TOKYO, Jan 26 (The People) - Leaving the ultramodern neon-lit streets behind us, we are entering Eastern Tokyo and getting close to an area called San’ya.
This cheap housing district has the fame of the city’s slums, but the truth is that it used to give shelter to day laborers who came to the city to claim menial jobs and were paid by the hour.
We are now in the Kabuki-chō district. In an otherwise extremely law-obedient country, this district is considered among the seediest you can find. Not only does it harbor abundant criminal activity; it is also home to many Yakuza gangs, Japan’s organized crime syndicates. ...continue reading