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Lady Joker #1
Lady Joker
Tokyo, 1995. Five men meet at the racetrack every Sunday to bet on horses. They have little in common except a deep disaffection with their lives, but together they represent the social struggles and griefs of post-War Japan: a poorly socialized genius stuck working as a welder; a demoted detective with a chip on his shoulder; a Zainichi Korean banker sick of being ostracized for his ethnicity; a struggling single dad of a teenage girl with Down's syndrome. The fifth man bringing them all together is an elderly drugstore owner grieving his grandson, who has died in suspicious circumstances.
Intent on revenge against a society that values corporate behemoths more than human life, the five conspirators decide to carry out a heist: kidnap the CEO of Japan's largest beer conglomerate and extract blood money from the company's corrupt financiers.
Inspired by the unsolved true-crime kidnapping case perpetrated by "the Monster with 21 Faces", Lady Joker has become a cultural touchstone since its 1997 publication, acknowledged as the magnum opus by one of Japan's literary masters, twice adapted for film and TV and often taught in high school and college classrooms.
Intent on revenge against a society that values corporate behemoths more than human life, the five conspirators decide to carry out a heist: kidnap the CEO of Japan's largest beer conglomerate and extract blood money from the company's corrupt financiers.
Inspired by the unsolved true-crime kidnapping case perpetrated by "the Monster with 21 Faces", Lady Joker has become a cultural touchstone since its 1997 publication, acknowledged as the magnum opus by one of Japan's literary masters, twice adapted for film and TV and often taught in high school and college classrooms.
576 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 1997
600 people are currently reading
8330 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 282 reviews
April 18, 2021
Available 4/13/2021
"Hinode Beer had generally valued its employees." After World War II, however, "as long as beer remained under the Price Control Ordinance and with no prospect of a quick recovery...it was clear that there would soon be a surplus of equipment and manpower...the provisional solicitation for voluntary resignation began suddenly...40 employees left-each citing a family issue, an illness or vague reason for leaving." "For the briefest of moments, Katsuichi Noguchi- like [Seiji Okamura] and many others had dreamt of prosperity in a company called Hinode." Noguchi was born in a buraku village, a segregated community.
In 1947, Seiji Okamura wrote a letter to Hinode Beer describing unfair termination of employment. Okamura, like many other "resigned employees" was destitute. "My body always remembered poverty...I am sensitive to sounds and smells...when I inhale...they seep through me...settling in my empty stomach...a futile and unchanging past...". Okamura's threatening letter from half a century ago would resurface. Was the 1947 letter still relevant in the 1990's? Was Hinode Beer compliant with any sinister criminal behavior? Were there deeply buried secrets?
1995-Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu. Every Sunday, five men from different walks of life, bet on the horses. "For the simple lack of money, [he] had lived a life untouched by quiet spiritual satisfaction...with his meager income...he had the constant feeling that he was gradually being left behind...he threw his empty [beer] can into the road, where it was swiftly crushed beneath the tires of an uncoming truck...that's me, right there...it was not about happiness or lack there of- just that each person led their own fragile life".
"A fortune had been amassed from every last drop wrung from the have-nots and the guileless". Five men- a pharmacy owner, a truck driver, a lathe operator, a credit union employee, and a disgraced police officer decide to "milk money out of a big corporation...squeezing money out of Hinode Beer...the money was there for the taking...compared to what moneylenders do everyday, shaking down a company is nothing...when attacked on a matter that concerns their reputation and credibility a company will generally pay-up". A fail-safe plan was hatched to kidnap the CEO of Hinode Beer.
"Lady Joker, Volume 1" by Kaoru Takamura is a hefty six hundred page crime mystery that masterfully describes a kidnapping with the goal of milking beer manufacturer Hinode Beer, however, it is so much more. In intricate detail, a cast of twenty seven characters is revealed. The inner workings of the corporate-criminal world is explored as the Hinode Beer Corporation tries to shed its criminal connections. The Violent Crime/ White Collar Crime Units come out in full force and the reader is privy to their operations. Journalists and news organizations arrive like scavengers ready to pounce on the latest information. We are introduced to Assistant Police Inspector Yuichiro Goda who will play a prominent role in Lady Joker Volume II which will be released in 2022. I can hardly wait!
Thank you Soho Crime and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
"Hinode Beer had generally valued its employees." After World War II, however, "as long as beer remained under the Price Control Ordinance and with no prospect of a quick recovery...it was clear that there would soon be a surplus of equipment and manpower...the provisional solicitation for voluntary resignation began suddenly...40 employees left-each citing a family issue, an illness or vague reason for leaving." "For the briefest of moments, Katsuichi Noguchi- like [Seiji Okamura] and many others had dreamt of prosperity in a company called Hinode." Noguchi was born in a buraku village, a segregated community.
In 1947, Seiji Okamura wrote a letter to Hinode Beer describing unfair termination of employment. Okamura, like many other "resigned employees" was destitute. "My body always remembered poverty...I am sensitive to sounds and smells...when I inhale...they seep through me...settling in my empty stomach...a futile and unchanging past...". Okamura's threatening letter from half a century ago would resurface. Was the 1947 letter still relevant in the 1990's? Was Hinode Beer compliant with any sinister criminal behavior? Were there deeply buried secrets?
