Tokyo Vice season 2 episode 6 recap: acts of betrayal

Sho Kasamatsu in Tokyo Vice
Sho Kasamatsu in Tokyo Vice (Image credit: James Lisle/Max)

Tokyo Vice season 2 episode 6 kicks off with a flashback of Sato (Sho Kasamatsu) joining Chihara-Kai. Ishida (Shun Sagata) doesn't think much of him at first, worried about someone who rebelled against his own parents. Sato explains he didn't choose his parents, but he chose Chihara-kai. That's good, as Ishida tells him the most important thing to him is loyalty. Before the scene ends, we see Sato catch a glimpse of an emblem in Ishida's office. 

That same emblem is tattooed on Ishida in the present day. The Chihara-kai boss is clinging to life as Sato and his men rush him back to headquarters to be treated by their personal doctor. Hayama (Yosuke Kubozuka) is there, pissed he wasn't aware of the meeting and blaming Sato for what happened. As everyone disperses to take care of different things, Sato remains by Ishida's side. Ishida whispers something in his ear, which we don't hear, before he starts spitting up blood.

It's the start of a rough episode for most of our main characters. Read on to find out all that happened in Tokyo Vice season 2 episode 6.

Aftermath

Jake (Ansel Elgort) arrives at the club, where Katagiri (Ken Watanabe) is already investigating. Katagiri tells Jake Samantha is safe, but two masked shot Ishida. Jake asks if it was Tozawa, but Katagiri says they have no proof of that yet. The next step is to look for the shooters and pray things don't escalate between the yakuza gangs.

Meanwhile, Samantha (Rachel Keller) gives a statement to Ngata (Miki Maya) at the police station. She lies about not knowing why Ishida was there and calls Masa just a regular at her club.

During a break, Tozawa (Ayumi Tanida) strolls into everyone's surprise. Before going in for questioning, he makes a point to say hello to Samantha. Tozawa officially denies his involvement in the shooting, providing photos of the dinner he was at. He adds the action doesn't reflect what he sees as the future of the yakuza. Ngata takes the chance to point out she knows about Tozawa's liver disease, saying she didn't think he had much of a future. Tozawa keeps his composure, but you can tell this irritates him.

Tozawa gets a taunt of his own though when he spots Katagiri returning to the station. He brings up Katagiri's family and how the police are relying on a female detective. Katagiri warns him to underestimate the police at his own peril.

Jake calls to check in on Sato, off the record. Sato admits things aren't looking good for Ishida, while Jake informs Sato that Samantha is OK. Sato warns Jake that things are going to get bad and to not call him again.

In the night, Ishida dies. However, the tears must wait as Katagiri arrives. Hayama has inserted himself into the role of Chihara-kai leader, or at least until the next Chihara-kai council, Katagiri points out (remember, Ishida wanted Sato to take over the gang, but who knew that beyond Sato is a question mark). Hayama tells Katagiri Tozawa is the most likely suspect, though the detective mentions Hayama isn't suffering from Ishida's fate. Hayama retorts if the police had done their job, Ishida may be alive, suggesting Chihara-kai help clean up the streets. Katagiri shuts this down, saying any retaliation would be met with severe punishment.

Chasing leads

Ansel Elgort in Tokyo Vice

Ansel Elgort in Tokyo Vice (Image credit: James Lisle/Max)

Eimi (Rinko Kikuchi) plans the paper's coverage of the attack with Jake, Trendy (Takaki Uda) and Tin Tin (Kosuke Tanaka). When it's brought up that Jake and Samantha are friends, he tries to downplay her potential involvement, but Eimi wants him to find out what she knows.

He talks with Samantha, but ignores her involvement, convinced Tozawa is behind the attack and wanting her to tell him anything she can about the shooters. Samantha draws the tattoo she saw on one of the shooter's wrists.

Jake then meets with Ukai (Motoki Kobayashi), a former yakuza Jake had interactions with in season 1, to ID the tattoo. Ukai recognizes it from not one but two individuals in Hishinuma-kai. Jake passes this info along to Eimi, promising he can connect the men to Tozawa if she just gives him more time. She gives him a deadline of that night or else they'll run a different follow-up piece and Jake will have to pick up the story when he gets back from his trip back to America.

