The new HBO series Tokyo Vice adapts the memoir by journalist Jake Adelstein, the first American to be assigned to the Tokyo crime beat in the 1990s, and it has a stellar cast of actors. The series stars Ansel Elgort, Ken Watanabe, Rachel Keller, Ella Rumpf, Rinko Kikuchi, Shô Kasamatsu, and Tomohisa Yamashita. The pilot episode is directed by veteran filmmaker Michael Mann (Heat, Ali, Miami Vice), with J.T. Rogers (Oslo) acting as showrunner.
Tokyo Vice was shot entirely on location in Japan (in and around Tokyo), with the majority of the cast being of Japanese descent, adding to the authenticity of the adaptation. Adelstein's memoir covers his 12 years of reporting on the crime beat for the world's largest newspaper, Yomiuri Shimbun, where he regularly covered the Yakuza and eventually received death threats over his work. Adelstein formed a working relationship with a detective throughout his tenure on the crime beat, who acted as a father figure to the tenacious journalist.
The HBO Max series will focus on Adelstein's origins in becoming a reporter for Yomiuri Shimbun and his struggles in being a "gaijin" ("outsider" in Japanese) as he attempts to immerse himself in the culture and be accepted as a journalist among the ranks of his peers. Along the way, he faces political, societal, relationship, and even physical roadblocks that challenge his journey, while remaining steadfast in his pursuit of the truth. Seeped in the lush, vibrant, and fascinating world of Japan, Tokyo Vice stars a myriad of talented actors that help bring it all to life.
Ansel Elgort as Jake Adelstein
Ansel Elgort plays the lead Jake Adelstein in Tokyo Vice, a dedicated journalist seeking to work for Japan's largest newspaper in late 90s Tokyo. Elgort's first role was in the Carrie remake with Chloë Grace Moretz, before he moved on to star in the Divergent series as Caleb. The actor appeared in the rom-com drama The Fault In Our Stars opposite Shailene Woodley, which helped put the star in leading man territory and secure the lead in director Edgar Wright's Baby Driver. Elgort most recently starred in Steven Spielberg's Oscar-winning adaptation of West Side Story as Tony.
Ken Watanabe as Hiroto Katagiri
Ken Watanabe plays detective Hiroto Katagiri in Tokyo Vice, a hard-nosed policeman who acts as a mentor to Elgort's Adelstein. Watanabe is a Japanese-born actor who forged a strong career in his native country for many years before coming to Hollywood, winning a Japan Academy Film Prize (the Japanese equivalent of the Oscars) for Best Actor twice for Memories of Tomorrow and Shizumanu Taiyō. Watanabe was nominated for an Oscar in 2004 for his work in The Last Samurai with Tom Cruise and would go on to star in a string of Hollywood films thereafter, including Inception, Letters From Iwo Jima, Batman Begins and as the voice of Drift in the Transformers franchise. He also appeared in 2014's Godzilla and 2019's Godzilla: King of the Monsters, as well as Detective Pikachu.
Rinko Kikuchi as Eimi
Rinko Kikuchi plays the headstrong Eimi, a composite character of several of Adelstein’s newsroom bosses during his time at Yomiuri Shimbun. Kikuchi is a Japanese-born actress whose first American film, 2006's Babel, also garnered her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Kikuchi would then go on to star in a number of notable efforts, including Rian Johnson's The Brother's Bloom in 2009 and Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim in 2013, as well as the sequel, Pacific Rim: Uprising in 2018. The actress received significant acclaim for her work in 2010's Norwegian Wood, as well as 2014's Kumiko: Treasure Hunter. She previously worked for HBO in Westworld season 2 as Akane.
Rachel Keller as Samantha
Rachel Keller plays Samantha, the lead cocktail waitress at an upscale club who befriends Adelstein in Tokyo Vice (replacing actress Odessa Young in the part, who dropped out due to scheduling issues). Keller began her acting career by appearing in a number of TV shows, including Supernatural and The Mentalist, before securing a supporting role in FX's Fargo season 2 as Simone Gerhardt. This led to Keller landing the female lead in FX's Legion, playing Sydney "Syd" Barrett opposite Dan Stevens in the show. Her most recent role was as Linda Kolkena in the USA anthology series Dirty John.
Tomohisa Yamashita as Akira
Tomohisa Yamashita plays Akira in Tokyo Vice, a professional host in the area who may not be as innocent as he presents. Yamashita has made a name for himself in his native country of Japan as an actor, singer and TV host, who has appeared in projects like Nobuta Wo Produce, Kurosagi, Proposal Daisakusen, Buzzer Beat, Code Blue series, as well as the Code Blue movie in 2018. The actor will also appear in the action-comedy The Man From Toronto with Woody Harrelson and Kevin Hart later this year.
Shô Kasamatsu as Sato
Shô Kasamatsu plays Sato, an ambitious up-and-coming member of the Chihara-Kai crime family. Kasamatsu has been a prolific actor in his native Japan, starring in a long string of film and TV projects there. His most recent projects include the feature film Ring Wandering and the series Love You As The World Ends. Tokyo Vice is the actor's first Hollywood role.
Ella Rumpf as Polina
Ella Rumpf plays Polina, an Eastern European expat model-turned-hostess at the club with Samantha. Rumpf is a Swiss actress who has appeared in a number of notable foreign films, including the 2016 horror film Raw and 2017's Tiger Girl, as well as the German Netflix series Freud. The actress recently appeared in the HBO original series Succession as Contessa.
Hideaki Itô as Jin Miyamoto
Hideaki Itô plays Jin Miyamoto, a cocky vice detective that helps guide Adelstein from time to time. Itô has been an actor in Japan since the late 90s, appearing in a multitude of different film and TV projects, particularly for his role in Umizaru, which is a famed Manga adaptation that ran for over a decade. Since then, the actor appeared in Takashi Miike's 2007 film Sukiyaki Western Django. He recently appeared in The Doorman with Ruby Rose and Jean Reno. Tokyo Vice is Itô's first Hollywood TV role.
Tokyo Vice airs weekly on Thursday nights on HBO Max starting April 7th.