1995-Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu. Every Sunday, five men from different walks of life, bet on the horses. "For the simple lack of money, [he] had lived a life untouched by quiet spiritual satisfaction...with his meager income...he had the constant feeling that he was gradually being left behind...he threw his empty [beer] can into the road, where it was swiftly crushed beneath the tires of an uncoming truck...that's me, right there...it was not about happiness or lack there of- just that each person led their own fragile life".
"A fortune had been amassed from every last drop wrung from the have-nots and the guileless". Five men- a pharmacy owner, a truck driver, a lathe operator, a credit union employee, and a disgraced police officer decide to "milk money out of a big corporation...squeezing money out of Hinode Beer...the money was there for the taking...compared to what moneylenders do everyday, shaking down a company is nothing...when attacked on a matter that concerns their reputation and credibility a company will generally pay-up". A fail-safe plan was hatched to kidnap the CEO of Hinode Beer.
"Lady Joker, Volume 1" by Kaoru Takamura is a hefty six hundred page crime mystery that masterfully describes a kidnapping with the goal of milking beer manufacturer Hinode Beer, however, it is so much more. In intricate detail, a cast of twenty seven characters is revealed. The inner workings of the corporate-criminal world is explored as the Hinode Beer Corporation tries to shed its criminal connections. The Violent Crime/ White Collar Crime Units come out in full force and the reader is privy to their operations. Journalists and news organizations arrive like scavengers ready to pounce on the latest information. We are introduced to Assistant Police Inspector Yuichiro Goda who will play a prominent role in Lady Joker Volume II which will be released in 2022. I can hardly wait!
Thank you Soho Crime and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 9, 2021
Anyone who wants to buy Lady Joker will definitely get their money's worth, it's the perfect book to read and mull over for a long period of time. If there was any book you wanted to completely surround yourself with and dive into, this would be a great selection.
Takamura has written a novel with interesting characters that resemble all different parts of society, and an incident that all spurred from a corporation's past misdeeds. It's a challenging and long read that does end up paying off if you stick to it. Watching a sort of psychological chess game with men who have nothing to lose makes this a great read to sink your teeth into.
Takamura's writing is great. It feels precise and distinctive, giving every chapter a specific purpose and tone. Over the course of six hundred pages, it clearly describes the formulation, execution, and aftermath of a kidnapping plot against the wealthy owners of Hinode Beer. Everyone involved in the incident has complex motives and connections, making them more than just villains. With many moving parts and even a character list that I referred back to many times, it's just more reason to take this novel slowly and making sure that you're getting all of the information that is being thrown at you.
I'll also note that this is the first volume in a series. But anyone who decides to read Lady Joker in it's bulk will probably be clamoring over the release of the next volume.
Takamura has written a novel with interesting characters that resemble all different parts of society, and an incident that all spurred from a corporation's past misdeeds. It's a challenging and long read that does end up paying off if you stick to it. Watching a sort of psychological chess game with men who have nothing to lose makes this a great read to sink your teeth into.
Takamura's writing is great. It feels precise and distinctive, giving every chapter a specific purpose and tone. Over the course of six hundred pages, it clearly describes the formulation, execution, and aftermath of a kidnapping plot against the wealthy owners of Hinode Beer. Everyone involved in the incident has complex motives and connections, making them more than just villains. With many moving parts and even a character list that I referred back to many times, it's just more reason to take this novel slowly and making sure that you're getting all of the information that is being thrown at you.
I'll also note that this is the first volume in a series. But anyone who decides to read Lady Joker in it's bulk will probably be clamoring over the release of the next volume.
February 1, 2023
This is the Moby Dick of crime novels. The narrative disappears and reemerges in a sea of detail and research, main characters suddenly get relegated to the sidelines or vanish entirely for hundreds of pages. I find it exhilarating and refreshing and I'm starting Vol. 2 immediately.
It's the first book I've read in a long time without a single non-cis-male main character. Takamura's female characters are wives, secretaries, nieces, daughters and they have no point of view of their own in her telling of the story. She seems deeply fascinating by a society made by, run by and destroyed by men and men only.
The Kindle edition is a complete mess.
It's the first book I've read in a long time without a single non-cis-male main character. Takamura's female characters are wives, secretaries, nieces, daughters and they have no point of view of their own in her telling of the story. She seems deeply fascinating by a society made by, run by and destroyed by men and men only.
The Kindle edition is a complete mess.
May 16, 2021
This was 2/3 of a good book. I liked most of the first half which was told from the criminals' points of view and liked specific parts only of the second half which was told from the victims'/cops'/journalists' points of view. The story itself is good if a bit of a struggle from a Westerner's position (so much of the plot hinges on a corporation agreeing to pay out 2 billion yen in 1994 value just so it won't be revealed that they may have shown prejudice in not hiring a young man) but is very interesting as a cross-section of Japanese society. I struggled with boredom during the second half whenever Shiroyama was not on-stage - all of the reporters and most of the cops boring me to distraction. One final note: I am grateful to the translators and impressed with a job that I couldn't hope to do for all the money in the world; however, "Lady Joker" was yet one more entry in Japanese books which fall victim to multiple cliches per page. I try hard not to judge because I know that it's nobody's fault but it does lower my enjoyment
August 28, 2021
Incredible attention to detail, almost to a fault. The crime story on its own is interesting but at times gets buried in minutiae surrounding banking, mergers and policing. That plus the lack of emotional character development made it feel a little sterile to me.
dnf-2022
March 3, 2022This is not my book. I promised myself to be super strict with myself and DNF what does not interest or entertain me. And this falls into both categories
Read
March 24, 2024Unsure how to rate this. It's a sprawling, detailed crime novel where the large characters weave in and out of the story, creating a sort of fragmented mosaic of the crime. Some parts were more entertaining than others. Glad I finished it, enjoyed it overall, not sure if I will read the second one.
