jail/torture methods were touched on.

[Jachin Heckman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that a book about a gangster is mostly the tale of an unlikable person failing upwards, but I was disappointed.