Jake Adelstein

Jake Adelstein is the main character of the Tokyo Vice Max series. 
==Biography==
===The Test===
Jake, accompanied by detective Hiroto, attends a meeting with a high-ranking yakuza at a predesignated spot in a restaurant. However, this becomes compromised when they check in; they learn that their spot was moved to a different area where a group of Yakuza and the person they were supposed to meet. The Yakuza they're scheduled to meet with threatens Jake not to publish a certain article concerning Tozawa there.
Two years before the meeting, we see the day in a life with Jake as he attends his daily duties and studies for the Qualifying Exam for the Meicho Shimbun Newspaper. On the day of the exam, Jake passes it, leading to an interview where his educational background, some of his answers, and his Jewish heritage. Jake answers them with confidence and impresses the senior interviewer.
On his first day on the job at the Meicho Shimbun Newspaper, he and his associates were introduced to his superior Emi Maruyama, who instructed them on their work ethics. Once her explanation is over, Jake unintentionally disrespects her by calling her Emi-san and not Maruyama-san. He'd later be subjected to racist remarks by another superior of his who calls him a "gaijin". However, another superior interjects and informs the group that they'll be treated to a welcoming party that night.
At said party, Jake interacts with two of his co-workers, and they reveal that everyone thinks he's a Mossad or a spy for Israel. However, Jake proclaims he's from Missouri, which doesn't matter to them. Jake and his co-workers talk and enjoy themselves for the rest of the night.
The following day, Jake observes a scene of a crime where the victim, Mr. Aoki, is murdered and, from a distance, sees Detective Hiroto for the first time. Later, Jake is accosted by a police officer at the police station, where a conference concerning the incident is to be held. He's sequentially helped by Jin Miyamoto, who vouches for Jake as a news reporter. During the conference, Jake asks a co-worker about him and learns Jin's background in the vice-squad and his interest in "chickens", which Jake corrects him as "chicks."
Eventually, Jake is assigned by Emi to cover the story and, after investigating it, learns that Mr. Aoki owed a great debt to a loan company that was a shell company and was murdered for not paying his dues. However, his racist superior rebuked him for writing the victim was murdered and not confirming the fact without first contacting the officer in charge before confirming it. Jake soon after apologizes to Emi for this, but she warns him that she'll fire him if he makes another mistake like that.
Afterward, Jake complains to his co-workers about his failed report and about the loan company that Mr. Aoki owed a great debt. Later that night, Jake visits the police station, where he starts talking to Jin and tries to befriend him. On the other hand, Jin brushes him off, citing he likes gaijin, but only ones with "tits". However, Jin has second thoughts and asks whether he knows how to pick up a gaijin lady, whereas Jake answers he does.
The two walk somewhere as Jake gives Jin advice on how to compliment a gaijin lady until an acquaintance of Jin stops him and asks for his help. Jin begrudgingly agrees and takes Jake to the Onyx bar. At the bar's restroom, Jake spots someone with a fresh tattoo on his arm, and when he asks about it, the man doesn't answer and leaves.
Sitting at his table, Jake watches as the man he encountered in the bathroom breaks up an argument and then becomes enamored with a gaijin hostess performing. He'd later ask for her to sit at his table, and the two would talk and form a bond together.
Later, Jake and Jin visit a strip club where Jin exploits Jake's wallet and gives him the piece of advice that, "there's no murder in Japan". Although this doesn't make sense in helping him write a story, Jin receives a notification from work and leaves, but Jake follows him. When Jin is, Jake catches Jin trying to talk to a dazed-looking old man doused in gasoline; his attempts prove futile as he immolates himself. After the old man's death, Jake finds a matchbox with the same logo as the loan company he was investigating before. He tries to report this connection to Emi, but she denies him permission to investigate further.
Despite Emi's refusal to investigate further, Jake visits the police station and learns the victim's identity. Visiting the victim's wife, Jake learns that the victim killed himself over the shame of owing such a large debt to the Yakuza. He was also perplexed to learn that the harassing phone calls would end after the victim died.
Walking home, Jake walks past where the victim immolates himself and sees the victim's ghost reenact how he died.
===Kishi Kaisei===
Jake is chased by an angry sushi chef, who threatens to kill him, and when Jake gets some help from a police officer. From there, Jake reveals that he's a news reporter for the Meicho Shibum, and so the angry chef asks him why he asked about his wife's "panties". He'd later vent this incident to one of his co-worker friends and note its connection to the stabbing victim, Mr. Aoki. 
Afterward, he talks to Emi about how difficult his time has been trying to track down a lead for the panty thief; hence, Emi suggests he talk to someone who would know that he knows. Following this advice, Jake decides to visit Jin, and he tells him that there's no panty thief and that newspapers love fabricating popular stories like that. Taking Jin's advice, Jake writes a report based on it, but Emi rejects it several times after that.
After several failed attempts to submit a proper report, Emi accepts one and decides to publish it in the morning paper. Feeling accomplished with himself, Jake decides to investigate deeper into the loan company he's been investigating. He later visits the widow of Mr. Aoki and asks for an interview, but she flatly rejects it.
Back at the Meicho Shimbun Newspaper building, he reconnects with his co-worker friends, whose names are Tin-Tin and Trendy. However, their fun conversation is short-lived as their superior reprimands Jake for the inaccurate article he wrote for the paper and thereby demotes him to the scrapbooks.
Working on the scrapbooks, Jake gets a coffee from Trendy and then his paycheck from Emi, who suggests he get a good story, or else that'll be his last paycheck. Afterward, Jake contacts his mother via payphone and refuses her offer to return home and find a good job near them. He's also told that his sister's treatments aren't working any longer. However, Jake shortens his conversation with his mom upon seeing Jin exit the police station.
From there, Jake approaches Jin and claims that he owes him a story. Later, Jake and Jin eat a steak dinner together, and despite Jake's plea for a story, Jin is unsympathetic and recites the Japanese proverb, Kishi Kaisei, which in his opinion meant, don't be such a pussy. After this, Jake asks Jin if he's ever seen the logo on the matchbook before, which Jin denies. So, Jake orders another round of food along with steak tips and leaves to use the restroom right after that. It's later learned that Jake stood him up for the bill after he never returned.
Jake then spends time with Samantha and learns several hostess-related things from her, including etiquette, services, and other hostesses' names. However, when Jake asks for Sato's name, Samantha leaves and tends to his table, only for him to join them and strike up a conversation with them, much to Samantha's dismay. After Samantha leaves the table, Jake continues his conversation with Sato, and the two seem to hit it off between them. When Jake has to leave to catch his train, he leaves his business card for Sato. Still, Jake misses his train and is forced to sleep at the Meicho building. There, Tin-Tin admits he was happy that he got his job there until he started it. Jake then gives Tin-Tin some words of advice that his father gave him about newspapers, but he isn't as impressed by it.
Once Tin-Tin was gone, Jake listened to tape 23 that his sister sent him. Dozing off, Jake awakens to the radio that Tin-Tin left on after a while and learns that a police confrontation occurred in Shinjuku. Briskly heading to the scene, Jake witnesses a three-way standoff between members of the Chihara-Kai, Tozawa, and the police. Hiroto would soon intervene and mediate the situation, but Jake blew his cover when he took some pictures of the scene. This made Jake's camera confiscated by Hiroto, who advised him not to write about what he had seen there, and Jake agreed to that.
===Reading the Air===
Jake takes a bus to Detective Hiroto's house while listening to a taped recording of his sister. Upon arriving at his stop, Jake arrives at Hiroto's house, and one of his daughters answers the door, calling him a tengu. Hiroto's wife appears and apologizes for her daughter's behavior. Jake brushes it off and asks if her husband is home, but she claims that he isn't. So, Jake offers her some ice cream and beer he brought for them, and as he leaves, Hiroto, from an extended part of his house, calls out to him.
The two would then sit together and briefly discuss their first official meeting the other night involving the Tozawa clan member. Hiroto brushes it off and tries to end their conversation when Jake asks him for a story, but Jake bows to him, asking to learn about the city's dark side. Jake cites his lack of knowledge in his pursuit of a new story, and Hiroto cites a Japanese proverb that basically means those who are honest get their answers.
Hiroto would then confide in Jake about how the police understand how they can't get rid of the Yakuza but can at least maintain the peace between the clans. However, this changed when Shinzo Tozawa from Kansai came along the other night at the low level Chihara-Kai, which was evidence of that. However, because Jake did not write about the situation, there was no further altercation. Jake would then joke that his actions, "helped keep the peace", and then the two laughed over said comment.