May 8, 2024
I am at p. 80 and I just cannot. If perhaps the book had 350 pages I could try; 500 more of this? No thank you.
March 30, 2023
I get intimidated with the thickness but knowing how this was inspired by the infamous unsolved true-crime kidnapping case (The Monster with 21 Faces) that hit Japan in the 80s, I get so anticipated with it. Consists of 3 parts and was told alternatingly in between characters, Lady Joker revolves around a team of 5 men with different backgrounds, life struggles and resentment to meet and plan to kidnap the CEO of a Japan's largest beer conglomerate and asking for a huge sum of ransom from the company's corrupt financiers.
This volume fits more under literary fiction rather than a crime mystery as the theme focused so thoroughly on Japan's economy outlook and social discrimination (during the pre and post war highlighted on buraku and bit on zainichi community), organizational affairs and scandals in the 90s (stock price manipulation, capitalism, corporate corruption, underground banking), business policing (a very detailed view on beer industry) as well as a pinch on family dynamics and friendship (the racetrack meet-up was my fav part!). A fast and engaging development of characters (glad the book includes the characters list on the front page) but not really on the plot building; the exposition was too slow and bit draggy except in part 3 which excites me a bit with its in depth perspectives from the media and police who involves personally in covering and investigating the case.
Despite its lengthiness and detailing, this was actually a straightforward crime plotted retelling to me. I know how it'll go as I have read the Glico-Morinaga case previously. No plot twists whatsoever, the tension was average and I actually don't really find their motive that convincing enough (except for Monoi and Koh, and Nunokawa for his family problems) but I digress on this as I remembered Handa said; “…to few crimes it could be the devil made me do it.” Still wondering on how they planned and initiated this huge and complex crime as none of the 5 men appeared in the post-kidnapping scene but I guess I need to wait for volume 2 later to know more about it. 3 stars to this first volume!
Thank you Pansing Distribution for gifting me a review copy in return for my honest review!
*tw: suicide
This volume fits more under literary fiction rather than a crime mystery as the theme focused so thoroughly on Japan's economy outlook and social discrimination (during the pre and post war highlighted on buraku and bit on zainichi community), organizational affairs and scandals in the 90s (stock price manipulation, capitalism, corporate corruption, underground banking), business policing (a very detailed view on beer industry) as well as a pinch on family dynamics and friendship (the racetrack meet-up was my fav part!). A fast and engaging development of characters (glad the book includes the characters list on the front page) but not really on the plot building; the exposition was too slow and bit draggy except in part 3 which excites me a bit with its in depth perspectives from the media and police who involves personally in covering and investigating the case.
Despite its lengthiness and detailing, this was actually a straightforward crime plotted retelling to me. I know how it'll go as I have read the Glico-Morinaga case previously. No plot twists whatsoever, the tension was average and I actually don't really find their motive that convincing enough (except for Monoi and Koh, and Nunokawa for his family problems) but I digress on this as I remembered Handa said; “…to few crimes it could be the devil made me do it.” Still wondering on how they planned and initiated this huge and complex crime as none of the 5 men appeared in the post-kidnapping scene but I guess I need to wait for volume 2 later to know more about it. 3 stars to this first volume!
Thank you Pansing Distribution for gifting me a review copy in return for my honest review!
*tw: suicide
February 10, 2021
Thank you sooo much SOHO PRESS for the ARC that I just received in the mail. The cover of this book is going to grab you, nevermind the book. There will be a print-over-board cover with a semi-translucent wrap that will stop people in its tracks, so if you are like me, you'll probably like to have it displayed on your coffee table or bookshelf. The computer, kindle, phone or whatever tablet or device you use does not do it justice!
This modern masterpiece of literary fiction, has plenty of Japanese customs, traditions, and preconceptions in it. After this book, there is another that follows, so I'm really excited for that as well. The translation from Japanese to English, took 600 pages in this book and has 25 central characters, not POVs, just in this first book that had to be split into two
The book starts in 1990, covering months leading up to the kidnapping of a president of a beer and snack company, by an untraceable group of criminals who actually send back the victim unharmed, and to his corporate board with his own ransom note . They want a huge sum of money or else they will poison their food chain. There are all kinds of things that ensue, such as a police investigation that is thwarted at every turn, the corporations response is slow because they have mafia ties that they don't want revealed and they also don't want attention drawn to something in the company's history that is so embarrassing and humiliating that it leaves them open to all kinds of blackmail. At the heart of this story are 5 angry men who decide to risk their lives, their families, and everything else for revenge on a system that has destroyed them!
But the book is so much more! It's definitely a crime drama, but it's also about the detectives, the journalists who crack the case, and the kidnappers and their lives and what drove them to lash out this way!
This book is also about Japanese corporate culture and how boardroom politeness and ass-kissing and ass-covering inaction result in tragedies such as suicide, murder, and organized crime ties! Sounds like a great book for me and all my people on Goodreads!
Again thank you so much for the hand-held copy of this book!
