American Maverick in Japan

About the Book

I first met Richard Roa in the fall of 1989. I was in the middle of researching Tokyo Underworld and someone had suggested I interview him because he knew the main character of the book, Nick Zapetti, and also because he worked for a time as a consultant to the Toa-Sogo Kigyo, a real-estate/leisure outfit based in Roppongi, which was, in fact, a transmogrification of the infamous Tokyo gang, the Tosei-kai, a yakuza organization which occupied another major part of the book.

My scheduled two-hour interview with Rick Roa metastasized into several lengthy Q&A session because the stories this man had to tell were so damned interesting, starting with the chilling tale he told of being caught in a Tokyo mob run clip joint and what he had to do to get his money back.

There was more-his hilarious tale of the American Train venture, his experiences as a bartender in the Ginza's most exclusive (and expensive) hostess club, his adventures with Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston in Japan. But, unfortunately, I could not use much of the material because it did not impact directly on the central thesis of Underworld, which dealt with the corrupt side of the U.S.-Japan relationship. But I always thought that it would make a good book one day, and lo and behold, here it is.

I'm sure readers will enjoy this book as much as I did.

Robert Whiting,
Kamakura, 2004
Author of The Tokyo Underworld

About the Author

Tony Teora lived in Japan from 1994?2004. He currently lives in La Jolla, San Diego. He has known Rick Roa for many years. ?Rick?s life is so mind-boggling and heart-warming that putting it together in the American Maverick in Japan was like riding a jet roller coaster through downtown Tokyo with your best friend.? Tony Teora is a science fiction writer and an entrepreneur in the computer industry. To see other books from Tony Teora please see his website at www.tonyteora.com. You can also email Tony Teora at: Tony@TonyTeora.com.