At the Meicho building, Jake works on his scrapbook job and briefly talks with Tin-Tin about the large number of suicide occurrences in Japan. Jake then answers a disgruntled customer who was upset that Jake was a gaijin and demanded to speak to his supervisor. However, when Emi is called over and answers it, she gets treated with a misogynistic comment and hangs up the phone on the person. Before Emi could assign Jake his next job, the phone rang again, and it was for Jake.
The phone leads Jake to assist Hiroto and a group of riot police officers in a Tozawa-owned building where only Hiroto, a couple of police officers, and himself are let inside by an attendant there named Makabe. They're let inside by him, aside from the riot police officers. Inside one of the offices, Jake witnesses the formal arrest of Nakamura, the man who caused the incident at the bar the other night, and two others who each gave a bullet to Nakamura that night. As the arrested men were taken away, Hiroto allowed Jake to write about the incident, so long as he didn't quote anything he witnessed in the office. Unbeknownst to Jake, he'd be briefly seen in a newscast of the arrests, and Sato, along with other members of the Chihara-Kai, would witness it.
That night, Jake would join Trendy and Tin-Tin at a restaurant where Jake celebrates the article he wrote in the paper.
Eventually, Jake reconnects with Samantha and the two ride on Samantha's motorcycle to a restaurant. Jake asks how she started working at the Onyx bar. Her response was she started out as an English Teacher, but then wanted to "Fuck Tokyo". They continue talking about their similar Japanese interests until Samantha pressures Jake to ask her what has been on his mind that night, and he asks her if she's a prostitute or not. Samantha facetiously answers that she is, but later admits she's not. They then talk about their backstories in a 15-second expat. Jake talks about how his father disowned him and how his mother wants him to come home because of his suicidal sister. When it was Samantha's turn to talk, she explained how her father was a political judge and her mother was a drug addict. However, Jake doesn't believe it and asks for one shred of truth. So, Samantha answers that she hasn't spoken to her family in four years.
Listening to another tape recording of his sister, Jake shops at a department store, where he spots an expensive melon for sale and shows interest in buying it. Jake would buy it, deliver it to Hiroto's home, and enjoy it with his family there. Inside Hiroto's room, Jake talks to Hiroto about the article he wrote and then discusses the connection between the loan shark stabbing and the man who immolated himself. Hiroto admits that he can't investigate it because it's complicated Yakuza business, and they're very shifty. Furthermore, Hiroto can't reveal the company's registration number, which allow him to track the business down, but he can't see it as Hiroto would be fired.
Right as Jake left the house, Natsumi, Hiroto's daughter, gave Jake the folder containing the registration number, claiming she snatched it from her father's desk. Not because she was asked to, but to avoid breaking any laws.
Jake would then ride a bus and take down notes from the folder he received. He'd later meet up with Trendy, who he catches fondling a man in an alleyway, but Trendy would deny this. The two would later meet Tin-Tin at the batting cages, and they're soon confronted by two Yakuza who take Jake away.
===I Want It That Way===
Jake is driven to the home of Ishida, the de facto leader of the Chihara-Kai. There, he meets in person with Ishida, who discloses his connections with the police and how the cops believe he's bribing one of their own and refuse to accept any courtesy shown to them. Furthermore, this act leads his men to believe he's become an informant for the police. None of those is true, but both sides believe it so. Ishida requests that Jake figure out the source of the nasty rumor, and in doing so, he'd have his undying gratitude.
Afterward, Jake is driven home by Sato, who asks what he told his boss about him. Sato admits he recommended him to Ishida, despite Jake's apprehension about how it ended him where he was now. Though Sato claims he'll be able to gain a new source for himself, which would be fortuitous for everyone. The tension between them starts to break when Jake suggests that Sato, who was jamming to a Backstreet Boys song on the radio.
The following day at the police station, Jake purchases a can of coffee from a vending machine and is then confronted by Jin, who "thanks" him for the steak dinner from before. Jin also invites him to learn some aikido sometime at the dojo; Jake agrees, and when he sees Hiroto leaving the station, he follows him out. They'd briefly talk about Jake's situation concerning the nasty rumor being spread about Ishida of the Chihara-Kai; Hiroto mentions if Ishido goes down, the Tozawa would swoop in. Hiroto then asks about Jake's progress with the folder he gave Jake, and he responds he'll work on it that day.
Back at the Meicho building, Jake sees Tin-Tin, who notes how worried they were for Jake after that night. Jake thanks them, but after asking them about the Backstreet Boys' song, "I Want It That Way", he goes over to Emi to discuss something with her. Once she's done talking on the phone, Jake explains his new finding about the loan shark killings he's been talking about to her for the past few weeks. After she reviews the evidence, Emi recalls a related incident in Machiya and leads Jake to a stack of newspapers. One of them has the article story she mentioned. After Emi asks Tin-Tin and Trendy to research the CEO and name of the company in the article she read, she has Jake follow her, much to his pleasure.
Emi and Jake interview the widowed husband of the victim, Hyon-Syuk, who was featured in the newspaper article they found at his apartment. There, I learn a bit about Hyon-Syuk, and unintentionally, Jake disrespects the husband, so Emi levels with the husband speaking in Korean. This breaks the ice between them, and he shows a document from the loan company whose logo matches the one that Jake has been tracking. The husband claims that the letter was sent a week after his wife's death, and now armed with a recent date and address, Emi and Jake thank the husband for his time.
Afterward, Jake waited outside of the newest location of the loan company while Emi was inside talking to a loan agent. Later, at the Meicho building, Jake was frustrated with how the loan company could make money on suicides. However, from Emi's research on the loan documents, the loan itself is mostly a life insurance claim, which, in the death of the recipient, the cash value and credit go toward the company. Tin-Tin and Trendy then arrive and deliver the loan company's address and its CEO's name. However, when they visit the address, they learn that the loan company's address is a dilapidated apartment complex and the CEO is a disabled old man who uses a wheelchair.
Returning to the Meicho building, Emi and Jake lament over the dead end of the loan shark company. Despite Jake's determination and desire to continue the investigation, Emi advises Jake to reconsider his motives and continue with his arson assignment. Instead, Jake visits the Onyx bar and meets with Sato, who informs him that Samantha wasn't there and informs him of his current progress and the rumor surrounding his boss. With that, Sato suggests they go elsewhere, and they leave.
At a dance club, Jake and Sato enjoy themselves there, where they each hook up with a lady and later have sex with her at a love hotel. Jake would receive a business card from the lady who said to contact her whenever.
Sometime later, the two would visit an expensive restaurant that Sato treated Jake to. Sitting at their table, Jake discussed his home state, Missouri, accompanied by other questions Sato asked him. Jake would then spot Tozawa and start a conversation with him about his watch, then hand him his card and offer to chat with him whenever he pleases.
===Everybody Pays===
One day, Jake's Mom calls him, and despite trying to brush off her pleas to return home and her sister's deteriorating condition, he hangs up on her after she tries to get his father on.
Later in the day, Jake practices Aikido with Jin, and when they take a break, Jin warns Jake about associating himself with Hiroto, as he's trouble. Still, Jake would meet with Hiroto at the park, where he'd give him the information on the mole he wanted. Jake then asks why Hiroto decided to help him, and Hiroto recounts the suspicious nature of the police being unwilling to accept whatever Ishida has to offer. He also mentions that the mole works for Tozawa and is spreading the rumor on his behalf and that Jake shouldn't accept a favor from Ishida. Hiroto cites that doing so would open a door that'd be too difficult to close.
Still, after Jake delivers the information on the mole to Ishida, he accepts the favor of information concerning the people behind the loan company he's been after. Ishida's advice gives Jake a new lead about the loan company, and he regroups with Emi, Tin-Tin, and Trendy. He reveals to them that the common theme between the victims of the loan company was a legitimate group called Suzuno Financial. Jake would later confront the manager of the company, and he'd get him to confess to his links to the loan company and Tozawa. Emi learns this after Jake contacts her about his investigation and sends Tin-Tin to help him scan some documents related to their investigation.
Eventually, Jake, accompanied by Tin-Tin, visits Sugita's home, where they learn he has committed suicide by electrocution. Sugita also left a suicide note, taking full responsibility for the loan shark incident, thereby exonerating Tozawa. Despite Jake's frustrations over the turn of events, Tin-Tin has a moralistic interpretation of what they have seen all for a story. Jake's cold, off-the-cuff remark that it's their job makes Tin-Tin leave the scanner with him to carry back to the Meicho building. Jake then watches as Sugita's family returns home to find the police there and concentrates his attention on his daughter.
