![]() ![]() ![]() Pointing toward a building in construction, Adelstein reveals, “That used to be the legendary Ai Hoten, a pioneer host club since its opening in 1971.” It shut down in 2020 after 50 years of operation but has relocated to another venue in Kabukicho. Try not to ask him about the murder it might stress him out, but if you do, do tip him well,” adds Adelstein. Yasu, the bartender will make you a mean martini. “He now works in Union Square, a bar in Roppongi. ![]() Walking together in Kabukicho, Adelstein shares how, by sheer dumb luck, he once found a witness of a murder case, and the guy turned out to be his favoruite bartender at a bar named Propaganda in Roppongi. Because, in the 90s, it was unheard of to have an American crime reporter in Tokyo who was fluent in Japanese.” Café Parisienne serves cake, coffee, and plates of omurice.Īdelstein remarks, “While working on the crime beat, I would just walk into the cafe and pretend to read an English newspaper, and eavesdrop to get intel on the nefarious plots, and none of the yakuzas ever doubted me. One-quarter the size now, remodelled, and a few name changes later, Café Parisienne is still located in the Furin Kaikan building, and serves cake, coffee, and plates of omurice (a Japanese comfort dish of egg fried rice topped with a rolled omelette finished with ketchup). Incidentally, this cafe also doubled as a DMZ for the yakuza. Smack dab in the middle of Kabukicho street was a sprawling cafe serving nothing exotic, just cake by slices and coffee. I travel back in time to 1999, an unspoken era when more than 20 yakuza organisations were muscling to be on top, and the heady mix of cigarette smoke, izakaya, yakitori, and mad adrenaline swept through the streets. ![]()
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