The Dark Side
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| The Cover of The Dark Side |
Mark Schreiber does it again with this very interesting historical romp through the most sensational expose on crime and punishment in Japan. Beginning with the Edo Period (1603-18-68) and ending with the Modern era (our own), this book is a very interesting discussion on how Japan deals with crime. A text that boasts to be full of samurai, yakuza, anarchists, femme fatales, and cult leaders this book is a great read for those interested in the hidden world of Japanese society.
This book takes us through quite a bit of material, and for first-time readers of crime in Japan, this is an excellent beginning. Schreiber takes some time to discuss some of the methods and styles that Japanese officials use to capture, interrogate, and punish criminals. These accounts are quite interesting and historically accurate. You can certainly see how much attention the author has paid his subject.
After setting the stage with some historical background, Schreiber takes us through a series of stories ranging from the famous Japanese Robin Hood, Nezumi Kozo Jirokichi, to some of the first foreign experiences of living in Japan in the late 1800's, to the wild Devil Bear Iwabuchi who eluded police for days, to the accounts of Japan's most nefarious serial killer, Mutsuo Toi. This book also has some amazing accounts of some of the most brash crimes that I have ever heard of such as the poisoning of 12 employees at the Teikoku Bank during a robbery and the Japanese version of the Lorraina Bobbit incident of Sada Abe.
A rollicking read that you will never find in the heavily censored historical textbooks of Japan made for Japanese students. Published in 2001, this book is produced as a hard cover book, is beautifully designed, and a pleasure to read. Highly recommended.
Mark Groenewold
Kanazawa, Japan
December, 2002
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