Tokyo Vice Season 2 Episodes 1 & 2 Recap: 15 Biggest Reveals

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS ahead for Tokyo Vice season 2.

Summary

• Tokyo Vice season 2 picks up where season 1 left off, with the fates of Sato and Polina’s characters finally answered.
• Jake takes the tape exposing Vice Minister Shigematu and the existence of the Yoshino sex cruise to Katagiri & Meicho.
• The absence of Tozawa throughout the first two episodes raises suspicions of the Tozawa clan’s plans as the police ramp up efforts against the Chihara-Kai.

Tokyo Vice season 2 premiered its first two episodes on February 8, 2024, titled “Don’t Ever F**cking Miss” and “Be My Number One”. The critically acclaimed series featured many returning characters from its robust season 1 ensemble, including Ansel Elgort (The Fault in Our Stars, Baby Driver), Ken Watanabe (Inception, The Last Sumauari), and Rachel Keller (Fargo, Legion). Tokyo Vice season 2 picks up exactly where season 1’s cliffhanger finale left off, with questions revolving around the fates of Sato and Polina’s characters answered by the end of the first episode.

Tokyo Vice, created by J.T. Rogers, is based on the 2010 memoir Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan written by the real-life Jake Adelstein. New episodes of Tokyo Vice season 2 will be released on upcoming Thursdays exclusively on the Max streaming service.Tokyo Vice’s 8-part season 1 debuted back in April 2022 to widespread critical acclaim. The modern neo-noir set is set in late-1990s Tokyo and features extensive use of both Japanese and English languages throughout the series.

15 Yakuzas Take Sato Out Of The Hospital To Have Ishida Watch Over Him

Sato’s brother Kaito went looking for him because their father was dying

Tokyo Vice season 1 begins with the revelation that Sato (Shô Kasamatsu) survived an assassination attempt orchestrated by a Yakuza subordinate named Gen. Most of the Chihara-Kai clan aren’t even aware that Sato is missing until his younger brother Kaito shows up at their headquarters. The Yakuzas storm into the local hospital and find Sato in a hospital bed, alive but unconscious. To the horror of Kaito and the doctor, the Yakuzas take Sato with them to deliver to Oyabun Ishida.

14 Jake Shows Yoshino Tape Exposing Vice Minister Shigematu To Katagiri & Baku

Samantha’s friend Polina appears to have been killed as Shigematu watched

Jake was given a mysterious tape labeled Yoshino at the end of Tokyo Vice season 1. He plays it and discovers that Polina appears to have been killed for not cooperating with Vice Minister Shigematu’s demands for physical intimacy. At the start of season 2, Jake shows the Yoshino tape to Detective Katagiri and his superiors at work, Eimi and Baku. The tape also confirms the existence of the Yoshino, which was suspected to be a shady sex cruise owned and operated by Tozawa.

13 Katagiri Discovers Miyamoto’s Dead Body In An Apparent Shabu Overdose

Katagiri knows Miyamoto was a mole for Tozawa & was killed by his clan

Katagiri is given a mysterious matchbox that has Miyamoto’s name written on it as well as a room number. Katagiri had discovered that Miyamoto was a rat working for Tozawa the whole time at the end of season 1. Rather than have him face public humiliation and the end of his career, Katagiri tried to use Miyamoto’s betrayal to his advantage. Ultimately, Miyamoto’s body was found in an obviously staged shabu overdose orchestrated by Tozawa.

12 Jake Visits Misaki To Tell Her The Yoshino Is Registered Under Her Name

Jake tries to avoid printing Miskai’s name although it would implicate Tozawa

Jake enlists his loyal colleague Trendy for assistance in tracking down who the Yoshino yacht was registered to. He is stunned to discover that the Yoshino is registered under Misaki’s name, who is Tozawa’s current mistress. Jake had developed somewhat of a rapport with Misaki outside of Tozawa’s eye and decides to visit her at her apartment to question her about the Yoshino. Jake tells her he will be forced to name her in the Meicho article in order to implicate Tozawa.

11 A Fire At The Meicho Office Destroys The Yoshino Tape & All Its Copies

Jake & Eimi are now unable to write the article about Polina & Shigematu

In a suspicious turn of events, a random fire at the Meicho office destroys the Yoshino tape and all of its copies, meaning that Jake no longer has evidence to justify writing the story on Tozawa. Jake realizes that there must have been foul play going on at Meicho but doesn’t know how to investigate it. He reaches out to Katagiri, who also finds the fire very suspicious and convenient for Tozawa’s protection. This implies that someone at Meicho is on Tozawa’s payroll.

10 Yabuki Delivers Gen To Ishida After He Asked For Tozawa’s Protection

Yabuki offers the Yakuza traitor as a gesture of peace between the rival gangs

After word spreads around Chihara-Kai that Sato regained consciousness, Gen desperately goes to the Tozawa clan for help. Rather than employ him as their latest mole, Yabuki, Tozawa’s right-hand man, delivers him back to Ishida and exposes Gen’s plans to deceive him. In an unusually generous effort to keep the peace between the two rival gangs, Ishida is appreciative but still suspicious of the Tozawa clan’s intentions.