This modern masterpiece of literary fiction, has plenty of Japanese customs, traditions, and preconceptions in it. After this book, there is another that follows, so I'm really excited for that as well. The translation from Japanese to English, took 600 pages in this book and has 25 central characters, not POVs, just in this first book that had to be split into two
The book starts in 1990, covering months leading up to the kidnapping of a president of a beer and snack company, by an untraceable group of criminals who actually send back the victim unharmed, and to his corporate board with his own ransom note . They want a huge sum of money or else they will poison their food chain. There are all kinds of things that ensue, such as a police investigation that is thwarted at every turn, the corporations response is slow because they have mafia ties that they don't want revealed and they also don't want attention drawn to something in the company's history that is so embarrassing and humiliating that it leaves them open to all kinds of blackmail. At the heart of this story are 5 angry men who decide to risk their lives, their families, and everything else for revenge on a system that has destroyed them!
But the book is so much more! It's definitely a crime drama, but it's also about the detectives, the journalists who crack the case, and the kidnappers and their lives and what drove them to lash out this way!
This book is also about Japanese corporate culture and how boardroom politeness and ass-kissing and ass-covering inaction result in tragedies such as suicide, murder, and organized crime ties! Sounds like a great book for me and all my people on Goodreads!
Again thank you so much for the hand-held copy of this book!
May 31, 2021
Having read the 600 pages of Volume 1, I'm none the wiser of what the author is actually trying to do. It's a baffling decision to publish the two volumes one year apart. It's like trying to review Infinite Jest after 600 pages, or in fact The Pale King would be a better comparison as there are long stretches in Lady Joker where it seems like the author is deliberately trying to bore you. At times this book was enjoyable and intriguing, but then there would be a long stretch where you would be wondering why on earth she has decided to give us all this boring detail on stock movements and business schedules. The book is apparently an attempt to capture the entirety of Japanese society or some such thing, but every character in this is the same faceless middle aged Japanese man, distinguishable only by their occupation. Maybe it will turn out to be brilliant, or maybe it will turn out to be just post-modern rubbish that thinks it's brilliant. I'm not sure I want to find out.
Read
January 25, 2024DNF @ 15%
First DNF of 2024, love to see it
tbh this one wasn't BAD but I can just tell that for ME this story/mystery is simply not interesting enough to read TWO 500-600 page books about it. I'm sure it gets really hardcover into politics and racism in Japan, but it quite honestly wasn't well told and was painfully boring with all of the info dumping it did.
For me as well, I just couldn't get past the descriptions of the girl with Down Syndrome in this book. firstly, it's very obvious this author has never met anyone with DS as the descriptions of this character just truly don't make ANY sense for that disability, and secondly, I don't really enjoy reading about a character being "strapped down" to her seat and her way of communicating being described as screaming and grunting like an animal. I know I'm sensitive to disability rep but... come on now.
I'm sure others could enjoy this, but I just don't feel like putting my time into it.
First DNF of 2024, love to see it
tbh this one wasn't BAD but I can just tell that for ME this story/mystery is simply not interesting enough to read TWO 500-600 page books about it. I'm sure it gets really hardcover into politics and racism in Japan, but it quite honestly wasn't well told and was painfully boring with all of the info dumping it did.
For me as well, I just couldn't get past the descriptions of the girl with Down Syndrome in this book. firstly, it's very obvious this author has never met anyone with DS as the descriptions of this character just truly don't make ANY sense for that disability, and secondly, I don't really enjoy reading about a character being "strapped down" to her seat and her way of communicating being described as screaming and grunting like an animal. I know I'm sensitive to disability rep but... come on now.
I'm sure others could enjoy this, but I just don't feel like putting my time into it.
July 8, 2021
Oh man, I really, really wanted to like this one. I love Japanese literature, especially crime fiction in the vein of Keigo Higashino or Tetsuya Honda. Unfortunately this didn’t live up to books like those.
The premise sounded so good - a plan to extort money out of a beer corporation - and I was glued to the book for about the first third of it. But once it moved away from the “Lady Joker” group who commit the crime and focused on the victim of the crime, the press, and the police - it just became very boring and moved painfully slow. I can’t allow myself to not finish a book (unless it’s completely terrible) - so I continued to work my way through it although it took way longer than it should have because I just kept getting bored. Eventually I started to speed read through it just to get it done.
I get this was volume 1 of 2 but I’m not sure if I’ll pick up volume 2. Hopefully volume 2 focuses more on the “Lady Joker” group as I wanted to know more about those characters, their lives, and motivations for doing the crime. This book was just so dull, and that’s a huge disappointment.
The premise sounded so good - a plan to extort money out of a beer corporation - and I was glued to the book for about the first third of it. But once it moved away from the “Lady Joker” group who commit the crime and focused on the victim of the crime, the press, and the police - it just became very boring and moved painfully slow. I can’t allow myself to not finish a book (unless it’s completely terrible) - so I continued to work my way through it although it took way longer than it should have because I just kept getting bored. Eventually I started to speed read through it just to get it done.
I get this was volume 1 of 2 but I’m not sure if I’ll pick up volume 2. Hopefully volume 2 focuses more on the “Lady Joker” group as I wanted to know more about those characters, their lives, and motivations for doing the crime. This book was just so dull, and that’s a huge disappointment.
April 30, 2022
You are either going to love this or hate this book. It is slow (and apparently there are four volumes) and much of this first book is leading up to the events that form the end section of this volume and set up the next. In part, it is a look at the focus on business and how that effects the people who work for the business, in this case beer company and how it impacts various people.
