The closer we get to our rendezvous point, the less what we see around looks like the Japan we think we know – the most technologically advanced nation with a space exploration program and the world’s fastest experimental magnetic levitation trains capable of travelling up to 370 mph; a country that has developed robots to assist the elderly and to work on radioactively contaminated sites. Japanese corporations are among the leaders on the global scene. We all know that Japanese cars, watches, cameras and musical instruments are of top quality. Japan is a leader in terms of life expectancy that exceeds 84 years. It is the third-largest economy in the world by nominal GDP even though the country has next to no mineral resources and a tiny territory, and only 30% of it is habitable. So how come that this advanced nation is also home to some very serious organized crime? Leaving the ultramodern neon-lit streets behind us, we are entering Eastern Tokyo and getting close to an area calle