Back at the Meicho building, Jake tried to convince a stubborn Baku to give him more time to cover the loan shark story. However, Baku refuses despite Emi siding with Jake. Then, Jake tries to stop Baku, but Emi stops Jake and reasons with him not to provoke Baku or else it'd cost him his job, and nobody would want that.
Meeting with Hiroto at a parking lot, late at night, Jake informs him of his report on Tozawa. There, Hiroto talks about his "Very Japanese" father, who owned a small market, and the Buddha, who was by the counter. Hiroto claimed that the writing inscribed on it, "Not knowing... is Buddha", which meant, "Not knowing is peaceful". To that proverb, Jake claims it's parallel to "Ignorance is bliss" and follows up with it's a bad proverb for a reporter like him. After Hiroto laughs at Jake's comment, Jake then talks about his dad, who wants him to return home, and his wish to be proud of his work.
Hiroto changes the subject to how Jake managed to crack the case while hitting a dead end. To that, Jake lies about the information he received from Ishida and claims it was his reporter's intuition. Jake then mentions his remorse for Sugita-san's suicide, but Hiroto advises him not to think about it, to get drunk, and if he does that, he'll feel better in the morning. Pleased by Hiroto's remark, he tries to hug him, but Hiroto brushes him off, and the two laugh over it.
Jake enters the Onyx Club and joins Sato in the bar area. He tries to strike up a conversation with him about if he had a rough day too, and Sato's tacit response leads him to believe he did. Asking another question, Jake asks if Ishida's problem has been taken care of, and Sato responds, "Problem solved". Once Samantha finishes her song, she approaches Jake and asks if he'd like to enjoy a bottle with him at a table, and he agrees. However, after Jake talks about his disdain for his job and his rough day, Samantha accuses Jake of not paying attention to him. This draws a rift between them, and Samantha leaves the table.
Sometime after Samantha leaves him, Jake is joined by Samantha's friend, Polina, who mistakenly calls him Jack. He learns that Samantha had already left with Sato earlier, but is then offered by Polina to be shown her favorite place in all of Tokyo. The place was a temple where they paid their respects. Polina would then talk about her love for Kinoko no yama or Chocorooms. He's then offered one by Polina, who says in Slovanian, "Love comes through the stomach". After Jake tries one, Polina asks what Jake's sign is, but he doesn't know, so he gives Polina his birthday, and Polina reveals he's a Sagittarius, which is incompatible with Samantha, who is a Taurus.
Before Polina leaves, Jake offers to take her out for dinner. However, Polina declines and assures him that he'll find a lady for himself one day, and it should be a fire sign lady.
===The Information Business===
Visiting Samantha at her apartment, Jake delivers some Kashiori as a way to patch things up between him and her for his attitude toward her the other day. It seemingly works until Jake mentions that Samantha needs to be careful around Sato, and hearing this upsets Samantha, who returns Jake's present and, before leaving him, tells Jake to go fuck himself.
Eventually, Jake, Tin-tin, and Trendy walk out of a convenience store, and as Tin-tin talks about being unable to sleep because of his guilt about Sugita-san's death, Jake reads a Yakuza magazine for research purposes. At the Meicho building, Jake realizes that three Yakuza magazines featuring Tozawa have the same reporter's name, Ukai Haruki.
Having Trendy track down where Ukai lives, Jake visits him, who is perplexed that he's able to find out where he lives. There, Jake, posing as a fan of his, manages to cajole Ukai into allowing him inside his apartment. There, Jake fails to get information from Ukai about the insurance scam. In Ukai's own words, he only knows about Tozawa from what he writes articles and his book. When Ukai leaves to use the restroom, Jake tries to search for the book, but Ukai catches him in the act. After Jake denies that he does shabu, he changes the subject to the women posted on his wall dedicated to Tozawa. All of them are considered his "girlfriends" and not his mistresses. One of which catches Jake's eye, but he's warned by Ukai to stay away from her. 
Still, Jake follows the girlfriend to a building where he catches her leaving with Tozawa, and after they part ways, he tails her to a department store. There she recognizes Jake, and he asks about one of Tozawa's mistresses who died after talking to a reporter and asks if she'd care to comment. However, she declines, citing it'd be foolish if she did, and Jake offers to buy her lunch or a drink. When Jake tries to assure Tozawa's girlfriend that she doesn't have to be afraid of Tozawa, she corrects him that it is Jake who needs to be afraid.
Sometime later, Jake tries to visit Samantha's apartment but is met by Sato, who demands that he follow him to where Ishida is waiting for him inside a car. There, Ishida asks Jake to use some information he gave him to stop a shipment of meth being delivered at an airport by Tozawa. Initially, Jake refuses, noting he doesn't want to get in the middle of such a conflict between the two sides, but Ishida convinces Jake, citing that out of the two, he's the lesser evil.
Jake visits Hiroto at his home, he asks for Hiroto's assistance with taking down a meth shipment by Tozawa, but Hiroto declines, citing he'll act on his own accord. Hearing this perplexes Jake as he believes they should act promptly, but Hiroto claims that two days ago, the traitor that Jake found out for him killed himself by jumping off a roof. Hiroto then advises Jake to be patient about this and to trust him.
Later, Jake visits Emi's apartment, where he meets Emi's brother, Kei, for the first time. He instantly becomes aggressive toward him until Emi intervenes and sends him to his room. Allowed inside the apartment, Jake hears Kei screaming from his room, and Emi explains that her brother is not mentally well and that he's seen conspiracies. Wasting no further time, Jake informs Emi about the meth shipment that should be arriving tomorrow at an airport by Tozawa. Despite this, he needed a police officer's clearance to launch an investigation, and Hiroto refused his approval. So, Emi suggests that Jake find someone else, and as Kei's voice becomes louder, Emi suggests that Jake leave, but not before asking that he stay quiet about Kei. No one in their office knows about Kei, but Jake feigns who Emi was talking about, and leaves.
The next morning, Jake visits Jin at the Police HQ and asks for his help with the meth shipment. Jin asks Jake if Hiroto knows about it, and he lies, claiming Hiroto doesn't. Despite not believing Jake, Jin is ultimately coaxed into doing it and drives Jake along with a police squadron to the airport in question. Their search, however, turns up no leads of any trace of drugs. Because of this, Jin holds the bewildered Jake responsible for this, severing his ties with him then and there, and vows to let all of the cops know not to work with him. Right as Jin leaves him, Hiroto drives in, and after he talks to Jin, Jake talks to him.
Hiroto approaches Jake, lecturing him on how they should have proceeded in a way that would have ensured that Tozawa wouldn't have gotten away with the meth shipment. However, Jake's impulsivity has completely jeopardized the entire situation, and Tozawa would take full advantage of that. Although Jake tries to apologize, his remark about needing a story causes a further rift between them as Hiroto comments that Jake's entitlement is disappointing and leaves him.
That afternoon at the Meicho building, Jake shows Emi the fruits of his efforts in his meth airport investigation. Frustrated and in disbelief about the invalid information his source gave him. Emi and Jake lament over the situation, and when Baku arrives and looks over the findings, he suggests they write an article about the failed drug bust. Despite Jake's argument that it was his fault that it failed, not the police's, Emi still orders him to write it anyway, and Jake does.
That night, Jake visits the Onyx Bar and orders a whiskey shot. He then gets aggressive with Sato over the intel he got from Ishida about the meth transportation. Jake accuses Sato and Ishida of lying to him and ruining his reputation with not only the police force, but also the Meicho newspaper. The two nearly get into a scuffle, but Jake is forcefully escorted out of the place.
===Sometimes They Disappear===
One month after the drug bust, Jake had apparently tried to make contact with Hiroto on a daily basis, but Hiroto refused to reconnect with him. Hiroto also mentions him when he has to explain to his superior that he believes Jake received a tip from Ishida about the failed drug bust.
Jake is next seen having sex with a prostitute when he receives a phone call from Emi, who asks him if he knew about Hiroto having new evidence to arrest Tozawa. The news shocks Jake, and while Emi doesn't know anything further about said evidence, she promises to ask around about it and assigns Jake to investigate Shoda's murder case further. Emi believes it's connected to several other cases she's been working on, and Jake agrees to it. Once his conversation with Emi is over, Jake continues his romantic antics with the prostitute.
Leaving an unnamed building, Jake walks down a street and runs into an old high school friend, Dave Fisch. An affable man who tries to reconnect with Jake; however, he notes that he's busy at the time. Not wanting things to end there, Dave gives Jake his hotel phone number, and the two go their separate ways.