It is strangely compelling. I can't believe I have to wait for October for the next volume to come out in English
It is strangely compelling. I can't believe I have to wait for October for the next volume to come out in English
September 1, 2022
I mean, I guess it’s interesting and all but idk why it had to take that long for us to get to the end of Vol 1 lol. Tbh I got bored of all the minute details after a while, especially when the CEO was going on and on about the beer and their marketing plans. For me, the book shined when its focus was on the band of five disillusioned men who came together for a united cause. The second half of the book plodded along wearily until I finally lost my interest towards the end. This was an okay read, but I don't think my interest is sufficiently sustained to continue with Vol 2.
October 4, 2024
Excellent book, but I won't review it now until I finish Volume 2, as Volume 1 is definitely half a story. But yes, I'm quite excited to read the second half of this epic!
Edit: Yes the book is quite incredible and worth the payoff. Click below:
Review for Volume 1 and 2 of Lady Joker
Edit: Yes the book is quite incredible and worth the payoff. Click below:
Review for Volume 1 and 2 of Lady Joker
January 2, 2023
I really enjoyed this Japan based crime story but it's a different take on the genre and, be forewarned, it may not be for everyone. Ms. Takamura does not shy away from providing detailed historical backgrounds on all the major characters. In addition, there are detailed descriptions of organizational and procedural matters concerning the various parties that are pulled into this crime and its investigation. When I say detailed, I mean DETAILED. This reader found the author's approach fascinating because it revealed many aspects of Japanese society and culture that, heretofore, I was not aware of. However, if you are one of those plot driven crime readers that demand a fast-paced approach you may find all these details to be tedious and cumbersome. It is a book that will require some patience from the reader.
A group of men meet regularly on Sundays at a racetrack. These men come from various backgrounds, but all feel somewhat alienated and aggrieved with the materialistic, corporate nature of Japanese society. They eventually decide to kidnap the CEO of a major national beer company and demand a sizable ransom. Ms. Takamura takes the reader into the minds of the criminals, the executives of the targeted company, the police investigators and the reporters covering the event. There are eye opening revelations about the extent of the involvement of organized crime with the finances of so-called legitimate corporations. There is more than a kidnapping going on here.
And this is only the first volume of the story. I look forward to reading Volume 2 shortly. Cheers!
A group of men meet regularly on Sundays at a racetrack. These men come from various backgrounds, but all feel somewhat alienated and aggrieved with the materialistic, corporate nature of Japanese society. They eventually decide to kidnap the CEO of a major national beer company and demand a sizable ransom. Ms. Takamura takes the reader into the minds of the criminals, the executives of the targeted company, the police investigators and the reporters covering the event. There are eye opening revelations about the extent of the involvement of organized crime with the finances of so-called legitimate corporations. There is more than a kidnapping going on here.
And this is only the first volume of the story. I look forward to reading Volume 2 shortly. Cheers!
June 28, 2024
It's difficult to rate a book that's an incomplete story. The "Volume 1" isn't just an aesthetic titling choice here – this is one half of a story that doesn't stand up as a piece on its own, cutting off on a cliffhanger with no resolution for any of its storylines or characters. If I'd read the book without that foreknowledge and without having Volume 2 to hand, I'd be hopping mad.
But Volume 1 is still a good book. Kaoru Takamura's attention to detail is meticulous and forensic in a way that is truly impressive, albeit not always bags of fun. Pretty much the first half of the book is slow-burning setup of the characters' lives, career histories, and financial circumstances; it's serious, intricate, and almost documentarian in its approach.
Once the downward criminal spiral begins in earnest, unfolding in equally rigorous detail almost minute by minute, the effect is satisfying and immersive. You feel the weight of all the socio-economic and psychological factors behind the characters' decisions like a rolling boulder. And then it stops! Thankfully I've got Volume 2 ready to go.
But Volume 1 is still a good book. Kaoru Takamura's attention to detail is meticulous and forensic in a way that is truly impressive, albeit not always bags of fun. Pretty much the first half of the book is slow-burning setup of the characters' lives, career histories, and financial circumstances; it's serious, intricate, and almost documentarian in its approach.
Once the downward criminal spiral begins in earnest, unfolding in equally rigorous detail almost minute by minute, the effect is satisfying and immersive. You feel the weight of all the socio-economic and psychological factors behind the characters' decisions like a rolling boulder. And then it stops! Thankfully I've got Volume 2 ready to go.
December 5, 2023
I didn’t acc finish it, I gave up. Life’s too short.
February 17, 2022
In a recent book group discussion we were bemoaning the lack of white collar crime fiction titles. Very shortly afterwards I started reading Lady Joker where the key storyline is corporate exploitation. It serves as a very distinctive story which sets it apart from most novels in the genre;
while also providing some real insights and contrasts to life in the land of the rising sun.
This is the first volume of work published by Kaoru Takamura in the English language, although the author has published 13 novels to date in her native Japan. Lady Joker is inspired by the true life crime kidnapping an extortion by “the monster with the 21 faces” in the early 1980s which saw a targeted campaign against confectionery companies where the perpetrator(s) were never discovered.
Lady Joker is considered a modern classic in Japan and has been adapted both for film and TV. Indeed the story is apparently taught in the classrooms of Japan. The reason for that is that the publication is far more than a crime novel, it is also a story of ordinary men fighting back against a huge corporation.
