Jake Adelstein

**Jake Adelstein** is an American journalist from Missouri who moved out to Tokyo. He becomes involved in the city's underworld and begins investigating the Japanese Yakuza, a criminal organization, as part of the Vice Squad. His involvement with the Yakuza leads him to become close with Hiroto Katagiri and his family, but also puts him in danger as he becomes a target of the Tozawa and Chihara-Kai, rival factions within the Yakuza. As he delves deeper into the corruption and strange deaths occurring in Japan, Jake finds himself in a difficult position.

## Biography

### Joining the Meicho Shimbun Newspaper

Jake is determined to solve these cases and starts to investigate them on his own. He visits Jin Miyamoto, a man with connections to the criminal underworld, for help. Miyamoto is initially resistant to helping Jake, but eventually agrees in exchange for advice on how to pick up women. During their investigation, they stop at a club where Jake meets a young woman who is singing there. The two hit it off, but it quickly becomes clear that the woman is a prostitute and is only talking to Jake because he is buying her drinks.

After visiting the club, Miyamoto takes Jake to another one to continue their investigation and test his theory on picking up women. Miyamoto tells Jake that the key to understanding the criminal underworld in Japan is to understand that there are no murders, even when they appear to be so. When Jake questions this, Miyamoto explains that although some events may seem like murders, the Police classify them as manslaughter or other forms of homicide, but never as murder. Their conversation is interrupted when Miyamoto is called away to deal with a man who eventually sets himself on fire. Jake is shocked to find the logo of the loan-shark company on the matchbox of the man who set himself alight.

Jake takes the information about the murder to Emi, but she dismisses him and tells him to focus on his assigned story. Despite this, Jake visits the Police to try and obtain a copy of the report on the man who set himself on fire. He bribes them with bottles of alcohol and is successful in his efforts. Jake then visits the wife of the man and she plays him a voicemail left by the Yakuza. She tells Jake that her husband was trying to protect her from the Yakuza, but the high interest rates on their loan drove them into debt. After the man killed himself, the Yakuza stopped asking for the money.

### Involvement with the Police

Jake continues to investigate the Yakuza and their involvement in the murder cases. He discovers that they often use loan sharks to force people into debt, which can lead to them being pressured into doing illegal activities for the Yakuza or even committing suicide. Jake is determined to expose the truth and bring justice for the victims.

To gather more information, Jake turns to a Yakuza member, Jin Miyamoto, for help. Miyamoto is initially hesitant to assist Jake, but eventually agrees to help in exchange for advice on how to pick up women. Jake and Miyamoto visit a club and Jake meets a young woman who is singing there. Jake and the woman seem to hit it off, but it quickly becomes clear that she is a prostitute and is only talking to Jake because he is buying her drinks.

As Jake continues to investigate the Yakuza, he becomes a target for both the Tozawa and Chihara-Kai clans. He is warned by Hitoro to be careful and not get too involved in the dangerous world of the Yakuza. Despite the risks, Jake remains determined to expose the truth and bring justice for the victims.

## Appearances

Season One
* *The Test*
* *Kishi Kaisei*
* *Read the Air*