Afterward, Jake contacts Emi from his apartment and informs him of his findings concerning the Shoda murder case. Jake's information correlates with a pattern that the police have done with multiple other cases. However, when Jake asks for an update on the Tozawa case, Emi dismisses any notion about it, claiming it's a non-priority at the moment. Emi then abruptly ends the conversation, much to Jake's chagrin. Later, Jake contacts Hiroto's household, but Natsumi answers and claims that her father isn't home; she is still upset with him and hangs up on him. Disappointed with this, Jake contacts the number that Dave gave him. 
Jake would later meet with Dave at a restaurant, where the two reminisced about old times. After Dave tells Jake he is in Tokyo to take a year's vacation before heading to grad school, Dave mentions Jake's sister, which strikes a nerve with Jake. However, he cools down and says his sister is fine. Once they're done there, Jake takes Dave to a dance club he frequents, and there he finds Misaki with a friend of hers. Jake strikes up a conversation for a bit with Misaki, and despite her annoyance toward him, Jake says he'll see her down on the dance floor. A little later, Jake would find and dance with Misaki on the dance floor.
Sitting with Dave, Misaki, and a friend of Misaki, Jake talks to Misaki at a penthouse restaurant and learns that she's a former model. He then asks if she loves Tozawa, but before she can answer, three of Tozawa's men demand she come with them, but Dave tries to stop them, only to have a knife held to his face. After Misaki agrees to leave, she follows Tozawa's men out of the area while Jake, Dave, and Misaki's friend leave the scene.
Jake would then buy the morning edition newspaper, and one of the articles caught his eye. He'd then visit Emi's apartment and show the article she wrote made the paper, but was featured on the second to last page. Although disheartened, Emi wasn't demotivated, as her belief was that change comes from within, and she needed to do it brick by brick at the newspaper company.
Later, the rain-soaked Jake walks to his apartment and finds her sitting on his stairway, and she asks for his help.
===Yoshino===
After learning about Polina's whereabouts in Yoshino, Jake leaves Samantha a note claiming he'll look into Yoshino at Meicho. At Hiroto's household, Hiroto finds a picture of a Tengu on the table, and his daughter Natsumi says it's a picture of Jake, which makes him smile.
Jake returns to his apartment where Samantha is and informs her of his current findings about Polina. His lead at work claimed that there wasn't anyone who fit Polina's description in Yoshino or the surrounding areas. He'd then suggest they file a missing person report on Polina, but Samantha doesn't believe it'd be followed through by the police. As a follow-up question, Jake asks if Polina may have returned home, but Samantha doesn't believe that she has.
After a little testy exchange with Samantha, Jake has a heart-to-heart with her about Polina. As the conversation continues, Jake gets an idea of how to learn more about Yoshino after he learns the club Polina was in debt to was deep with Tozawa. He then asks Samantha if she knows if she can score some meth.
Jake is indirectly mentioned by Tozawa when he's visited by Misaki after receiving one of his treatments for his medical condition. Misaki claims that Jake followed her to the nightclub where they met and that she was saved by Hagino. Tozawa then suggests that Jake be dealt with, but Misaki advises against killing him as that'd have negative consequences.
Afterward, both Jake and Samantha visit Ukai's apartment after offering him some meth in exchange for information on Yoshino. He agrees to tell them if they try it themselves and party with him. Although Jake is against it, Samantha coaxes him into trying it, and after taking too big of a drag, he's induced into a wicked high mental state. After Samantha learns what she needs to know, Jake and she leave Ukai's apartment, where she informs Jake in an alleyway that Polina is on a sex cruise boat called the Yoshino. Despite that, Jake vents his frustrations toward her about how he's being treated by everyone, so Samantha calms him down by kissing and embracing him. Although happy with what Samantha had done, he received a phone call from Emi, and before the two parted ways, Samantha gave him a picture of Polina and her. Jake also promised Samantha that he'd find Polina.
Returning to the Meicho, Jake briefly runs into Tin-Tin and Trendy. He then meets with Emi, and after explaining most of what he had to say about Samantha's missing friend Polina, she notices that he's high on something, which he admits was meth. Emi then pulls Jake aside, suggests he leave, and promises she'll reach out to her contacts to find some leads, but before he does, Jake hands her a photo reference of her and leaves.
When Jake returned home, he was beaten up by three of Tozawa's men, and when they were finished, one of them, named Hagino, threatened him to stay away from everything related to Tozawa. Jake was then knocked out by Hagino. He'd later awaken from his unconscious state and assess the damage done to his apartment from where he woke up.
Jake contacts his household, and as he's leaving a message, his father, Ed, picks up. He talks with his father and learns that his mother misses him and his sister isn't as great as she lets him be. When Jake asks if he should return home, Ed suggests he take a nap, and when he wakes up and feels that he should leave, Ed will buy him a ticket home.
Once Jake finally awakens, he takes a shower, gets dressed, and finds a vanilla bag with his last name written on it. Inside of it was a tape containing footage of Polina's final moments on the Yoshino. He'd later visit Hiroto and ask for a second chance from him about this situation concerning incriminating evidence he's found against the Tozawa group. After briefly pausing, Hiroto allows Jake inside his house, but warns him that he better not have been followed.
===Don't Ever F**king Miss===
Jake paces back and forth with an icepack on his face in Hiroto's living room as Hiroto watches the video where Polina was beaten to death on the Yoshino. Although, Jake didn't want to watch it, Hiroto insists that he does, and when Jake does, he recognizes the thug who killed Polina as one who beat him up in his apartment. Hiroto recognizes the other man as Jotaro Shigematsu, the Vice-minister of Foreign Affairs.
Driven to a place near the Meicho building, Hiroto and Jake agree to work together to expose the crime that Tozawa is connected to in their own ways. However, Jake notes regretting botching the airport raid, citing that Polina would still be alive if he hadn't. But Hiroto claims that Jake isn't responsible for other people's misdeeds, and the two then part ways.
Afterward, Jake is shown in a room with Emi, Baku, and some Meicho workers, where they watch the video featuring Polina and the Vice-minister of Foreign Affairs. It's decided that they'll run the story in the paper, but Emi would write it because missing girls is her field of specialty. Baku also states that Jake is compromised due to the Tozawa's ordering him to stay out of their business. However, another Meicho worker orders them to work together on it. After it's decided that they won't run the story until a comment is received from the Vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, the meeting ends.
Exiting the room, Jake listens to a message left to him by Samantha about her current findings about Polina. Tin-Tin and Trendy then asks if he's alright and if he knew of the missing girl that everyone is talking about in the building. Jake answers that he is and that he did know the girl. When Tin-Tin and Trendy offer to help Jake he asks Trendy to find the registration number of the Yoshino to see if they can use it as evidence to arrest Tozawa. Emi then arrives and informs Jake that Ozaki had scheduled an appointment with the Vice-minster for the next morning, but Jake protests that it's too long. However, Emi claims that it's final and that he go home and rest, while then asking Tin-Tin and Trendy follow her. Before they do, Tin-Tin and Trendy assure Jake they'll find the intel he wants on the Yoshino boat.
The following day, Jake and Emi visit Vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, Shigematsu for a comment on his involvement on the Yoshino where Polina was killed on. However, Shigematsu refused to give any comment on the situation that had occurred. Jake then argues that Shigematsu didn't kill Polina and that Tozawa will use the evidence they have to blackmail him, and they can make it clear in the article they'll write about it. Though, this attempt is met with scorn by Shigematsu who chastises Jake for his lack of tact. Emi apologizes for Jake's behavior and promises to talk to him about it, and they leave.
Later outside, Jake and Emi argue over Jake's handling of the meeting with Shigematsu. What's also brought up is how Jake consciously acted out of risk to get Shigematsu to work with them, but Emi pointed out that it'd likely end up like Sugita's suicide. Jake then argues about why wouldn't they press that angle, Emi claims that with what they have now, won't be efficient, due to Tozawa not being arrested. She also notes that, as of now, what's important is running Polina's story.
Eventually, Jake meets with Samantha, returns her photo, and informs her that Polina is dead, her body has yet to be found, and that Polina's story will be heard. When Jake asks Samantha if she'd like anything, Samantha answers she'd like to be alone, but Jake stops her asking to hear more about Polina. This backfires, as Samantha thought it was him trying to interview her, although he wanted to put Polina in a better perspective, but she kicked him out of her club.