The book starts with a letter from Seiji Okamura to the Hinode Beer Company written in June 1947. He was one of forty employees who resigned from the company’s Kanagawa factory. It transpires in his letter that he is a member of the Baraku people - meaning Hamlet people who are a caste-like minority and the largest discriminated against population in Japan. The letter alleges that these employees received discrimination for being at the bottom of the traditional social herirachy and also for their attempts to have union recognition.
This letter disappeared from view until 1990 when a dentist whose son had failed to gain employment at the Hinode Beer Company wrote a complaint against the company. He is then visited by a stranger who provides him with a copy of the letter and explains that Okamura was the uncle of his wife’s father - Seizo Monoi.
We then encounter the eldderly Monoi and his friends from the racecourse including Yo-Chan - a Zainichi (Korean), Nunokawa who struggles through life with a mentally handicapped teenage daughter, and a police sergeant called Handa. Each feels that they have been left neglected within modern Japanese society. Together they devise a plan to kidnap the president and CEO of Hinode - Kyosuke Shiroyama and then hold the company to ransom.
A cast or dramatis personae is provided at the start of the book which becomes increasingly useful as following the initial chapters we follow the story from a range of perspectives.
This includes those of Shiroyama, who is abducted and taken to a snowy mountain location. His interaction with the fellow board members of Hinode Beer are also shown We also follow members of the police authorities, primarily the MPD; and with the attention that the disappearance of such a prominent businessman man our attention is drawn to the eager members of staff of the newspaper Toho News.
At nearly six hundred pages, Lady Joker can be described as a slow burner but personally I did enjoy the pace as it opened my eyes to so much about Japanese society. I was unaware of the attitudes that have historically been displayed towards the Burakumin and the Zainichi. While on the surface the background to the story appears to be about employment descrimination, actually there is a personal reason that Shiroyama is hiding as he knows its revelation would end his career. The combination of Marie Iida and Alison Markin Powell as translators make this a surprisingly smooth read, although it did occasionally leave me to explore some aspects of life in Japan that I was unaware of.
Yet while there are acute observations of Japanese life there is also much that is recognisable about modern capitalism in Lady Joker. There is a lot of focus on the beer company and the trials and tribulations of Hinode will be recognised by many working in industries where one firm has a near monopoly of the market and remains desperate to hang onto its market share. There are multiple risks to the company, including from the kidnappers who threaten to damage their product, the opportunities for corporate exploitation by established and organised crime groups as well as the very real threat of having their finances scrutinised by the authorities.
The cynical nature of the capitalist society is also represented through the actions of the police. Their determination to try to locate the missing CEO and find the kidnappers is equalled by their resolve to prevent any kind of deal behind the eyes of the public. It is very evident that the people already appear to hold very little trust in business and political leaders. Thirdly there is very much familiarity with the journalists who dedicate their resources to following the key men of Hinode. Their ambition to establish the truth is done with the sole intention of getting that scoop piece of news that they can break ahead of their competitors at other publications. While this novel was written in 1997 in Japan, it can be argued that it’s condemnatory views of the actions of powerful businesses, the police and the press hold a mirror to those of us in the west in the current age will equally recognise.
Less of examination as the story progresses are the 5 men who name themselves Lady Joker in their brash correspondence. At this point it is important to note that this is Volume 1 of Lady Joker and hence there is no firm conclusion at the end of the book. In fact it does conclude on a cliffhanger. Hopefully we will not have too long to wait until the second volume appears. I would wish that the conclusion does focus a little more on the aims and actions of the men behind the plan, and I hope the predominantly male voices are balanced a little more with some female perspectives. Those points notwithstanding, my advice would be to pick up a copy of Lady Joker as soon as possible as it is a fascinating read which will leave you keenly awaiting the conclusion of the story. It is safe to say at this point, I have no idea how it will progress... which is exactly what I like. Highly recommended.
while also providing some real insights and contrasts to life in the land of the rising sun.
This is the first volume of work published by Kaoru Takamura in the English language, although the author has published 13 novels to date in her native Japan. Lady Joker is inspired by the true life crime kidnapping an extortion by “the monster with the 21 faces” in the early 1980s which saw a targeted campaign against confectionery companies where the perpetrator(s) were never discovered.
Lady Joker is considered a modern classic in Japan and has been adapted both for film and TV. Indeed the story is apparently taught in the classrooms of Japan. The reason for that is that the publication is far more than a crime novel, it is also a story of ordinary men fighting back against a huge corporation.
The book starts with a letter from Seiji Okamura to the Hinode Beer Company written in June 1947. He was one of forty employees who resigned from the company’s Kanagawa factory. It transpires in his letter that he is a member of the Baraku people - meaning Hamlet people who are a caste-like minority and the largest discriminated against population in Japan. The letter alleges that these employees received discrimination for being at the bottom of the traditional social herirachy and also for their attempts to have union recognition.
This letter disappeared from view until 1990 when a dentist whose son had failed to gain employment at the Hinode Beer Company wrote a complaint against the company. He is then visited by a stranger who provides him with a copy of the letter and explains that Okamura was the uncle of his wife’s father - Seizo Monoi.
We then encounter the eldderly Monoi and his friends from the racecourse including Yo-Chan - a Zainichi (Korean), Nunokawa who struggles through life with a mentally handicapped teenage daughter, and a police sergeant called Handa. Each feels that they have been left neglected within modern Japanese society. Together they devise a plan to kidnap the president and CEO of Hinode - Kyosuke Shiroyama and then hold the company to ransom.
