True Crime Japan: Thieves, Rascals, Killers and Dope Heads: True Stories from a Japanese Courtroom
by Paul Murphy
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Description
"A middle-aged carpenter beats his 91-year old mother to death and goes to work the following day, leaving the body for his wife to find. An 82-year old woman is jailed for 10 months for stealing fried chicken. Like nearly all defendants in Japan, they both plead guilty. What happens between plea and sentencing is the subject of True Crime Japan. In this fascinating crime book journalist and longtime Japan resident Paul Murphy provides a glimpse of Japanese society through a year's worth of show more criminal court cases in Matsumoto, a city 140 miles to the west of Tokyo. The defendants in these cases range from ruthless mobsters to average citizens, often committing similar crimes in rather different ways, and for different reasons. Based on court hearings and interviews with the defendants, their families, neighbors and lawyers--Murphy explores not only the motives of offenders, but the culture of crime and punishment in Japan. The resulting true crime book provides a lens through which to view this honor-shame based, conformist culture, and shows how, in its role within that culture, the court system reveals Japan to be, surprisingly to some, a land of true individuals"-- show lessTags
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I found this book very interesting. An inside view of a Japanese courtroom. Paul Murphy follows several different cases and compares to western system of justice. Many of his comparisons are to Irish and British law, but he does look at the US as well. I was interested in the Japanese legal system and this is a good look at that.
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1 Work 35 Members
Paul Murphy is an award-winning journalist. His articles and reports about Japan have appeared in the Japan Times, International Herald Tribune/New York Times, Mainichi Daily News, Irish Times and RT's Prime Time television program, among others. He is currently a reporter for the RT Investigations Unit in Dublin.
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, Politics and Government, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 364.10952 — Society, government, & culture Social problems and social services Crime Criminal offenses
- LCC
- HV7112 .J37 .M87 — Social sciences Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology Crimes and criminal classes
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 37
- Popularity
- 781,054
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.79)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 2
- ASINs
- 1