Upon exiting the club, Jake received a call from Trendy, who stated that the Yoshino was registered under someone named Misaki Taniguchi. Jake recognizes the name and claims he'll look into it more. He'd later visit Misaki and confront her about the Yoshino and her connections to it. Misaki, however, claims she knows nothing about Tozawa's business and that he has since left for an unknown destination. Furthermore, she asks Jake not to publish her name in the paper about it.
In the Meicho, Jake writes an article about the Yoshino boat, but he hesitates to mention Misaki in the article draft. He'd later eat at a restaurant with Trendy and Tin-Tin. They briefly talk about Misaki's connection to the Yoshino and then about Tin-Tin's new baking hobby. However, the conversation ends when Emi contacts Jake to inform him of the fire at the building and the evidence they had of Tozawa being destroyed in it. To make matters worse, they can't release the article about it since they don't have the evidence linking Tozawa to the Yoshino, and if they did, they'd be sued for false defamation. Jake loses it after hearing this.
Jake would later visit Hiroto and inform him that Tozawa had destroyed their evidence against him. In turn, Hiroto revealed that his superior said the case involving it was closed. This was mainly due to Jin being found dead in a love hotel in Ueno, and his death was set up to appear as though he died of a drug overdose, likely done under Tozawa's orders. As frustrated as Jake is by this, Hiroto advises Jake to consider the consequences of pursuing this further since his life and Hiroto's family's lives are at stake. Hiroto also suggests that Jake pursue other stories in the meantime.
Upon returning to Meicho, despite it not being his shift, Jake learns from Tin-Tin that he got a tip that Jin's recently announced death was a false cover-up. Tin-Tin had originally planned to cover the story, but Jake lies, claiming Jin had a pre-existing heart condition. Disappointed, Tin-Tin thanks Jake.
===Be My Number One===
While exiting his apartment, Jake listens to a new recording by his sister Jessica, who informs him of their father's 60th birthday in two months. She also mentions how their father was disappointed that Jake didn't accept his offer to return home. Lastly, Jessica demands that Jake record a tape for her since she's the only person who loves him.
At the Meicho, Jake briefly talks with Tin-Tin and Trendy about work-related stuff. He's then called over by Emi, who compliments his recent string of stories and then gives him two stories to choose from. The first is about a series of motorcycle thefts, and the second is about a dead body found in a pawn shop believed to belong to a Yakuza. Jake chooses the story about motorcycle thefts. Before leaving, Emi requests Jake to get a quote from a cop about it.
Jake would visit Hiroto at the police department and find him at the complaint department. After a brief chit-chat, they would go outside and enjoy some coffee. After they talked about each other's work, Jake asked about Tozawa, but Hiroto claimed no new information had been found about him. Jake then asked about his wife and kids and why they hadn't returned home, but Hiroto said it was complicated, and the two parted ways.
Sometime later, Jake visits Samantha in her club during the off hours, and after he returns a CD of hers, they talk about each other's work. Jake asks if she has any information on the recent string of thefts involving motorcycles. So Samantha gives Jake the card of a contact of hers in Ayase, but warns him not to do anything foolish.
Jake visits the motorcycle shop, and Samantha recommends that he do so. There, he meets Otsuka and learns from him that the motorcycle thieves' true motive is the parts from the cycles rather than the cycles themselves. When Jake asks where to find such parts, Otsuka asks what his relationship is with Samantha, and he answers like a brother.
In front of a restaurant called the Flying Garden, Jake meets with a motorcycle group and tries to befriend them by offering them a free meal at the place. Interested in Jake's offer, the group accepts it, and when Jake tries to start a conversation with them, they're more interested in Jake's wallet than his own interests. Seeing no further purpose in sticking around, Jake leaves some cash at the table and leaves, but is stopped outside by the group for not handing over enough cash for the meal. This leads to a scuffle between him and the group's leader, Tats, and Jake floors him. Earning the group's respect because of this, Jake is allowed to join them and take pictures of their escapades.
When Jake turns in his biker findings to Baku, he's initially dismissive, but Emi manages to convince him to allow Jake to continue. Returning to his desk, Tin-Tin offers him some butter cookies that he recently baked, and Jake compliments him as a rock star and asks him to save some for when he returns from work.
That night, Jake interviews Tats about his pleasures of bike riding and his theft of bikes to pay for his sister's private school tuition. Tats then receives a phone call and invites Jake to steal a bike with him. Jake does and unwillingly assists him in stealing a bike by distracting its owners for long enough for Tats to drill into the ignition.
As soon as Jake finishes writing his article about the stolen motorbikes, he receives a call from Misaki, who invites him over to her place. Jake rides his bike over to her place, and after exchanging pleasantries, Misaki advances toward Jake despite knowing it's wrong. Although Misaki knows it is, the two make out, partially strip, and head to Misaki's bed.
===Old Law, New Twist===
Laying on Jake's mattress in his apartment, with Misaki by his side, Jake and her watch an interview featuring Jake about his report about the motorcycle gang. Jake turns it off midway, claiming it made him look like an asshole. Misaki would then find a couple of pictures of Jake's friends and then a ticket to St. Louis near her, where Jake gave an explanation about each of them. Despite Jake's desire for the two to enjoy themselves in the open public, Misaki doesn't want to draw any attention that'd endanger their lives. Jake remarks about how patient and careful he is.
The next day, Jake talks to Samantha about her frustrations with Hayama visiting her club and why Sato refuses to stop his antics. Jake notes that Sato can't do anything, because Hayama outranks him. Samantha then asks Jake to speak to Sato on her behalf, but Jake refuses because his last meeting with Sato ended with a tumultuous exit from the Onyx Bar. When Jake asks Samantha why doesn't ask Sato herself, she answers because business and pleasure don't mix and Jake relates to it, citing he has his own girlfriend now. Although Samantha was happy for Jake, she backtracks to about her lamentation about Hayama being in her club, so Jake suggests that Samantha speak to Sato, as a friend.
That night, Jake enjoys a beer with Emi, Trendy, and Tin-Tin, who compliment Jake on the articles he wrote about the motorcycle thieving group. Emi then notes that she has to leave, but before she does, Emi gives the three invitations to a party held by the U.S. Ambassador's residence in hopes they cultivate sources there.
Jake would later meet with Misaki at a music theater and invite her to the U.S. Ambassador's party as his plus one. Despite her hesitance, Jake pushes her, suggesting he take on a fake name and go.
On the night of the party, Jake brought Misaki to the party, who took on the name Mari, whose occupation was modern dance choreographer. Jake later invites Misaki to come to Missouri with him, but she spots an associate of Tozawa and becomes panic-stricken, causing her to leave and demanding that Jake stay away from her.
The next day, Jake is awakened by the knocking on his apartment door by Tats' sister, Chika, who informs him that Tats was arrested. He'd later visit Tats in prison with a cut-up face and shaven head. Although Jake was an accessory for stealing a bike, he wasn't in prison and demanded that he take care of his sister because she had no one.
Afterward, Jake would try to ask Emi if the Meicho could have Tats transferred to a reform school. However, Emi claims that's impossible because he was caught stealing a bike and hit a police officer. Despite Jake claiming that Tats' was beaten while in custody, Emi claims she says that regular prison isn't as bad as a juvenile one, which shocks him.
Reconnecting with Sato outside of one of the Chihara-Kai buildings, Jake apologizes for his actions toward Sato, who is back at the Onyx Bar. They bond a bit over their recent mishaps of beating, beating, and stabbing, respectively, and Sato offers to take him somewhere to eat. At the restaurant where they eat, Jake asks Sato to use his influence to protect Tats; however, he retracts it after learning that Tats will have to join the Chihara-Kai when he's released. To make matters worse, Jake is stuck with footing the bill.
Jake tries to contact Misaki from his apartment, but she refuses to pick him up.
===Like a New Man===
Within Baku's office, Jake listens to Baku's explanation of how the police took down the Hishinuma-Kai last week and then the Jimon-Kai last night. He wants intel on the journalists, contacts the police, and forces Jake to work on it.
Jake meets with Hiroto and his new boss Shoko at the police HQ parking building. From there, Jake tries to get Hiroto to disclose any information about the recent actions by the police regarding the Yakuza clans. However, Shoko intervenes, claiming that Hiroto has no time to speak to the press, and leaves with Hiroto.
