What time period is Tokyo Vice set in? Explained

Tokyo Vice is a popular crime drama television series that premiered on HBO Max in 2022. Season one aired from April 7 to April 28, 2022, while season two premiered recently on February 8, 2024. The show is created by J. T. Rogers and is an adaptation of a book with the same name, written by Jake Adelstein.

The story is based in the 1990s. It chronicles the life of Jake Adelstein, an American journalist who moves to Tokyo to join a Japanese newspaper. During his stay there, Adelstein discovers the dark side of the capital city.

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Tokyo Vice: Exploring the era where the crime drama takes place

The critically acclaimed series is set in Tokyo in the late-1990s (to be specific, 1999). The 2022 release follows the story of Jake Adelstein, an aspiring journalist seeking employment in a reputed Japanese newspaper. The screenplay for the show is adapted from Jake Aldestein's chilling memoir chronicling his experiences in Tokyo.

The kind of experiences Adelstein had to go through for being the first non-Japanese reporter working for one of Japan's leading newspapers, Yomiuri Shimbun, is the subject matter for Tokyo Vice.

In the show, Adelstein's character is portrayed by actor Ansel Elgort, who is best known for his roles in The Fault in Our Stars, Baby Driver, and West Side Story.

Besides Elgort, Ken Watanabe also plays a significant part as Hiroto Katagiri in Vice City. He is famous for his roles in The Last Samurai, Batman Begins, and Memoirs of a Geisha.

Other prominent actors who feature alongside Elgort and Watanabe include Hideaki Itō, Rachel Keller, Ella Rumpf, Rinko Kikuchi, and Tomohisa Yamashita.

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Tokyo Vice: What do the critics and audiences have to say about the series?

When Tokyo Vice was first released on HBO Max, the show garnered widespread attention among the masses. Not only the audience, but the critics were also pleased with the show.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the show was highly rated. Tokyo Vice's rating on the tomatometer now stands at 85 per cent by the critics and its average audience score is 91 per cent.

Reiterating the events of the show, one of Rotten Tomatoes' top critics Hugo Rifkind from Times UK wrote:

"One of the most unexpected strengths of this show is how well it portrays male friendship, with something oddly sweet sometimes bubbling up between Adelstein and Sata, two young men rising up in very different professions."

Sarah Ward from Concrete Playground, another critic on Rotten Tomatoes, mentioned:

"Getting drawn into this supremely well-made turn-of-the-millennium-set jaunt through Tokyo's underbelly is easy; instantly wanting more, especially from its exceptional Japanese talent, is as well."

Among a list of positive ones, there were a few negative reviews too. Journalist Alison Rowat from The Herald, Scotland wrote:

"The story is different enough to be intriguing. But there is a lot here that seems to get lost in translation. The dialogue is often stilted, the tone all over the place, and Adelstein’s newspaper has the weirdest set-up I’ve ever seen."

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Tokyo Vice is currently available on streaming platforms namely Netflix, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime in selected regions.