A cast or dramatis personae is provided at the start of the book which becomes increasingly useful as following the initial chapters we follow the story from a range of perspectives.
This includes those of Shiroyama, who is abducted and taken to a snowy mountain location. His interaction with the fellow board members of Hinode Beer are also shown We also follow members of the police authorities, primarily the MPD; and with the attention that the disappearance of such a prominent businessman man our attention is drawn to the eager members of staff of the newspaper Toho News.
At nearly six hundred pages, Lady Joker can be described as a slow burner but personally I did enjoy the pace as it opened my eyes to so much about Japanese society. I was unaware of the attitudes that have historically been displayed towards the Burakumin and the Zainichi. While on the surface the background to the story appears to be about employment descrimination, actually there is a personal reason that Shiroyama is hiding as he knows its revelation would end his career. The combination of Marie Iida and Alison Markin Powell as translators make this a surprisingly smooth read, although it did occasionally leave me to explore some aspects of life in Japan that I was unaware of.
Yet while there are acute observations of Japanese life there is also much that is recognisable about modern capitalism in Lady Joker. There is a lot of focus on the beer company and the trials and tribulations of Hinode will be recognised by many working in industries where one firm has a near monopoly of the market and remains desperate to hang onto its market share. There are multiple risks to the company, including from the kidnappers who threaten to damage their product, the opportunities for corporate exploitation by established and organised crime groups as well as the very real threat of having their finances scrutinised by the authorities.
The cynical nature of the capitalist society is also represented through the actions of the police. Their determination to try to locate the missing CEO and find the kidnappers is equalled by their resolve to prevent any kind of deal behind the eyes of the public. It is very evident that the people already appear to hold very little trust in business and political leaders. Thirdly there is very much familiarity with the journalists who dedicate their resources to following the key men of Hinode. Their ambition to establish the truth is done with the sole intention of getting that scoop piece of news that they can break ahead of their competitors at other publications. While this novel was written in 1997 in Japan, it can be argued that it’s condemnatory views of the actions of powerful businesses, the police and the press hold a mirror to those of us in the west in the current age will equally recognise.
Less of examination as the story progresses are the 5 men who name themselves Lady Joker in their brash correspondence. At this point it is important to note that this is Volume 1 of Lady Joker and hence there is no firm conclusion at the end of the book. In fact it does conclude on a cliffhanger. Hopefully we will not have too long to wait until the second volume appears. I would wish that the conclusion does focus a little more on the aims and actions of the men behind the plan, and I hope the predominantly male voices are balanced a little more with some female perspectives. Those points notwithstanding, my advice would be to pick up a copy of Lady Joker as soon as possible as it is a fascinating read which will leave you keenly awaiting the conclusion of the story. It is safe to say at this point, I have no idea how it will progress... which is exactly what I like. Highly recommended.
July 1, 2025
This book is such an intriguing mystery and it uses really cool perspective changes to (very) slowly unravel the thought processes and actions of a handful of characters with interwoven storylines. Every single detail that could be relevant is described, from the basic facts to every political and economic consequence of the goings-on.
On one hand, this gets you fully immersed in the book, piecing together the events one by one. On the other hand, the web of each character's experiences becomes so deep, with so many different people to remember, that it can be easy to lose track and find yourself having to dig deep in order to recall if a name has been mentioned before, or who's who. It's what makes the book incredibly compelling, but at times is also its biggest weakness, especially when it really gets some momentum going, only to suddenly slam the brakes to check in on someone else.
Still really enjoyed the book, can't wait to read volume 2
On one hand, this gets you fully immersed in the book, piecing together the events one by one. On the other hand, the web of each character's experiences becomes so deep, with so many different people to remember, that it can be easy to lose track and find yourself having to dig deep in order to recall if a name has been mentioned before, or who's who. It's what makes the book incredibly compelling, but at times is also its biggest weakness, especially when it really gets some momentum going, only to suddenly slam the brakes to check in on someone else.
Still really enjoyed the book, can't wait to read volume 2
May 27, 2023
This was a brilliant bit of crime fiction that would have been an easy four-star read, had it been half as many pages. The excellent weaving between the story of each character and the suspense created through their interactions both direct and indirect was unfortunately diluted though an overabundance of elaboration and ponderous introspection.
At times, these internal thoughts and observations offer important insights into the motives behind someone's actions, but too often they come across as unnecessary. More than once I found myself reading a sentence I was certain I'd already read, and flipping back a few pages could confirm that I had indeed just read a similar sentence. I appreciate the look into what a character is thinking, but the repetition made big chunks of the novel feel like looking at overexposed photographs.
This isn't always the case, and at times the story really flies along. It's not even that there is more action happening, it just eases up on double and triple explanations.
I realised partway through that this book is actually two parts. Due to the size of my version (close to 600 pages) I assumed it was both parts in one, as nowhere on the cover or within the pages does it indicate this was only the first book of two. However, it became clear in the final 15 pages or so that the story would not be resolved, and sure enough on the final page: "END OF VOLUME I".
I'm both relieved and disappointed. I want to know the rest of what happens, so I'm glad it hasn't concluded with a cliffhanger. However, I do wish I'd known going into this book that I was entering into what will surely end up being a 1200-page commitment. Oh well, I suppose I'll have to keep my eyes open for Part 2 now.
At times, these internal thoughts and observations offer important insights into the motives behind someone's actions, but too often they come across as unnecessary. More than once I found myself reading a sentence I was certain I'd already read, and flipping back a few pages could confirm that I had indeed just read a similar sentence. I appreciate the look into what a character is thinking, but the repetition made big chunks of the novel feel like looking at overexposed photographs.
