Speed Tribes is an interesting look into the youth of 90's Japan. Greenfeld finding himself bored with the usual stories in Japan is nearly run over by a Bosozoku (a motorcycle gang member [Bosozoku: literally translates as a tribe who drives violently against the law]) and there in the street he decided to tell not only their story but the story of youth in Japan in general.

What comes next is 12 epsiodes taken from young people from very different walks of life; from Bosozoku to porn stars, from OL (Office Ladies) to Uyoku (ultra right wing nationalists).

The book left me with a sense of hopelessness for the youth of Japan, but that is the way Greenfeld intended. Greenfeld makes the stories approachable and immediate while at the same time they are so totally foreign that it is hard to imagine they are real people.