Jake also shares the info with Katagiri and Ngata, but he stops short of giving up his source despite pressure from Ngata.

Katagiri's investigation has had less luck, as phone records they got from Tozawa and his men have no mention of the shooting. But with the tattoo information, he interviews Hishinuma (Koichiro Kanazaki) in prison. Hishinuma is reluctant to help, but Katagiri convinces him to give up the info by promising to take down Tozawa before he becomes too powerful to stop.

Replacements

Outside the world of the shooting, Misaki (Ayumi Ito) is surprised to find she has been brought in to advise a new mistress of Tozawa, Sakura. In fact, it's Sakura Tozawa is taking to the mountains that weekend, not Misaki as he had previously promised. While Misaki is trying to get away from Tozawa, she still is fretful over what this could mean for her.

Elsewhere, Shingo (Soji Arai), Eimi and Kei (Keita) have dinner together. Kei asks Shingo directly why he left his wife and child, with Shingo explaining their careers made a relationship difficult, but they are on good terms now. Despite the hard questioning, Shingo and Eimi believe the night is going well. However, after Shingo leaves, Kei reveals his true opinion, calling Shingo selfish for abandoning his family and forbidding Eimi from seeing him.

Hayama is also making moves to get rid of someone: Kaito (Atom Mizuishi). He tells Kaito that Tozawa's next target is Sato, but no Chihara-kai can get close enough to take Tozawa out. This prompts Kaito to offer his services. Hayama is all too ready to accept, giving Kaito a gun and where Tozawa is going to be that night.

Sato figures out what is going on and stops Kaito just in time. He yells at Kaito that Hayama sent him on a suicide mission, but Kaito says he was doing it for Sato. Frustrated, Kaito walks away from his brother.

Dead ends

Going off of Hishinuma's lead, Katagiri and Ngata explore an abandoned construction site for one of the shooters. They find him, but he's dead. They know they need find the other shooter before Tozawa can.

Back at Chihara-kai, Sato confronts Hayama over using Kaito. Sato is livid he would risk his brother's life and calls him a liar after he said he would leave Kaito alone. But Hayama says Kaito is Chihara-kai now, meaning he is Hayama's soldier, and if Sato messes with his plans again, Hayama will kill Samantha, Erika and everyone he loves. Sato is about to say something, but he sees Ishida's emblem again and decides against it, instead bowing to Hayama (or the emblem?).

Jake decides to put his trip home on hold to continue working on his story. He then gets a knock on the door, surprised to see it's Misaki, who kisses him immediately. After the two end up in bed together, Misaki admits it was reckless, worrying Tozawa is still watching her. But she still gives Jake a bracelet and tells him to hold onto it until she sees him again.

Turns out Misaki's worries were correct, as one of Tozawa's men is waiting for her as she leaves Jake's apartment.

Another relationship in a tough spot is Sato and Erika (Hyunri). She tells him she can't let his yakuza business threaten her or her son, which Sato understands.

Surprise visitors

Rachel Keller in Tokyo Vice

Rachel Keller in Tokyo Vice (Image credit: James Lisle/Max)

Samantha is shocked when she sees the latest issue of the Meicho with an article by Tin Tin on her ties to the yakuza. Despite it being true, Jake is furious at Tin Tin, calling it sensationalist and that Samantha is not the story, Tozawa is. Eimi puts him in his place, telling him if he has a problem with how the paper does its job, he can find someplace else to work.

Jake attempts to call Samantha, but she does not pick up. Frustrated, he reluctantly decides to take a break and head home to America.

However, Jake's insistence about Tozawa being the real story caught the attention of one of the heads of the paper. He tells Eimi she should let Jake chase the story, as they should pursue anything to "take that monster down." When Eimi brings up her suspicions that someone at the paper may be helping Tozawa, her boss tells her to follow any lead, no matter how small.

Sato is waiting for Samantha outside her apartment, telling her he has come to say goodbye, wanting to protect her like Erika. However, Sato can't bring himself to leave, and they eventually go inside and have sex.

Katagiri also has a visitor waiting for him at his house — the other shooter, who is asking for Katagiri's help.

New episodes of Tokyo Vice season 2 premiere on Max every Thursday.

Michael Balderston

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.