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Summary: A review of "Speed Tribes"
Review: "I realized that the Japan I had been writing about as a reporter and magazine editor had nothing to do with the Japan I was living. I had overlooked the gritty, sexy, real Japan" The dazzling variety of new youth subcultures and rich pop cultures emerging as a result of the Bubble Economy prosperity". (Greenfeld, prologue, xiv) In his book, "Speed Tribes: Days and Nights with Japan's Next Generation", author, Karl Taro Greenfeld has unearthed a fascinating cluster of Japanese youth that he refers to as "Speed Tribes", a direct translation of the Japanese "Bosozoku", youthful delinquent Japanese gangs, notoriously characterized by their noisy hopped-up motorcycles and turbo powered hot rods. Greenfeld asserts that hidden deep beneath Japan's traditional "kimono-clad" skin exists the discontent rebellious "real" Japan, lacking its values in the wake of the "Baburu" economy. Greenfeld implies that Japan is caught in the midst of a subcultural revolution. After a five-year plunge deep into the heart of Tokyo's cultural subterrain, he emerged with a line on its components; the Yakuza (mafia-types), political right wing Uyoku, computer hacking Otaku, to name a few. He illustrates how each component plays its own role in the exploitation of Japan's generation gap. Greenfeld makes the case that a growing generation gap is irrefutable. "The twenty-five million Japanese between the ages of fifteen and thirty-five are a far cry from their generational predecessors, the shinjinrui" (baby boomers) he says. (Greenfeld, prologue, xiv) He points out that because it is no longer fashionable to think politically in Japan, many Todai Sei (Tokyo University students) lack any interest in politics whatsoever. He explains that today, college students would sooner drink beer and watch baseball.(Greenfeld, p.154) He goes on to describe a large population of youth as larcenous, glue-sniffing street punks, notorious for stealing motorcycles in and around Tokyo in protest of traditional society. Ironically, he explains, these are the children of the industrialists, executives, and laborers who built modern Japan.(Greenfeld, prologue, xiv) Through Greenfeld's elaborations, it appears that modern Japanese youth are drafting their own set of values. "Family values such as unity, cohesion, and diligence were cracking right down the middle".(Greenfeld, p.22) Through their own invention of values, Bodi-con girls are exploiting their feminine sexual appeal as a means of "coping with male dominated society.(Greenfeld, p.125) In tokyo's Ueno Park, the Yakuza and their subordinates have successfully sullied the sacred Meiji Shrine by using its steps as one of the country's most prodigious drug bazaars. Political right wing Uyoku effectively extort money from nearly every major corperation. These "speed tribes" are by no means the "quaint picture-postcard Japan of tea ceremonies, sumo wrestlers, rock gardens, and Kabuki".(Greenfeld, prologue, xiv) Although Greenfeld provides an intriguing tour deep into the pit of Japanese underground subculture, his purpose seems somehow unconvincing. Begging the question, he leads the reader to believe that the Bubble Economy is ultimately responsible for the spawning of such groups as the Yakuza, Bosozoku, and virtually any other entity outside the sphere of traditional Japanese traditional culture. Although much of what Greenfeld says does ring true, pinning the proverbial tail of the rebellious "real" Japan squarely on a relative snap shot of the country's long history is an attempt of grossly oversimplify the cultural issues of a complex Japan. Although I'm not necessarily doubtful of Greenfeld's knowledge and insight of the secret workings and dealings of modern Japanese subculture, his lack of a bibliography leaves this work wide open to skepticism. His detailed narrations of the activities behind closed doors of beedrooms and back-room chicanery raised questions. There were occasions while reading this book that I found myself in self-debate; were these the real life names and faces of gangsters, punks, and porn stars? Despite my differences with the book, it provided some interesting content. I have long been fascinated by the Bosozoku and was enlightenen to learn of their link with the Japanese mafia. The fact that approximately Forty percent of these young men are much more than just juvenile delinquents, but destined to be life-long Yakuza is probably what I found to be most interesting. Overall, "Speed Tribes" has broadened my perception of Japanese people and made me a better student of their culture. I recommend it as a must-read, not only to fellow students of Japanese history and culture, but to anyone planning to spend much time in Japan.
Rating:
Summary: Almost uniformly excellent
Review: An occasionally awkward blend of reportage and fact-based fiction about Japan's own Generation X. I lived in Japan for three years, and although I never encountered any people of the type revealed in these vignettes, nothing I read in these pages conflicts with my own understanding of Japanese society. The final section, about a computer-obsessed otaku, is an unfortunate way to end the book. It's speculations on the melding of man and machine are overdone; furthermore, it falls back on the old cliche of attributing whatever aspect of Japanese culture is under discussion to the Japanese' lack of a strict prescriptive system of morality. However, Greenfield's book is very strong when his focus is narrowed to the motivations and activities of individuals.
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Summary: See modern Japan from this unqiue viewpoint
Review: Author Karl Taro Greenfeld had a job working in Japan in the late 80s, writing for Japan's largest English-language newspaper. Tiring of his tech and real estate reports, he turned his writing to the evolution of modern Japan during the "bubble" ecomony. He was able to observe first-hand the growth and decadence of youth culture during this vibrant period. Greenfeld touches upon the clash between Western influence and traditional Japanese culture. His blend of fiction and non-fiction take us along with a group of Japanese and foreign young people trying to find their place in present-day Japan. Facets explored include gang culture, the porn industry, drug trafficking, the vast industry of stolen motorcycles, and many more aspects not normally reported upon in the West.
