Since the beginning of Tokyo Vice Season 2, Katagari and Jake had been trying to find some incriminating evidence that could help them put Tozawa behind bars. Tozawa was not an average criminal, and he had a lot of political connections. Katagari and Jake knew that they would need a miracle to incriminate Tozawa, but they were still not going to give up. Tozawa’s deteriorating relationship with his wife proved to be a boon for them, as the lady came to meet Katagari and told him that she could give him something that could prove detrimental to the Yakuza boss. In Tokyo Vice episode 9, we learned that Tozawa had signed a contract with the FBI to provide them with information about different Japanese gangs operating on US soil. Tozawa was in a desperate situation, as he needed permission to enter the United States of America for a liver transplant. After getting treated, Tozawa came back to Tokyo, and he kicked off his quest to become the leader of the entire mafia world. Tozawa had leverage over Shigematsu, and he knew that once the latter became the PM of the country, there was no stopping him. So let’s find out if Katagari and Jake were actually able to pin down Tozawa or not.
Spoiler Alert
How did Katagari plan Tozawa’s downfall?
Katagari knew that there was a possibility that Meicho would not publish an article against Tozawa and Shigematsu, so he had already started thinking about a plan B. Though he hoped that some miracle would happen and that Jake would be able to convince his bosses, Katagari was an experienced campaigner, and he knew how the system worked.
In Tokyo Vice episode 10, Jake called Maruyama and found out that Kurihira had been stabbed by Tozawa’s men and that he was in critical condition. Jake was disappointed, but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to do anything in such a situation. That’s when Katagari asked Jake to make him meet Sato. Katagiri’s plan was to first procure the contract that was signed between Tozawa and the FBI and then give it to Sato. He knew that if the mafia world got to know that one of their own had made a deal with an American intelligence agency, then they would not spare him, even if it was an influential man like Tozawa. Tozawa, on the other hand, was ignorant about the developments happening behind his back and just wants to take revenge on Jake and Katagari.
Tozawa took Misaki’s mother into custody and threatened her to meet him with Jake. Samantha, who was with Misaki at the time, asked her to keep faith in their plan and do as Tozawa told her. All the important members of the mafia world were already present in the building where Tozawa met Misaki. Tozawa felt that he had once again gotten the better of everybody else, but he was wrong. Misaki took him into a room, and Tozawa was shocked to see Sato and the other leaders waiting there for him. They showed Tozawa the contract, and the dreaded criminal was shocked, as he hadn’t expected that to happen even in his wildest dreams. Sato and others told him that he had no option but to end his own life. Tozawa played his card and told the members of the clan that he would pay each and every one of them using his wife’s money. Tozawa had no clue that it was Kazuko who had snitched on him and given information to Kataragri. Kazuko had every right to do so, as she had been demeaned and insulted in the worst possible manner by her own husband. In the end, Tozawa took his own life and, with him, ended the reign of terror and chaos.
Is Maruyama able to bring Shigematsu’s crime to light?
When Katagari and Jake went to Yoshino to find the contract, they unexpectedly found another piece of documentation there. Tozawa had made donations for Shigematsu’s campaign, and there were legal documents with the signatures of both parties that proved it. Jake sent those documents to Maruyama, and he was extremely hopeful that his newspaper would publish them and bring the real face of the corrupt politician to light. Maruyama got a green light from her boss, Baku-san, but the chairman of the newspaper denied her request. He told her that though he would make sure that Shigematsu did not become the next PM, he wouldn’t be able to tarnish his image publicly and print the article. He told Maruyama that in the future when she sat on his chair, she would understand why he was doing so. Maruyama was a woman of ideals, and she knew that she wouldn’t be a part of such a system where their hands were tied, and they could not look out for the welfare of the people.
Maruyama went to Shingo and asked him to print it in his own magazine. Shingo and Maruyama had their differences, but the former believed that in the future, they could work it out together. Shingo told Maruyama that he would print the article, provided she joined his team. If there is a Tokyo Vice season 3, we would definitely see Maruyama working with Shingo, and they would probably give their relationship another chance. As for Shigematsu, his dream of becoming the next PM would go down the drain as the people would know that one of the most dreaded Yakuza leaders was the main funder of his campaign.
What was Samantha’s plan?
Samantha had business acumen, something that had been established since the beginning of the series. She knew how to run a business, and her club would have done great if Tozawa wouldn’t have killed Ishida-san. After Tozawa took his own life, Samantha made the decision that she was going to take some downtime. He was also burned out like everybody else, and probably for a few months, she wanted to stay off the grid. So, Samantha went to Kazuko with a proposal, as she knew that the latter was a sensible woman and that she was nothing like her husband. She told Kazuko about a mixed-use development project called Forest Daikanyama. She told her that it was still in the planning stages and that anybody who bought some property in the vicinity could potentially make a fortune. Samantha asked for 10 million yen from Kazuko and told her that it was a sort of finder’s fee through which she could also benefit. Kazuko agreed to the proposition, and Samantha was relieved that she got what she wanted.
At the end of episode 10, Samantha paid a visit to Sato and told him that she was not going to be there for some time. Considering the kind of person Samantha was, I believe that very soon, she would once again come back to the hub and establish some business that would bring her loads of money. Samantha was not afraid to take risks, and we would probably see her doing something in collaboration with Sato in the future.
What’s next for Jake?
During Tokyo Vice season 2’s ending, Jake and Katagari sat down and enjoyed a drink together. They looked like warriors who had been bruised on the battlefield but had somehow managed to defy the odds and emerge victorious. Jake was not going to leave the field of journalism, and Katagari was aware of it. He had parted ways with Misaki, as the latter wanted a very different kind of life, and she knew that Jake, as of then, was not ready to make that compromise. She told Jake that he would read his articles and feel proud about them, but he would have to let her go. Tozawa had wreaked havoc in Misaki’s life for quite some time, and she wanted some peace and solace. She wanted a boring life, but Jake still craved that adrenaline rush. If there is a season 3, Jake would definitely get another story, chase the leads, find the truth, and do his job with a lot of passion. As for Katagiri, though he wanted to retire, I personally believe that it would be just a matter of time before he once again came back to his job, and he, too, loved his job more than anything, and that’s probably what gave his life a sense of purpose.
