Aahana Swrup
Netflix’s Japanese crime thriller show, ‘Tokyo Swindlers’ follows the story of an ambitious group of fraudsters who are willing to undertake drastic measures to pull off a billion yen worth of real-estate scam. With the rise in real estate prices, Harrison Yamanaka sees an opportunity to pull off an incredibly ludicrous scam. As a result, he puts together a talented team, recruiting Takumi Tsujimoto, Takeshita, Goto, and a handful of others to round out his counterfeit schemes. Together, the ragtag group of close-knit criminals race against the clock to actualize their dreams—while actively evading the police officers, relentlessly chasing after them.
Originally titled ‘Jimenshitachi,’ the show explores the intricacies of a challenging scam, transporting viewers to a unique corner of the criminal world. As such, through dramatic narratives, the story gets to play around with themes revolving around the socio-economic reality of Japan. Consequently, as Harrison and his team embark on their grounded misadventure, many are bound to look for connections between the on-screen scam and real life to determine if it is inspired by a true story.
Tokyo Swindlers is an Adaptation of Ko Shinjo’s Literary Work
‘Tokyo Swindlers’ also known as ‘Jimenshitachi’ possesses origins in an eponymous crime novel penned by Ko Shinjo in 2019. The book itself charted a fictitious path populated with fictional characters whose storylines are a work of the author’s imagination. Even so, Shinjo also mined reality for inspiration in his novel’s creation. Nevertheless, his real-life inspiration remains ambiguous without any confirmation about the influence of any singular instance. Instead, the general socio-economic environment that persisted in Japan during the time of the book’s inception likely contributed to its largely fictional tale.
In adapting the story for the screen, filmmaker Hitoshi Ône, who co-wrote and directed the series, used Shinjo’s work as the primary source material. For the same reason, the series remains authentic to the novel’s narrative, bringing the author’s original characters to life. However, even in paralleling its literary predecessor, the show still managing to preserve the suspense for fans of the former. In a conversation with Netflix, Shinjo spoke about his contentment with the live-action adaptation of his work. “I binged the series from morning to evening, completely absorbed and losing track of time,” Shinjo said. “The suspense had my heart racing. All I know is I want to watch it again.” As such, it remains evident that the series doesn’t stray too far from its literary counterpart, drawing from the same to expand upon the characters’ narratives.
Connection to Japan’s Real-Life Land Scandal
Even though Ko Shinjo’s novel serves as the central inspiration for ‘Tokyo Swindlers,’ much like the book, the show also remains inherently connected to the reality of real-estate scams that have plagued Japan in recent history. Notably, a 2017 scam revolving around a land sale in Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward presents the most evident real-life parallel to the show’s storyline. Between March and June of 2017, 10 individuals reportedly orchestrated a fake land sale, complete with falsified documentation. In the end, the scam ended up causing a loss of 5.5 billion yen.
One of them, Misao Kaminsukasu, was indicted on conspiracy to defraud a business, Sekisui House Ltd. The 60-year-old man, perceived to be the mastermind behind the scam, received a sentencing of 11 years. Kaminsukasu was aided in his scam by other individuals nine of whom were also indicted and convicted on the same charges. Among the convicted people was Masami Haketa, who used a fake passport and pretended to be the land owner during the scam. Therefore, the circumstances surrounding the 2017 land sale scandal suggest the possibility that it’s one of the real-life instances that inspired Shinjo during his novel’s conception. Nonetheless, any similarities remain surface-level, likely only utilized as a point of reference for ‘Tokyo Swindlers.’
The story further authenticates itself within its real-estate premise by surrounding itself with realistic context. Japan’s real estate market is naturally tumultuous due to several socio-economical aspects of the country’s culture — from its demographic crisis and susceptibility to natural disasters to the lived reality of workforce productivity measures. Therefore, as the show’s depiction of the real estate market exists within a realistic context, it heightens the narrative’s sense of authenticity. Nonetheless, at its core, the show refrains from any biographical retellings and only utilizes real-life instances and themes as ambiguous references. Therefore, ‘Tokyo Swindlers’ ultimately remains an adaptation of Shinjo’s work.
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