Confessions of a Yakuza: 浅草博徒一代

Junichi Saga is a doctor practicing in a town northeast of Tokyo. Some time in the late eighties a 73-year-old man came to see him as a patient. His body was covered with elaborate tattoos and he was dying of a liver condition. Intrigued by this man, Dr. Saga cultivated a friendship of sorts over the course of a winter, and recorded hours of conversation with him, knowing he was a rare character with a fascinating history that needed to be documented. These recorded talks provided material for this book about Eiji Ijichi, a traditional yakuza boss for the Dewaya family. It was originally published in 1989 with the title , Asakusa bakuto ichidai, or in the English translated version, The Gambler's Tale. 

I prefer the original title of The Gambler's Tale, as a title like Confessions of a Yakuza seems to promise a bloody tale rife with violence, murder, sex and crime. The crime is there, mostly in the form of illegal gambling and black market dealings, as well as the sex, in non-graphic accounts of brothel adventures, various mistresses, and the desperate stories of women with no rights. But if you're looking for the kind of yakuza violence as depicted in today's media, you won't find it here. 

Ijichi's story takes place in the Tokyo of another era during the 20's, 30's and 40's. This was when apparently a nobler type of yakuza existed, the kind who were always concerned with chivalry and reputation. They lived in the lonely shadows of society under strict gang rules with little glory, and violent measures were taken only when unavoidable. Yakuza in the old days mostly made their living running gambling sessions, not running drugs or prostitution rings like their modern-day counterparts.

I loved the setting of old-time Asakusa and vivid descriptions of the everyday - this is what made me thoroughly enjoy the book and wish for more when it ended. Life in Japan was rough and dirty for most people, the average commoner scratching out a living just to survive in conditions of squalor and disease. Acceptance into a gang provided security, brotherhood and order in a world that was harsh for the lower classes. 

So instead of a Fukasaku-esque bloodfest, we are treated to fascinating details about gamblers and the complexities of yakuza hierarchy. The narrative is straightforward and without self-aggrandizement, told in Ijichi's voice, a man who possessed a strong sense of self even as a teen, growing up in comfortable circumstances with a merchant for a father. It seemed he almost fell into his destiny of the yakuza life, beginning with involvement with the wrong woman (time and again we see his soft spot for women bringing him trouble, ultimately culminating in the loss of his own fingers). This first affair led to leaving home at fifteen and running off to Tokyo. What follows is a life filled with vibrant characters, strong women, gambling, syphilis, the Kanto earthquake, prison, and wartime experiences, followed by the post-WWII chaos of Japan's surrender.

I was left disappointed in only one regard. I kept waiting for the part when Ijichi gets his tattoos, always curious about when/how yakuza get inked and why they choose the designs that end up adorning their bodies, but apart from the introduction, there were no further mentions about this.  

Final note: I'm really drawn to the photo used for the cover of the book (click on above image to enlarge). It was taken by Michio Soejima, who apparently published a book of yakuza portraits that's now a rarity. Soejima's photograph captures an ailing old-time Japanese gang boss literally in the winter of his life, though even in old age he still cuts a striking figure. There's a pensive, inward gaze in his expression as he stands huddled under his umbrella in the snow. With his traditional paper umbrella and wooden geta, he's a figure from the past, one of the last of a dying breed.

I can't find information confirming that the man in this photo is actually Eiji Ijichi, but it's a strong image and represents his story well. 

Confessions of a Yakuza: A Life in Japan's Underworld by Junichi Saga
Translated by John Bester
Illustrated by Susumu Saga
Photography by Michio Soejima
Published by Kodansha International