This isn't always the case, and at times the story really flies along. It's not even that there is more action happening, it just eases up on double and triple explanations.
I realised partway through that this book is actually two parts. Due to the size of my version (close to 600 pages) I assumed it was both parts in one, as nowhere on the cover or within the pages does it indicate this was only the first book of two. However, it became clear in the final 15 pages or so that the story would not be resolved, and sure enough on the final page: "END OF VOLUME I".
I'm both relieved and disappointed. I want to know the rest of what happens, so I'm glad it hasn't concluded with a cliffhanger. However, I do wish I'd known going into this book that I was entering into what will surely end up being a 1200-page commitment. Oh well, I suppose I'll have to keep my eyes open for Part 2 now.
July 11, 2022
this book is definitely not for everyone, but as someone who loves the minutiae of procedure and stocks and white collar crime i found myself lapping up every detail. also my knowledge of 1990s japan is super limited, so the cultural and political facets displayed also captured my interest. october can’t come fast enough! i gotta see how this all ends!
May 30, 2024
One star for the lengthy and convoluted descriptions of shady Japanese business practices. (Yes, I nearly had to retake International Economics.)
Five stars for the caper itself and its multiple perspectives, showing how the crime pervades every aspect of Japanese society. Especially loved the behind-the-curtain scenes inside the company.
Settling on evening it out for three stars total, and eagerly anticipating the second volume.
Five stars for the caper itself and its multiple perspectives, showing how the crime pervades every aspect of Japanese society. Especially loved the behind-the-curtain scenes inside the company.
Settling on evening it out for three stars total, and eagerly anticipating the second volume.
August 17, 2024
I give it 3,5 stars
November 17, 2025
This is perhaps one of the worst paced books I've read in my life. I'm not the type of person who says every long book could be shorter but man this one could be a lot shorter. Takamura also manages to make business even more boring than it already is, and hey I gave it a chance; this is coming from the person who rewatched Succession 5 times. I like business stuff. But there is no reason for this to be two novels instead of one. Grr. Time to prepare myself for a battle against the grad students in my class who think this book can do no wrong. The parts I liked about it I really did enjoy, but unfortunately there were too many boring parts as well.
December 19, 2023
This took me a whiiiiile to finish because I had to always give it my undivided attention and yet somehow my attention is always divided...
This was very well written, every tiny detail was noted and thought out and I loved that about it. I genuinely felt like part of the friendship group, part of the investigation. Every minute detail was laid out and the mundane things became interesting.
I need to read part 2 asap as I was confused about the focus on Goda towards the end? And like did Shiroyama double cross Lady Joker? Or did he do as they asked? Confusion
This was very well written, every tiny detail was noted and thought out and I loved that about it. I genuinely felt like part of the friendship group, part of the investigation. Every minute detail was laid out and the mundane things became interesting.
I need to read part 2 asap as I was confused about the focus on Goda towards the end? And like did Shiroyama double cross Lady Joker? Or did he do as they asked? Confusion
February 2, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley and The Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I heard so much good things about this book and was so excited to be able to final read it, but it just didn't meet my expectations. I probably wouldn't have finished it, if it wasn't an ARC. I found it far too detailed and slow. And to make matters worse that detail did nothing to build a picture of the setting or give me much understanding of Japanese culture. Nor was there atmosphere or tension. It just felt like reams and reams of useless information. It was very long and only started to get going about 90% of the way in, which confused me, as I couldn't see how they could wrap up the story. Some how I missed that this was only volume one of the story! I don't think I'll ever find out how this ends.
I do wonder if some of the supposed "brilliance" of this "masterpiece" was lost in translation especially as I noticed some inconsistencies and discrepancies. I'd like hear the opinion of those that have read it in is native form.
I heard so much good things about this book and was so excited to be able to final read it, but it just didn't meet my expectations. I probably wouldn't have finished it, if it wasn't an ARC. I found it far too detailed and slow. And to make matters worse that detail did nothing to build a picture of the setting or give me much understanding of Japanese culture. Nor was there atmosphere or tension. It just felt like reams and reams of useless information. It was very long and only started to get going about 90% of the way in, which confused me, as I couldn't see how they could wrap up the story. Some how I missed that this was only volume one of the story! I don't think I'll ever find out how this ends.
I do wonder if some of the supposed "brilliance" of this "masterpiece" was lost in translation especially as I noticed some inconsistencies and discrepancies. I'd like hear the opinion of those that have read it in is native form.
June 10, 2021
Through the many and varied lenses of her male characters, Takamura uncannily pulls a reader into a visceral experience of Japan in the 90's. Her writing forms an exhaustive and slow meditation on the minutiae and isolation of our interior lives. While her words sharply render the identities of her characters into the reality she constructs, they also simultaneously (and eerily) weave a dreamy, muted dullness to the world. It's weirdly delicious. The movement between witnessing the interior lives and exterior realities of these uniquely intertwined characters create a slow, tidal rhythm pulling you through the many pages of this book.
My only hope is that the gentle music and complex sensibility of this volume is not lost during the year I must wait while the (excellent) translators of this work can finish and publish the second half.
My only hope is that the gentle music and complex sensibility of this volume is not lost during the year I must wait while the (excellent) translators of this work can finish and publish the second half.
September 2, 2022
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH
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