That night at the Meicho, Jake unsuccessfully tries to contact Misaki and leaves her a message on her phone. Trendy notices this and, after asking if he's picked up any leads on the Yakuza raids, asks if the person Jake was talking to was the pretty girl who was with him at the party. Jake confirms it, but notes that there's no longer anything between her and him when Trendy mentions that Tin-Tin knew her from someplace. Before Trendy left, Jake asked him if there was a Japanese Context for when they don't return your calls, aside from "Go Fuck Yourself". However, Trendy flatly says no and leaves Jake.
Still at the Meicho, Jake talks with his mother on the phone, assuring his mother that he received the plane tickets and told Jessica weeks ago. However, Wilma argues that having and using plane tickets are completely different and that he needs to attend his father's party as it means a lot to him. Jake then receives a call from someone whom he thought was a lawyer he was trying to get in contact with, but as it turns out, it is Misaki who wants to meet him at the usual spot. With a giant grin, Jake agrees to do it and prepares to leave.
Sitting at the theater where classical music is played, Jake is then joined by Misaki, despite apologizing to Misaki for what happened at the party. Misaki informs Jake that Tozawa has returned; despite being sick, Tozawa has made a full recovery from his absence. She also warns Jake to stay away from Tozawa, which Jake has no plans to do. Before they parted ways, Misaki claimed she wanted to leave her current life behind her and kissed her goodbye.
Later, Jake contacted Hiroto to inform him of what he'd learned about Tozawa's return. Although Hiroto tried to warn Jake about not approaching Tozawa, Jake had no plans to, but he wondered if Hiroto knew about Tozawa's condition and where he went. However, Hiroto avoided the question, citing they'll know soon enough, and reminded Jake that patience isn't a weakness.
Eventually, Jake would visit the office of the lawyer representing the Hishinuma-Kai, Sawada. He informs Jake about the law used to arrest them, called the Obstruction of Police Duty, which is a law only used for political agitators. Upon learning this, Jake contacts someone to inform Emi of his findings; he then spots Tozawa with associates and sees him drive away in a Mercedes. Jake pursues him in a taxi. He'd follow Tozawa to a building where he wrote down its name and left the scene.
Jake contacts Tin-Tin for information on a building, citing that Tozawa was back and that he was in the building. After this, Jake contacts a number to request the use of a company car.
Riding inside the company car, Jake takes some snapshots of the car Tozawa was in and has his driver follow it. They follow it to a building, and much to Jake's chagrin, Jake's driver leaves him since his shift is over. So, Jake puts away his camera and tries to enter the building Tozawa is in, but the security there doesn't allow him entry because he doesn't have an appointment.
Afterward, Jake paces back and forth outside of the building until he witnesses Nakahara fall to his death from the building.
===Illness of the Trade===
Soon after Jake witnesses Nakahara's death, he contacts Emi. Jake informs her of what he witnessed, including that when he saw Tozawa enter the building, Nakahara had fallen to his death. Despite not having solid proof of his claim, Emi confirms that the information will still be added. She then jots down Jake's dictation of the article.
The following day, Jake meets with Hiroto, and they briefly discuss what Jake had witnessed involving Nakahara's suspicious suicide. They then talk about Hiroto's relationship with Shoko, and their own, where Jake compares it to Starsky and Hutch, and Hiroto asks who Jake thinks is Starsky. Jake would answer himself, but Hiroto disagrees with that statement.
Eventually, a press conference is held about Nakahara's suicide, and using Trendy as his proxy, Jake has him ask about the possibility of a backdoor where an assailant could flee from. The conference head cites the authenticated suicide note as evidence against that claim, and Trendy follows up by asking if security cameras were on in the lobby, but they were off at the time. After Trendy asks his questions, Jake then sees both Hiroto and Shoko leave the conference. He then receives a call from Samantha, which he ignores. Shoko also indirectly mentions Jake as a "gaijin" and mentions how smart he is. 
Afterward, Jake visits Samantha and enlists his help concerning the Shimbashi Station development project. Despite his hesitancy, he ultimately agrees and then shifts the conversation to Tozawa's return; however, Samantha dissuades Jake from pursuing the case for fear of his life.
Jake informs Emi about the Shimbashi Station development project. While she agrees to allow Jake to write about it, he wants Tin-Tin to do it. Emi allows it and informs him that his request for a trip to America has been approved. Though he is reluctant to go through with it, Emi motivates him to do it.
Later, Jake talks to Tin-Tin about the story and how to talk with the official in charge of it. Tin-Tin is grateful to Jake for his tip, and Jake says that they have to look out for each other. Later, Jake visits the medical office that Tozawa used and tries but fails to make an appointment there because it is a referral only. Hence, Jake asks to use their restroom, and when he reaches there, he does a stakeout.
That night, he'd break into the office and take snapshots of Tozawa's medical file. The next day, Jake revealed his findings to Emi, Trendy, and Tin-Tin about how Tozawa and three other Yakuza were diagnosed with liver disease. Emi notes how common the disease was in the Yakuza trade and that it's impossible to cure despite Jake's thoughts that it is since Tozawa has been "cured" of it. A press conference was then held involving the transportation secretary that Tin-Tin interviewed, where the plans for the Shimbashi train station were revealed. Because of this, Tin-Tin loses his story and is chastised by Baku; also, despite Jake wanting to console Tin-Tin, he runs off before he can.
Swinging misses at the batting cage, Jake meets with Sato and gives him one shoe to help him with Tats'. He offers the other shoe for information on the Yakuza's illness of the trade. Jake then learns about it, like how there are no organ transplants in Japan and the lengths Yakuza go through to prolong their lives until they die. Thankful to Sato, Jake gifts Sato the other shoe, who claims they're too small for him, but Jake suggests he gift them to his brother, which he accepts, but notes that he's still in debt and leaves.
At the Meicho, Jake is confronted by Tin-Tin for backstabbing him by giving him bad advice. Despite Jake trying to reason with Tin-Tin, he demands to be addressed as Kurihira and disparages him by claiming he scored higher than him in the exam tests for there. Understanding, Jake wishes Kurihira well and leaves him. 
Jake informs Hiroto and Shoko of his findings about Tozawa and how he may have gotten a blood transfusion from Thailand to extend his life by six months. However, Hiroto doesn't believe that's plausible and thinks they should continue their search for clues.
===I Choose You===
Jake arrives outside Club Polina on his bicycle and learns from Hiroto about what had occurred there, as well as a bit about Samantha. Before Hiroto leaves Jake, he tells him that the police will search for the shooters and pray that things won't escalate. After Hiroto leaves, Jake takes some pictures of one of the outside of the crime scene.
Back at the Meicho building, Jake contacts Sato to see if he's alright, and he is told a little about Sato's situation. Sato then asked Jake about Samantha, and he answered that she was in police custody at the time. Satisfied to hear that, Sato warns Jake that things will get back from there on out and that he should never contact him again, and then he hangs up on him.
The following day, Emi wants new information about the incident involving Ishida. After she assigns Tin-Tin and Trendy their tasks, Emi assigns Jake to interview Samantha after learning his connection to her.
Jake would question Samantha in her apartment and disclose that Tozawa was responsible for the incident at her club. Samantha would then draw him a tattoo she saw of one of the shooters and disclosed to him that Tozawa approached her at the police station and addressed her by her name. She also confines her fear of her employees and what would happen to them if something happened to her.
Afterward, Jake met with Ukai, who had just finished his drug rehabilitation session, and the two patched things up between them. Jake shows Ukai a picture of the tattoo that Samanta saw on one of the shooters, and Ukai mentions that it belongs to the Hishinuma clan and that it's on two shooters. After Jake confirms he can link Tozawa to the shoot, Emi asks that Jake find solid evidence for his claim, or else a different follow-up will be released. Emi mentions that Tin-Tin has some information, too, but Jake is insistent about his lead on Tozawa. On the other hand, Jake urges that Tozawa is behind it, but Emi says that Jake can pursue it when he returns from the States after attending his father's 60th birthday party. Still, Jake insists that his job is his life and ends his call with Emi.
Inside Shoko's office, Jake informs Shoko and Hiroto about the tattoo the gunmen had, which Hiroto recognizes as from the Hishinuma-kai. Jake mentions that his source confirms that it is. Shoko demands to know the source's name, and Hiroto also pleads that Jake reveal it, but despite the pressure, Jake refuses.
Jake tries to contact his family, who don't answer his call, so he leaves them a message stating that he's unable to attend his father's party. Someone then knocks at his door, and when he checks who it is, he learns it is Misaki, who immediately kisses and embraces him.
After the two have sex, Misaki notes her concern that Tozawa still watches over her and leaves him one of her bracelets with Jake, which she then embraces him.
