Japanese Yakuza Story
CRYSTAL BUDDHA: Sake, Drugs & Rock'n'Roll in Tokyo
- A Tokyo crime book by Jason Webb

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Just who does Jack Dempsey come up against in CRYSTAL BUDDHA: Sake, Drugs & Rock'n'Roll in Tokyo? Is it the Japanese mafia, better known as the Yakuza, or is it some other element of Tokyo's criminal underworld?

There's a stereotype attached to Japan, and most certainly to Tokyo, that almost every major city is under the influence of organised crime syndicates in some way, normally through the control of entertainment establishments like bars, clubs, and massage parlours. The Yakuza are the main criminal element that people associate with Japan, although there are also apparently Chinese, Korean, Thai, and African gangs at work there. The Kabukicho area of Shinjuku, Tokyo, where a lot of CRYSTAL BUDDHA takes place, was once heavily under the control of the Yakuza. However, the government and police mounted efforts to drive them out. Unfortunately, this has apparently allowed the foreign gangs to gain greater control, and it's now common to see Chinese and African touts on the streets of Kabukicho.

Jack Dempsey and his band, Crystal Buddha, run into trouble with a crooked Japanese record label owner who also owns a number of nightclubs, one of which is in Kabukicho. Does this mean that this man is a member of the Tokyo underworld? Well, he's certainly a criminal, he's certainly connected, and he's certainly a part of some organised crime syndicate. For Jack and his friends though, as strangers in Tokyo, they can't help but assume the worst about this Japanese criminal who is preying upon them. Are they about to become part of their own Japanese Yakuza story?

CRYSTAL BUDDHA: Sake, Drugs & Rock'n'Roll in Tokyo is actually a combination of two of my favourite things: music and Japan. The story of a naive London rock band's trip to Tokyo to record an album and play a series of gigs was one that captivated me and provided lots of opportunities for drama.

Tokyo has a fabulous live music scene around Shibuya, but also has a darker side in Shinjuku's notorious "adult entertainment" district of Kabukicho. This contrast of locations within the city gives an interesting edge to this Tokyo story, and I hope that it'll strike a chord with those who live in or have visited Tokyo as well as those who haven't.

When I started writing the story, I knew that I didn't want it to be stereotypical and I didn't want it to have a fantasy manga or anime feel. I wanted it to be so realistic that you wouldn't know whether you were reading a true story or fiction. As I'm primarily based in the UK, I figured that the best way to accurately portray Japan in my novel was to travel to Tokyo to research some of the locations around Shinjuku and Shibuya myself. I also took that opportunity to write some of the book whilst fully immersed in the Tokyo atmosphere, as I stared out over the Shinjuku skyline. And, yes, I did see some Yakuza in Tokyo as I walked the streets of Kabukicho one evening in the rain with a Japanese friend. The obligatory "big, black car" was parked outside a club and a man in a suit held an umbrella over the head of another man who was getting out of the car and heading inside. "Ooo, look," my friend said, "Yakuza!"

I really do hope you enjoy reading CRYSTAL BUDDHA: Sake, Drugs & Rock'n'Roll in Tokyo as much as I enjoyed researching and writing it, and I hope that it satisifies your craving for a Japanese crime story.

Jason Webb

In the summer of 2009, Jack Dempsey took his band, Crystal Buddha, to Tokyo, Japan to record an album and play some gigs. The trip was supposed to have been the start of big things for the four London rockers. The kids in Tokyo loved British bands and he was sure that Crystal Buddha would win them over.

What Jack hadn't bargained on was attracting the attention of some of Tokyo's criminal underworld. However, before long, he'd discovered just how persistent these underworld operators could be when there was something they wanted.

The incidents that followed would take Jack from the streets of Shibuya to Shinjuku's notorious Kabukicho district as they threatened not only the the future of Crystal Buddha and the album, but also the safety of the band members themselves.

"Tells it how it really happened" - Jack Dempsey - Crystal Buddha

"A good lesson for all bands" - Yoyogi Park Rangers

"Crystal Buddha rock!" - Shinji Ibuka

"Have you seen my rucksack?" - Kari Lacey - Crystal Buddha

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If you prefer, you can support your local bookshop and order it from there by quoting this 13 digit ISBN Number: 978-1-4461-3595-2 or this 10 digit ISBN Number: 1446135950.

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