Is Tokyo Swindlers Season 1 Based On a True Story?

FIND OUT IF THE NEW SERIES TOKYO SWINDLERS SEASON 1 IS BASED ON TRUE EVENTS!

Tokyo Swindlers is now available on Netflix ! If you want to know if Tokyo Swindlers is based on a true story, read on! Directed and written by Hitoshi One, Tokyo Swindlers is Netflix's latest Japanese crime thriller, with 7 episodes, and if you're planning on binge-watching it anytime soon, you're in for a treat, and we warned you.

This isn’t the first time a series on the streaming platform has revolved around money, scams, and swindling, but it certainly does a great job of being unique and admirable in its own way, making it an engaging watch.

Tokyo Swindlers is the perfect Japanese series for anyone who loves a good crime thriller. It features a talented cast including Go Ayano, Etsushi Toyokawa, Kazuki Kitamura, Eiko Koike, and Pierre Taki. So is Tokyo Swindlers based on a true story?

IS TOKYO SWINDLERS BASED ON A TRUE STORY?

No, The New Netflix Serie Tokyo Swindlers is not based on a true story. Tokyo Swindlers , also known as “Jimenshitachi” in the original dub, originated from a 2019 detective novel of the same name written by Ko Shinjo. The book itself follows a fictional path populated by fictional characters whose plots are the fruit of the author's imagination.

However, Shinjo also drew inspiration from reality to create his novel. However, his inspiration from real life remains ambiguous, without it being possible to confirm the influence of any particular case. Rather, it was the general socio-economic environment that prevailed in Japan at the time of the book's creation that contributed to the development of this largely fictional story.

In adapting the story to the screen, filmmaker Hitoshi Ône, who wrote and directed the series, used Shinjo's work as the main source material. For the same reason, the series remains faithful to the narrative of the novel and brings to life the author's original characters. 

Likewise, the plots explored in Ône's adaptation parallel those of its literary predecessor, while maintaining the suspense for fans of the latter. In a conversation with Netflix, author Shinjo expressed his satisfaction with the live-action adaptation of his work.

Although Ko Shinjo’s novel is the main inspiration for Tokyo Swindlers, the series remains intrinsically linked to the reality of real estate scams that have affected Japan in recent years. In particular, a 2017 scam involving the sale of land in Tokyo’s Shinagawa district is the most obvious parallel between real life and the plot of the series. 

Between March and June 2017, ten people allegedly orchestrated a fake land sale, using falsified documents. In the end, the scam caused a loss of 5.5 billion yen. No, Tokyo Swindlers is not based on a true story .