The next day, Jake confronted Tin-Tin over the article he had written about Samantha; despite his protests, Emi sided with Tin-Tin and suggested that he could quit if Jake didn't like it. With that, Jake left in a frustrated manner.
He'd later try to contact Samantha, but it went straight to voice mail. He'd then tear up the Yakuza clippings from his wall and find the plane ticket his parents gave him. Hence, Jake took a taxi to the airport.
Jake would later reach the airport and ride an airplane home.
===The War at Home===
Once Jake arrives at the Missouri airport, he finds his sister Jessica, and the two meet up and catch up with each other a bit. They later drive down a highway by Jessica, and chat about various subjects, including his lifestyle in Japan, Jessica's depression, and whether he has a girlfriend or not.
Driven to his family home, Jake meets his mother and then his father out in the backyard. After this interaction, he heads upstairs to shower, but before that, he heads into his room and looks at the bracelet Misaki gave him after taking off his shirt. Misaki briefly mentions Jake to Hagino about her interaction with him the night he picked her up at her apartment.
During his father's party, Jake is re-introduced to his father's friends, Paul and Phil, whom he informs about some good, bad, and eccentric things about Japan. He'd later speak to Dean Kudisch, whom Jake deeply admired, and they had a deep conversation about their line of work and how, in Srebrenica, Dean learned of two types of journalists. The kind that wants to stay and the other who wants to go home. Dean labeled the stayers as lifers who transformed themselves into something that made them want to stay, but adds if their staying was just because they became lost from who they once were. Before leaving, Dean offers Jake a job, and if he decides to stay, he's hiring.
Jake watched a slideshow with the other party attendees; after this, his father tried to give a speech, but Jake stepped in after he was too flustered. In Jake's speech, he compliments his father and how he inspired him to pursue his line of work and ends it by telling his father, happy birthday.
Later that night, Jake sits with his dad, Edward, and they have heart-to-heart conversations about his sister Jessica, who was an inpatient for her depression for two weeks. Jessica hopes that Jake will participate in her Q&A for her school newspaper, which is the only thing she's looking forward to. How Jake is in trouble with a woman he loves who wants to escape her current lifestyle. As proud as Edward was of Jake, he does confess his desire to see his son more often and for him to start a family in the States and not in Japan. However, Jake claims he's happy there.
The next morning, Jake has a heart-to-heart with his mom over breakfast about his chat with Dean and the job offer he gave him. Wilma also calls Jake by his preferred name.
Afterward, Jake talks with his sister about some things she'd asked him for during their Q&A together until Hiroto contacts Jake. He informs Jake that Tozawa had a liver transplant done in Minneapolis and needs Jake to go to the medical center to confirm it. With no one else that Hiroto could rely on, Jake decides to do it, but promises to return for his sister's interview. Edward's father also promised to contact someone from the hematology department at SMMC. With that, Jake takes a taxi out of his family's home.
Jake would meet with Dr. Walker thanks to a connection with his father, and in his initial interview, he asked about liver transplant-related questions. However, Jake notices the Vacheron Constantine watch he wears and blackmails him to reveal his connection with Tozawa and his liver transplant.
===The Noble Path===
Sometime after Jake returns from Japan, Hiroto and Shoko visit him at his apartment. They're informed about how Tozawa possibly entered the U.S. with a forged passbook, which is illegal there. Hiroto then notes how Yakuza fear U.S. prisons and then asks about what possible crimes Tozawa would have committed. Jake then notes the plausibility of immigration violations or manslaughter, citing that manslaughter was by cutting the waiting line for a transplant may have killed someone. After learning that there's someone under Tozawa's influence in the police, Jake asks how he can help, and Shoko requests Jake to investigate the FBI for them.
Afterward, Jake arrives back at the Meicho despite having four days left of absence; Jake claims he values working there too much. He then formally apologizes for his previous actions and gifts Tin-Tin some high-quality maple syrup, and Trendy a Kirby Pucket Jersey. However, when he offers Emi a major story from Minnesota, she flatly rejects it, citing she wants to be told it later, and assigns him to work with Trendy on his major Yakuza bust in Hawaii. When Emi leaves, Trendy whispers to Jake that out of everyone there, he was the only one who didn't wish his plane crashed, and Jake appreciates the sentiment and follows him.
Afterward, Jake and Trendy interview Jason about the recent Yakuza arrests in Hawaii. They learn from Jason that it's an ongoing FBI procedure and that more Yakuza arrests will be coming. Jake then asks if it's possible for a Yakuza to commit a crime in the States, and if so, would it be possible for that person to be extradited back to the States to be charged for his crimes? However, Jason couldn't answer that because it was beyond his purview and pay grade. Trendy then asks if the arrests made came from tips received by Japanese law enforcement, but Jason can't answer that and suggests they ask Lynn. This makes Trendy "upset" since they treated him to a Gin & Tonic, and they'd laugh over it. As Jason leaves, Jake notices him pat Trendy on the shoulder and, after suggesting he take care of Lynn while Trendy asks the police about the Hawaii busts. Jake asks if Trendy is in a romantic relationship with Jason, to which he states, "Don't ask, don't tell," and Jake understands.
Eventually, Jake visited Lynn at her office in the U.S. Embassy, where she was under the impression that Jake simply wanted to interview her about the Yakuza arrests made in Hawaii. However, after that was over, Jake asked whether a Japanese official would be arrested in the U.S. if they committed a crime there. Lynn answered that it depends on the crime, which Jake takes a step further, mentioning that if someone jumped the line of an organ donor list, one would be Tozawa. Interested in Jake's claim, she takes down the information that Jake has concerning it.
Jake received a call from Lynn about how the person that Jake suspected was Tozawa, Spencer Tanaka, was, in fact, a real person who lived in Atlanta, Georgia. Although Lynn is apologetic toward Jake for killing his story, he gives Lynn a platitude and approaches Emi at her desk to inform her of his story surrounding Tozawa. He'd later reveal that Lynn may be in cahoots with Tozawa since she lied to him about his liver transplant operation. As for a motive why she'd agree, Jake suspects that Lynn was bribed into doing it, and Emi gives him the green light to investigate it further.
Later, Jake receives a call from Yabuki, who wants to see him. If he rejects it, many people will die.
Following what had occurred in the first episode, Jake agrees not to publish the story on Tozawa, which pleases Yabuki. He also warns them that he hopes their actions toward Tozawa does not violate their agreement with him.
Riding the elevator down from where they met with Yabuki, Hiroto insists that Jake write the article about Tozawa and publish it. Although Jake is scared for his family's life and has been threatened by Yabuki, Hiroto insists that Jake do it since Tozawa set the meeting out of fear. Furthermore, Hiroto mentions that many people are relying on him and should take that into consideration. Before they go their separate ways, Hiroto suggests Jake write the story and find whatever he needs to write it.
Jake decides to contact his family home, and Edward picks up. He talks to his father and explains that his life and his family's lives were threatened because he planned to write an article on Tozawa. When he asks his father how to proceed, Edward says he should finish what he started.
Ending his conversation with his father, Jake visits Tanaka's restaurant, and the news is announced that the Prime Minister is stepping down and that Jotaro Shigematsu is replacing him.
===Consequences===
At the Meicho conference room, Jake places the newspaper article featuring Jotaro Shigematsu as the chosen new Prime Minister. Jake, Tin-Tin, Trendy, and Emi then debate the possibilities of how it's connected to Tozawa. Amid it, Tin-Tin proposes the idea that Tozawa had approached the FBI to get a ticket to the U.S. in exchange for exposing Yakuza activity in the country. Hence, Emi assigns Trendy to question Jason, Tin-Tin volunteers to investigate the medical building that Tozawa uses, and Baku is briefly seen peering in. Emi then orders the group to report the information they find to her and her alone. With that, they are all dismissed.
Outside, Jake thanks Tin-Tin and Trendy, but Trendy chimes in, stating they're not doing it for her, but for the byline. This provokes laughter between them as they go their separate ways. Jake is then stopped by Emi, who confiscates his burner phone for fear that Tozawa may wiretap it. Hence, Jake makes a call using his office phone.
Underneath a bridge at an undisclosed location, Jake talks with Hiroto inside his car about how Tozawa could be an FBI informant. Hiroto cites that several years ago, a Yakuza from Yokohama named Harada Isamu, was once listed on an official FBI agreement. Before Jake can leave, Hiroto stops him and asks if he's safe, to which he answers that he is. Hiroto claims that Tozawa isn't to be messed with and should take full precautions with their actions. Jake understands and leaves.