Tazawa was last seen on a plane in Tokyo Vice season 1. The first two episodes of season 2 do not explain where he is.

9 Sato Regains Consciousness & Has The Chance To Kill Gen, But Refuses

Ishida tells Gen that his life is now dedicated to proving Sato’s mercy

Ishida offers Sato the opportunity to kill Gen out of vengeance, but Sato refuses, dropping the knife that Ishida put in his hand just after waking up. Sato’s passivity at the moment implies that, after nearly losing his life, he no longer wants blood on his hands. Gen is stunned that Sato spared him but is still allowed to be a Yazuka as Sato’s driver and henchman. It’s seemingly impossible for Sato to ever trust Gen again.

8 Katagiri Sneaks Into Shigematu’s Home & Threatens Him At Knifepoint

The Vice Minister reveals Tozawa needed help getting off the U.S. no-fly list

At the end of Tokyo Vice season 2, episode 1, Katagiri takes matters into his own hands by sneaking into Vice Minister Shigematu’s home late one night. Somehow avoiding detection from security, Katagiri threatens the Vice Minister at knifepoint, demanding to know how he was connected to Tozawa. Shigematu confesses that Tozawa wanted his help getting off the American no-fly list, which the Vice Minister was unsuccessful in doing.

7 Samantha Catches Her Employee Claudine Stealing From Club Polina

Samantha fires Claudine, who plans to take all her clients with her

At the beginning of Tokyo Vice season 2, episode 2, Samantha’s new nightclub is fully up and running, named after her lost friend Polina. Samantha demonstrates herself as an honest and encouraging leader of Club Polina but runs into an issue with her top earner Claudine. She calls Claudine out privately for stealing from the club, which Claudine admits to, saying she’s the best worker and deserves more money. Samantha tries to work with her but ultimately lets her go.

6 Ishida Appoints Hayama As The New Wakagashira Of The Chihara-Kai

Hayama served 7 years in Fuchu prison & is now second in command

Despite Sato saving Ishida’s life in season 1 and just coming back from a near-death experience, Ishida named Hayama his new wakagashira (second in command) over Sato, who is third in command. Hayama quickly shows he is a force to be reckoned with who uses brutal force and intimidation to achieve his goals. Hayama has been a Yakzuza for a long time and was just released from Fuchu prison after serving a 7-year sentence.

5 Katagiri Turns Down Shoko Nagata’s Offer To Become Her Partner

The NPA Superintendent plans to combat Tokyo’s organized crime head on

As punishment for Miyamoto’s death, which was classified as a heart attack to avoid a media frenzy, Katagiri is demoted to working at the complaint desk. The Superintendent of the National Police Agency of Japan arrives at the Tokyo police headquarters and requests Katagiri’s help since he knows so much about Yazukas. Scared for his family’s lives after receiving death threats from Tozawa, Katagiri turns down Superintendent Nagata’s offer to be her partner.

4 Jake Befriends A Group Of Motorcycle Thieves For A Meicho Story

Jake gains inside access and even helps them steal a motorcycle

Jake, who has also distanced himself from writing about Yazukas and Tozawa, takes a less risky assignment at Meicho to investigate a series of motorcycle thefts. Jake is able to track down the motorcycle group, who are just a bunch of rebellious teenagers at heart. Jake befriends the leader of the group by buying them all food and giving them a spotlight. Jake even helps them steal one of the bikes by distracting the couple who owns it.

3 Katagiri Reconsiders & Accepts Shoko Nagata’s Offer To Become Her Partner

Nagata reminds him she won’t support the established balance of corruption

After briefly considering returning from police work to live outside of Tokyo, Katagiri finally agrees to become Nagata’s partner even though it could put his family even more at risk. Nagata’s strategy is to eliminate all 25 factions of the Chihara-Kai one by one, an aggressive approach that she is confident will be successful. She reminds Katagiri that she will not endorse the concept of balancing out corruption between the police and the gangs in Tokyo which has been his strategy for peace for years.

2 Samantha Hires Her Former Boss Erika To Replace Claudine At Club Polina

Sato buys a gun and hides it in the Club Polina locker room for Sam’s protection

Despite Sato ordering Samantha to rehire Claudine, she refuses and seeks out her former club boss, Erika. Erika has an adorable child and seems to have put that life behind her but Sam makes her an offer she can’t refuse. Meanwhile, Sato purchases a gun and hides it in the Club Polina locker room even though guns are seen as dishonorable in the eyes of the Chihara-Kai. It’s unclear what Sato’s intentions are with the gun at this time.

1 Miskai Invites Jake Over & They Become Intimate In Tozawa’s Absence

Jake & Misaki both know this is a mistake and will likely have consequences

With Tozawa being out of the picture for months, Misaki calls Jake one night and invites him over. Jake, who has expressed romantic interest in Misaki previously, rushes over to her apartment where the two become intimate in the final scene of Tokyo Vice season 2, episode 2. Even though both Misaki and Jake know there will be consequences if they get caught by Tozawa, they go for it anyway, setting up a major vulnerability for Jake down the line in Tokyo Vice season 2.