Tokyo Underworld: A Look Inside Yakuza Culturebr Japan Society - Japan Societybr Robert Whiting has written a number of books on Japan, including You Gotta Have Wa, The Meaning of Ichiro and Tokyo Underworld, which is being developed as a series for HBO. In this lecture, Whiting addresses the intractable role of yakuza in virtually all areas of modern day society in Japan. He discusses the sequel to Tokyo Underworld that he is writing, shares insights into the genesis of the HBO project and talks about the recent National Geographic documentary Crime Lords of Tokyo, in which he appeared.