Yakuza gang boss's daughter tells tale of gritty triumph

"Yakuza Moon" is a shocking story of the side of Japan most Japanese would prefer the rest of the world never knew about.

But thanks to Kodansha International, yakuza gang boss's daughter Shoko Tendo's best-selling autobiography is now out in English and accessible to a wider audience.

Tendo has a gut-wrenching tale that drags the reader with her down into the depths of misery brought on by abuse and addiction and then back up again as self-confidence raises her to the heights of her chosen profession as a bar hostess and onward to further challenges.

"I'm thoroughly honored and left speechless with joy that my book has been translated into English. But, there was nothing special about my experiences, they were all worries and problems that just about anybody can go through. I was born a yakuza's daughter and raised in a yakuza lifestyle (with yakuza philosophies). This could sometimes be painful and a burden. But my father, a yakuza living on the fringes of society, told it to me straight -- no matter how poor you are, sometimes there are things in this world that money just can't buy. I think what my father said to me on his deathbed -- 'Shoko, believe in yourself' -- said it all," Tendo told the Mainichi Daily News in an e-mail interview.

"And you should never stop dreaming. You should keep after them until they come true. Then, they stop being dreams and become reality. I had no formal education, but dreamed of being a writer from the time I was small and I eventually became a writer, a fact I believe was possible because of my father's teaching. I'm glad that I was plucked into this world as the daughter of a yakuza father and the woman who silently supported that father from the shadows, and I feel proud about that. Now my book is in English, I would be delighted if it were able to help those suffering from the same worries I had to go through to take even a single step forward."

"Yakuza Moon" tracks 38-year-old Osaka-born Tendo's life from her early years where her status as a yakuza gang boss's daughter started her roller-coaster ride through luxury, bullying, discrimination, domestic violence and reform school. It moves on to her time as a teen biker gang moll sucking on first paint thinner and then shooting up speed, a substance that later become an addiction fostered by one of the many brutal thugs she shares her life with in early adulthood.

More vicious beatings, exploitation by infidel men, rape, miscarriage and heartbreak follow. Reconciliation with her parents is tempered by grief at their deaths. Mental illness and a suicide attempt add to the already bleak picture. But as "Yakuza Moon" is written with such candor and huge investment of emotion, it's impossible to desert Tendo and put her book down.

Shoko Tendo (courtesy of Kodansha International)

Fortunately, inner strength, the support of friends, family and the Jigoku Dayu -- a traditional courtesan tattoo Tendo has etched on her back that seems to empower her -- combine to help the yakuza's daughter rip-start her life anew.

Tendo's Japan is a far cry from the Japan National Tourist Organization-like brochure images of dark-suited salarymen corporate warriors, flamboyant kabuki actors or dainty, demure, kimono-clad beauties performing flower arrangements and tea ceremonies. Instead, it's a warts-and-all story of the gritty triumph of a -- perhaps unconsciously -- powerful woman that should not be missed by anybody interested in learning about a rarely seen side of Japan. It's certainly not a side of this country many Japanese would like outsiders to see, but one they obviously wanted a glimpse of themselves, judging by the 11 printings "Yakuza Moon" has undergone in Japanese since its release in 2004.

Special mention should also go to Louise Heal, whose English translation is outstanding, especially with the dialogue, which comes as close as possible to recreating Tendo's native Kansai dialect.

Tendo's "Yakuza Moon" is one that shines brilliantly whatever the time of day. (By Ryann Connell)