Glossary of Key Characters

There are some fifty characters and therefore some fifty names in this book, many of whom only make one appearance, like the yakuza representative who was involved in nuclear decontamination work in Fukushima Prefecture or many of the men who either volunteered for or received services from a local nonprofit organization. Although I could have eliminated many of these characters or given them generic pseudonyms (A, B, C, D), I have decided to retain their proper, albeit fictitious, names throughout the text. The oftentimes bewildering number of characters is part of the social scene of San’ya, where up to forty men might be gathered at once in an alleyway. But more importantly, this book has been expressly written to restore a sense of singularity to an area of Tokyo that does not appear on maps and whose population has been consigned to an anonymous death. Repeating that which I write against would have been unconscionable. Instead, I offer this glossary of the main characters in the book so that the reader may revert to this section when in doubt.

Akira: A former demolition worker, right-wing emperorist, and professional extortionist for the now-defunct Nibikikai yakuza organization, Akira was my main interlocutor in San’ya. Long ago, Akira was convicted of manslaughter, and upon his release from jail, he joined the yakuza until his membership in the organization was suspended on account of infighting. After being diagnosed with a brain tumor, Akira was finally forced to go on welfare. I first met him at a local nonprofit organization in San’ya, where he spent his time volunteering. No one at the nonprofit knew of his past.

Kentarō: A burly no-nonsense worker who ensured the availability of work for everyone through his connections and presence at construction sites. Possessing a hefty upper body with hands worn, swollen, and heavy from decades of work, Kentarō had been dubbed the “silverback” of the group on account of his streak of white hair. But Kentarō was also one of the most hardened gamblers in the group, and for this reason, he had also been nicknamed the “Paul Newman of Japan.”

Matsuda: The crafty, burlesque, and meth-driven street-level labor broker (tehaishi) for his own group of workers, the Matsuda-group, over the years, Matsuda had developed quite a reputation in San’ya, not only with other workers and the yakuza but with the police, for whom he did the occasional favor by resolving disputes. Matsuda was engaged in the decontamination of radiation in Fukushima Prefecture, among other semilegal, questionable pursuits, and he made a practice of slashing his worker’s wages by a more than unfair amount.

Nē-san: Takeda-san’s partner, whom everyone called “Nē-san” (lit., “older sister”), as one does in the yakuza world to refer to the caretaking partner of a senior male figure, during get-togethers at Takeda-san and Nē-san’s apartment, Nē-san would sit in seiza (knees bent underneath her) in the tiny bedroom adjacent to the living room, occasionally making food, adding it to a table already decked out with all kinds of dishes, drinks, and ashtrays. She would overturn this image of docility with a sarcastic, quick-witted humor that knew nothing of decency.

Rikiishi: Nicknamed the “gorilla” (gorira) on account of his tremendous upper body, swelling forearms, and hands with stubbly fingers the size of salt shakers, Rikiishi was bodyguard, junior, and underling to the lean and elegant Takeda-san. Once Rikiishi was set off in a fight, there was no stopping him, but by this same token, Rikiishi could be counted on to come to one’s aid, unlike anyone else.

Saruma: The salaryman-gone-insolvent cousin of Suzuki and Kentarō, unversed in the ways of San’ya, this former businessman and company boss’s insistent manners did “not agree with” San’ya. Much as Saruma complained with good intentions, his voice assumed a self-righteous tone that did not sit well with many.

Shōkawa: A veteran ironworker, former member of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, and Kentarō’s closest drinking buddy, Shōkawa had the strongest Miyakojima accent in the group. After mourning his mother’s death, Shōkawa turned to gambling illegally on boats and was arrested. Less than a year later, Shōkawa was back in detention, having embroiled Akira in a fight against an adversary who would not drop suit.

Suzuki: A relative newcomer to San’ya, Suzuki had come to occupy the position of a street-level labor broker (tehaishi) through his affiliation with his older brother, Kentarō, who had worked in San’ya for decades. An inveterate drinker, successful womanizer, and braggart who spoke of how he had become “famous in this town” after rumors spread of his prowess at fighting, Suzuki had a genuinely kind side. Until his demise, he acted as broker for the group of workers known as the Okinawa-gang.

Takeda-san: Eminently graceful, self-effacing, and humble, Takeda-san occupied the place of authority and hospitality in San’ya. His personage had assumed mythical proportions in the district, both on account of his past in the upper echelons of the Fukuoka yakuza and because of his three missing fingers, which had been severed five times to take the blame for those below him. (Yakuza members often cut their fingers to compensate for infractions committed against the organization’s rules.) Together with his partner, Nē-san, Takeda-san welcomed all and sundry home for endless meals and drinking.

Yamamori: A man who shows that he has been in the yakuza for years by allowing his traditional, elbow-length tattoos to emerge from below the sleeves of his shirt, Yamamori was an incorrigible gambler, oftentimes driven by meth, always upping the stakes, and a bad boy of intimidation and vulgar ostentation. The arrogance and threatening display of yakuza affiliation that Yamamori took such pleasure in enacting was precisely the kind of behavior that could land him in serious trouble with other prominent figures in San’ya, like Rikiishi or Kentarō.