Jake's name is mentioned in Trendy's conversation with Jason Aoki when he tries to get information on whether Tozawa is an FBI informant.
Afterward, Jake and Emi learn from Trendy that Tozawa was an FBI informant for a year and a half. Although Trendy couldn't get a copy of the contract proving this, Jake volunteered to do it despite its risks.
Right after Tozawa enjoys a golf game with some highly influential people, one of the people indirectly mentions Jake, claiming he saw him and Misaki at a U.S. Embassy Party.
Eventually, Jake meets with Lynn at the U.S. Embassy, and after negotiating a deal with her, he gets her to confirm that Tozawa is an FBI agent. He'd later report this to Emi, who worries for Jake's safety and assures her he has a good place to hide. The safe place in question was at the Chihara-kai base, and Jake visited Sato there, informing them that he had incriminating evidence against Tozawa.
When Misaki visits Samantha at her club, she mentions that Jake is a mutual friend of theirs and cannot be seen with him or visit his apartment either. He's also mentioned by Tin-Tin, who got confirmation about Tozawa's connection to a doctor for his liver treatments. While Jake told Sato it wouldn't take him long to write the story, four of Tozawa's men raid the building and kill any Chihara-kai that crosses their path. As that happened, Jake escaped with Gen, and they were soon joined by a disgruntled Sato whose life was saved thanks to Etsuo. With that, they all escape the scene via a car.
Jake and Sato arrive at what is hoped to be a safe location, and Jake starts to write his article on Tozawa. As that goes on, Samantha is at Jake's apartment looking for him, but he isn't home. Informing Misaki, who is also there, Samantha suggests they try the Meicho next. Continuing to write his article, Jake asks to make a call to his boss, but Sato denies it. Ironically, Sato receives a call, and Jake gawks at Sato about it. Later, Samantha would arrive there alongside Misaki, leaving Jake and Sato speechless. Hiroto also mentions him after he arrests Yabuki, mentioning he wants to see how he's doing.
===Endgame===
Hiroto mentions Jake during his conversation with Shoko about what place either one would raid to discover the contract between Tozawa and the FBI. It was Hiroto's plan to give the contract to Jake so he could draft the story that implements Tozawa, but Shoko argued it'd be better to notify his enemies instead.
At the Chihara-Kai hideout, he talks with Misaki, who informs him that Tozawa is privy to their relationship. However, Jake claims that his article will bring Tozawa down, but Misaki questions whether or not he's enjoying their dangerous situation, and he denies it. Jake then asks for Misaki's phone to contact his superior at the Meicho; despite Sato barring that, she gives it to Jake anyway.
When Jake contacts Emi, he tries to inform her of the news he's learned about Tozawa's connection to the FBI, but Emi claims that the Meicho won't publish it due to threats. Although upset by this, he cools down after learning Tin-Tin was stabbed and hospitalized. Despite wanting to visit him, Emi implores him to stay where he is and be safe. The end of this conversation visibly unsettles Jake.
Later, Jake expresses his regrets to Sato about everything that had gone wrong up to that point was his fault, which Sato claims is part of his profession. He also adds that their actions have consequences and expresses his own concern about his uncertainty of being able to protect the ladies. Jake then asks to use Sato's phone so he can contact someone who could assist them.
As it turns out, Jake contacts Hiroto, who mentions that he has been trying to contact him for ages. When Hiroto asks if Jake has gotten the proof of Tozawa's connection to the FBI, Jake informs him that his paper canceled the story after a colleague of his was stabbed. Hence, Hiroto proposes a different plan and asks Jake where Misaki is since he knows that Jake is in a relationship with her. Jake agrees to tell him; Hiroto then asks for their address, and Jake hands the phone to Sato to disclose it.
Jake was briefly mentioned a couple of times during Hiroto and Sato's conversation about the FBI document with Tozawa.
Outside, Jake and Samantha chastise each other's respective mistakes over Jake's relationship with Misaki and Samantha's checkered past. They share a laugh, and when Jake spots Hiroto exiting the building and trying to enter his car, Jake stops him and asks to join him. Initially, Hiroto denies it, but Jake convinces him to allow Jake to tag along.
After following Hiroto and another officer into Yoshino's master suite, they separate after Hiroto and the officer steal the documents they are after. Jake stays behind and locates the room where Polina was murdered.
He'd later review the FBI documents that prove that Tozawa was connected to the FBI and shows it to Hiroto. Despite regretting not getting a story out of it, Jake then finds a check and receipt from Jotaro Shigematsu, to which Hiroto claims that he'll have another story to use. Jake is then driven out of the area by the two officers who accompanied them there, while Hiroto drives off in his own car.
Later, Jake meets with Emi and Trendy to inform them of valid evidence of Shigematsu's connection to Tozawa through campaign donations. Emi promises to have it cross-referenced against the political contribution records but is confident that the contributions weren't reported. Trendy then claims that their current information could end Shigematsu's political career. Hence, Emi volunteers to handle the story, returns Jake's burner phone, and leaves with Trendy.
Samantha briefly mentioned Jake, who told Misaki that once their situation was over, she could have a happy ending with Jake. He's mentioned again by Baku when Emi shows him the incriminating evidence she found against Shigematsu and after he approves Emi to write the story. She asks Trendy to contact Jake and tell him the good news. Jake is mentioned again by Samantha that Tozawa wants to meet with him and Misaki and that a certain location has been chosen. All Samantha has to do now is find Jake.
At an undisclosed location, Jake reveals to Hiroto the story of Shigematsu, which Emi will write, and then asks when Tozawa will be arrested. However, Hiroto confesses that he won't be, since Sato has the documents and will use them to enact his own justice against Tozawa. Hiroto follows up by saying that sometimes the right choice isn't the moral one and that his reason for not telling him was not wanting to dirty Jake's hands. Seemingly understanding Hiroto's reasoning, Jake contacts Misaki and is shocked to learn of her location.
Samantha mentions Jake when she asks Misaki if she has talked to him, and she confirms it. When Tozawa arrives at the predetermined destination, he asks where Jake is, and she answers that he hasn't arrived yet, but when he does, he'll be led to a room where he'll meet him. Pleased to hear it, Tozawa claims that her love for him must have been so great.
Soon, Jake arrives with Hiroto and waves at Misaki. Upon trying to enter the place Tozawa was in, he stopped by Hiroto, who suggested they wait. Jake does so alongside Samantha.
When the Yakuza leaders exit the restaurant, Kazuko approaches Jake and informs him that she gave him the tape. She does this to keep her husband in check and to avoid what had occurred there that day. Before leaving Jake, Kazuko claims that she holds him responsible for her husband's death. Hagino then arrives and reports that a dead body was found in the restaurant to Hiroto, and he, alongside Jake, investigates it. Upon entering the place, Jake tries to take a picture of Tozawa's corpse, but Hiroto stops Jake, claiming there's the story he wants to write and the story he has to write.
That night, Jake visits Tin-Tin. After the two talk, Jake runs into Trendy, who confronts him for revealing to Lynn that Jason was their source. Because of this, Trendy severs his ties with Jake.
The following afternoon, Jake spends some time with Misaki, who decides to break up with him. He now wants to live a life outside of the police and Yakuza. This experience left Jake looking dejected.
Visiting Hiroto, who was now retired, Jake shows him the paper he wrote about Tozawa's death being covered, which he already knew because he was a subscriber. They talk about various things, like how Jake felt about how it all ended and what Hiroto will do from now on since he's in retirement. Finally, they talk about a breathing technique used in Zen meditation. Jake tries it himself, but is unable to do it for long as he has to take a leak. Before leaving, he challenges Hiroto to try himself, which he does, but he isn't able to get far, which he laughs off. 
==Appearances==
:;Season One
*The Test
*Kishi Kaisei
*Read the Air
*I Want It That Way
*Everybody Pays
*The Information Business
*Sometimes They Disappear
*Yoshino
:;Season Two
*Don't Ever F**king Miss
*Be My Number One'
*Old Law, New Twist'
*Like a New Man
*Illness of the Trade
*I Choose You
*The War at Home
*The Noble Path
*Consequences
*Endgame
==Trivia==
* Jake Adelstein of the Tokyo Vice Max Series is based on the real-life person Joshua Lawrence "Jake" Adelstein.
* Unlike the real Jake Adelstein, whose birthday is March 28th, the Tokyo Vice's Jake Adelstein was born on December 8th.
==Gallery==
Tokyo Vice.jpeg|Official Promotional image
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==References==
Category:Characters