Jake Adelstein, an American who spend 12 years as a reporter from the Yomiuri Shinbun, has written an article for the Washington Post in which he recounts his experiences with yakuza gang members:

Most Americans think of Japan as a law-abiding and peaceful place, as well as our staunch ally, but reporting on the underworld gave me a different perspective. Mobs are legal entities here. Their fan magazines and comic books are sold in convenience stores, and bosses socialize with prime ministers and politicians. And as far as the United States is concerned, Japan may be refueling U.S. warships at sea, but it’s not helping us fight our own battles against organized crime — a realization that led to my biggest scoop.

His biggest scoop? A story about the FBI helping a yakuza boss come to American for an organ transplant in exchange for some information on yakuza front groups operating in the States. The scoop led to threats from gangsters and his eventual resignation from the Yomiuri Shinbun.

Adelstein’s article is highly critical of Japanese law enforcement, and he clearly thinks they could do a better job of cracking down on organized crime and sharing information with their American counterparts. Despite claims that gangsters are out to get him, Adelstein plans to release a tell-all book later this year.