Jake Adelstein's dogged reporting on Japan's organised crime earned him a nemesis in Tadamasa Goto, one of the most powerful Yakuza bosses in the country. When Jake's life was on the line, he found protection in surprising places
Apr 2026
Encore: David Malouf on growing up in Brisbane and his life of letters
Award-winning Australian author, poet and essayist David Malouf died last week at the age of 92, he spoke with Richard in 2014.The first son of a Lebanese family, David spent his early years in South Brisbane, his vivid memories of life as it was then are captured in his classics ... Show More
49 m
Aug 21
A Palestinian family story
Micaela Sahhar grew up hearing stories of her Palestinian family's life in Jerusalem before 1948, and what happened when they had to leave.There was her grandfather’s tourism business, her grandmother’s wedding necklace, and the dramatic circumstances of her father’s birth.Most o ... Show More
50 m
Jul 2025
Kazuo Taoka: The Japanese Godfather
Once a street orphan, Kazuo Taoka rose to become Japan’s most feared yakuza boss—transforming the Yamaguchi-gumi into a criminal empire that blended blood, business, and showbiz. Here's how. Sponsor:shopify.com/casual - start your $1 per month trial today Learn more about your ad ... Show More
2h 30m
Nov 2020
The Yakuza Part 2: The Rise and Fall of Japan's Feared Mafia
In part two of our Yakuza deep dive, we plot their post-war rise from hustlers to corporate raiders - and a smack back down to earth. There are wars, kamikaze assassinations, CIA stings and the growth of the Yamaguchi-gumi, a mob so powerful it has its logo on the door. Learn mor ... Show More
36m 5s
Nov 2012
Yakuza: From Samurai to Slot Machines
<p>The Yakuza trace their lineage back to the 18th century samurai, left masterless following political upheaval, who turned to lives of crime. After centuries, the Yakuza is still going strong, following both tradition and new avenues of illicit revenue.</p><p> </p> Learn more a ... Show More
36m 18s
Feb 2024
The Yakuza Boss Caught Selling Burmese Nuclear Material to Iranian Generals (Sort Of)
You may have seen the news last week, about a Yakuza boss caught in Bangkok trying to sell nuclear material to a fake Iranian general. Takeshi Ebisawa and a group of co-conspirators are behind bars, awaiting extradition to the US, the dopes in a sting operation that could’ve been ... Show More
44m 40s
Nov 2020
The Yakuza Part 1: The Rise and Fall of Japan's Feared Mafia
Is there an organized crime group more iconic than Japan's Yakuza? In part one of two episodes on the group-or web of groups-we plunge into their ancient history, traditions, and how the Second World War made gangs of thieves into multi-billionaire magnates. Oh, and we'll unpack ... Show More
31m 42s
Jul 2022
Murder, corruption, and the mob: How a Chicago mafia lawyer became an undercover informant
This Week on True Crime Daily The Podcast: A former lawyer for the Chicago mob who bribed judges and helped killers walk free goes undercover with the FBI to expose the city’s corruption. Jake Halpern, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and host of the podcast “Deep Cover,” join ... Show More
44m 2s
May 2022
The crime-fighting power of cross-border investigative journalism | Bektour Iskender
Organized crime operates across national borders -- to keep up, investigative journalists need to do the same. TED Fellow Bektour Iskender gives the inside scoop on his efforts to unveil secret, insidious operations in his home country of Kyrgyzstan, and how he worked with a team ... Show More
9m 45s