Sumith Prasad
Ayumi Tanida’s Shinzo Tozawa is one of the notable absentees in the first two episodes of Max’s crime drama series ‘Tokyo Vice’ season 2. Both Tozawa’s allies and enemies are clueless about his whereabouts alike. Not even his mistress Misaki learns where he is or whether he is still alive. Under the new leadership of Hayama, the Chihara-kai clan prepares to conquer Tozawa’s empire, taking advantage of his absence and illness. Believing that her master is no longer watching her, Misaki invites the protagonist Jake Adelstein to her bed. However, we haven’t seen the last of Tanida in the crime drama! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Shinzo Tozawa is Alive
Even though not even Tozawa’s allies are certain about him recovering from his mysterious illness, he is very much alive. In the second season premiere, Hiroto Katagiri learns from Jotaro Shigematsu, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, that Tozawa had plans to end up in the United States. He most likely is in America to get adequate treatment to recover from his illness. When he is well and physically strong enough to return to Japan as a Yakuza boss, he will not only show up in Tokyo but also cause chaos among the organized crime syndicate families that have stopped him from fully defeating the Chihara-kai clan.
Alan Poul, one of the directors and executive producers of the series, revealed that the sophomore installment will reveal how Tozawa deals with his illness, confirming that he is still alive. “It [the illness] was not revealed in season one because that is part of the mystery I was alluding to before. So, it is gradually revealed and will ultimately be made very clear what is wrong with him and what he did to take care of it,” the filmmaker told Deadline. After Tozawa’s return to Tokyo, we can expect a highly consequential battle between Tozawa-gumi and Chihara-kai. “[…] the tension between our two main Yakuza gangs is still, in terms of the crime drama, the main throughline of the second season,” Poul added.
Tozawa is partially based on real-life former Yakuza member Tadamasa Goto, who is still alive. He was restricted from entering the United States until 2001, when he received a special visa deal from the FBI for a life-saving liver transplant at UCLA Medical Center, located in Los Angeles, California. According to the deal, Goto promised leads on potentially illegal activities in the United States by Japanese crime gangs. After the transplant, he was barred again from entering the country.
Ayumi Tanida Did Not Exit Tokyo Vice
Ayumi Tanida is a part of the cast of ‘Tokyo Vice’ season 2. Although he will barely feature in the first five episodes of the installment, Tanida will appear in the second half of the season. As Alan Poul revealed, Tozawa’s re-entry into the crime scene of Tokyo will aggravate the tension between the two Yakuza gangs, leading Jake Adelstein back to the hunt for the former. The journalist’s efforts to bring down the crime lord will pave the way for the meeting between him and Yabuki, which forms one of the opening scenes of the show. In addition to Hiroto Katagiri, Jake may find another ally to bring Tozawa to justice.
The second season will feature Aoi Takeya as Jason Oki, a Japanese-American member of the US Foreign Service who gets involved in Jake’s efforts to unravel the secrets concerning Tozawa. The potential introduction of Oki also makes it clear that Tozawa is in the United States. His arrival in the country must have caused enough repercussions for the US government to get involved in his affairs through Oki. Considering Jake’s dalliance with Misaki, Tozawa’s arrest may turn out to be essential for the journalist to save his own life.
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