Shoko Tendo

About the Author

Shoko Tendo is a Japanese author whose unflinching memoir Yakuza Moon: Memoirs of a Gangster's Daughter offers a raw and intimate glimpse into the shadowy underbelly of organized crime and personal survival in postwar Japan. Born into a yakuza family, Tendo endured a childhood marked by violence, abuse, and societal stigma, experiences that propelled her into a turbulent adolescence involving drugs, prostitution, and gang affiliations. Through her writing, she confronts these harrowing realities with brutal honesty, transforming personal trauma into a powerful narrative of resilience and redemption. Now an advocate for those affected by yakuza culture, Tendo's work challenges stereotypes and sheds light on the human cost of Japan's criminal underworld, inspiring readers worldwide with her journey from despair to empowerment.