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Summary: Very interesting, but somewhat disjointed...
Review: I had thought the book was supposed to be an analysis of one particular portions of the sub cultures of Japan, the speed tribes; however, the book looks at many different sub cultures that are not 'traditional japanese' culture. Very interesting, and informative, but I would have preferred more investigation in many areas.
Rating: 
Summary: I Wish I Had Written It First!
Review: I read this book with less than a year in Japan under my belt and thought, Wow, it seems like Greenfield is living in a different Japan than I am! In retrospect, I was right. Greenfield is living in the Japan of his imagination, a Gibson-esque Japan that most people in the West willingly mistake for the real Japan. The book is not a BAD read as it is reasonably well-paced and filled with characters that fulfill every popular stereotype of Japan. The book's problem lies in its attempt to masquerade as hard-hitting investigative journalism. Greenfield is a guy who has obviously spent alot of time in Roppongi and parlayed a few sordid tales he picked up late night in Wall Street into a cash cow (relatively speaking). In other words, this book is all anecdote and no factual substance. The one story I felt had the ring of truth was the one about the elevator girl who takes some e and shags a gaijin. Now there's a Tokyo story for ya! Although in four-plus years in Japan I have yet to see an attractive elevator girl . . . And one more thing: bousou does not mean speed! It's more about recklessness, being out of control! Insubstantial fluff. I wish I had written it.
Rating:
Summary: I Wish I Had Written It First!
Review: I read this book with less than a year in Japan under my belt and thought, Wow, it seems like Greenfield is living in a different Japan than I am! In retrospect, I was right. Greenfield is living in the Japan of his imagination, a Gibson-esque Japan that most people in the West willingly mistake for the real Japan. The book is not a BAD read as it is reasonably well-paced and filled with characters that fulfill every popular stereotype of Japan. The book's problem lies in its attempt to masquerade as hard-hitting investigative journalism. Greenfield is a guy who has obviously spent alot of time in Roppongi and parlayed a few sordid tales he picked up late night in Wall Street into a cash cow (relatively speaking). In other words, this book is all anecdote and no factual substance. The one story I felt had the ring of truth was the one about the elevator girl who takes some e and shags a gaijin. Now there's a Tokyo story for ya! Although in four-plus years in Japan I have yet to see an attractive elevator girl . . . And one more thing: bousou does not mean speed! It's more about recklessness, being out of control! Insubstantial fluff. I wish I had written it.
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Summary: Another view of Japan
Review: In today's literature, there seems to be two prevailing view of Japan:
1 - Japan Inc: Once monolithic, but now of lost luster.
2 - Lost Culture: The land of disappearing kimonos and bonsai trees This book provides another slice of reality - an eerie behind the scenes look at the lost generation of young Japanese not buying in to dreams of being a salaryman. It's a Japan that is not frequently written about in the West. The angst is real amongst the young, though. Is it truth or fiction? If it's not true, it could be. I suspect the interviews are real, or at least the stories have a basis in fact. Teenagers peddling false drugs... Motorcyclists speeding through town on noisy bikes... Office ladies more interested in gai-jin that nihon-jin... These stories all exist. It takes a good storyteller to bring them out.
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Summary: A Wonderful Book That Shows the Other Side of Japan!
Review: Okay let's get this out of the way first. To all the American expatriates who are living (or have lived) in Japan, who have stated that this book is a pitiful work of fiction, I must tell you that you are the ones who are deluded. The truth is that Japan is not always the picturesque storybook that you blindly bought into. Most Americans fail to see the seedy underbelly of this magnificent country, and will therefore never get a full understanding of Japanese society as a whole. Yes, this book deals with a minority of the population, but that makes it all the more important. For it is the minority that rarely gets a platform from which to tell their tale. Or in this case, have their tale told. Having said that, this book does a fine job of showing the different aspects of the Japan that we rarely see as gaijin. This book is a great follow-up to Christopher Seymour's Yakuza Diary: Doing Time in the Japanese Underworld. Where Seymour stuck to the Yakuza alone, Greenfeld takes a look at many different aspects of the Japanese underworld. You owe it to yourself to read this great book.
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Summary: what amuses me...
Review: Speed Tribes served as an interesting snippet of Japanese youth culture in the late 80's. This book certainly spanned the gambit. Greenfeld's topics ranged from street racing motorcycle cliques to a socio-philosophical chapter regarding the Japanese fascination with technology. Although lacking in any far-reaching theory on Japanese society, Greenfeld did write a series of interesting stories and anecdotes, some rife with humor, while others maintained a slightly melancholy vibe. But, it was hard to accept his book as much more than simple stories. It lacked any kind of journalistic bite. The book read like a pseudo-compilation of tales regurgitated on to the printed page, following late-night booze sessions in some Tokyo bar. All in all, it is a three star book. It is something to read. However, it is not shelf worthy material. Pick it up at the library, don't buy it.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: The back cover copy should read something like "Greenfeld reprints so-so interviews with his friends (real and imaginary) in a manner that shows you that this book is messily taped together."
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