Meiji Gakuin Course No. 3505 Minority and Marginal Groups of Contemporary

Tom Gill Lecture No. 15 , Bosozoku, far right, far left ヤクザ、暴走族、 右翼、左翼 1. Yakuza Japanese gangsters… the word derives from ya-ku-za (8-9-3), the worst hand of cards you get in Oicha-kabu a gambling game resembling Black Jack where 19 wins and 20 is bust – hence ‘worthless’ or ‘loser’…

The famous full- body tattoos… which make it rather difficult to get admitted to public baths and 入 saunas： you often see the れ ‘irezumi kinshi’ (no tattoos) sign. 墨

禁

止 It’s a painful business…

… but that’s the whole point. Traditional yakuza punishment Use of guns is both scary and exotic in Japan “Chinpira”: Shades, cigs, fans…

… and that slightly insolent expression Lighting the boss’ cigarette

… it’s a hierarchical world that yakuza inhabit. Newspapers like the Naigai Times thrive on yakuza stories The movie version: The Yakuza War ← Hideo Murota

Bunta Sugawara → Sugawara Bunta Takakura Ken New No Nobility video + soundtrack Masaru Shiga in Semi, dir. Kenji Yokoi Yakuza actors must look hard at all times…

The cast of ‘Shin Jingi Naki Tatakai: Bosatsu 新 仁義なき戦いat the 2002 Film Festival Comic yakuza: Ueki Hitoshi and the Tigers Hiroko Yakushimaru meets a yakuza with a heart of gold…

In Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (1981) Shinogi – The Ways Yakuza ‘get by’, i.e. lines of business Yamaguchi-gumi: Dominant in Osaka and Kobe

Designated gangs Non-designated All classes Yamaguchi Other gangs affiliated Gangs 370 320 40 10

Members 10,700 8,200 900 1,600

指定暴力団 区 分 全暴力団 指定暴力団以外 山口組 その他 組織数 370 320 40 10 勢力数 10,700 8,200 900 1,600 Figures for November 2000, Osaka prefectural police A publishing industry… The late Takumi The late Taoka Kazuo Masaru Civic campaign against yakuza: the “3 No” movement

1.No fear

2. No paying

3.No using

The Botaiho 暴対法 crackdown Japan Times, January 7 2001 More discretion with names…

WAS: “Otabe Gang”… IS: “Otabe General Industries” 2. Bosozoku (Bikers) The look. The gear… Girls do it too… Nationalism? Or just another fashion statement?

Battling riot police in Hiroshima

That very “Japanese” (?) combination: anti-authority, rebellious, sticking it to the bourgeoisei…

… yet just as strictly organized and hierarchical as mainstream society… if not more so. … and when they graduate they become terribly nostalgic… … and organize old boys’ reunions etc. Needless to say, the stickers and uniforms etc. are very collectible… 少年を暴力団から守ろう!! ～暴力団は、少年、特に暴走族を狙ってる～

都内における暴力団勢力は、暴力団 対策法施行前（平成3年末）約18,000人 で ありましたが、施行後年々減少し、昨 年末は約16,400人と1,600人（8.9％） 減少しました。しかも、20～30歳代の組 員が減少していることから、暴力団は少 年を 組員にするため「あの手この手」で 誘いをかけてきます。 少年が暴力団に加入したり被害に遭 わないように、市民総ぐるみで守りましょ う。

Bosozoku and yakuza…

… is there a link?

Many think the answer is yes… Police survey of 2,554 bosozoku

Statement % I am a member of a boryokudan 5% (yakuza gang)? I am not a member but I do have 15% dealings with boryokudan I have been invited to join a 17% boryokudan I pay money to a boryokudan 41% Forbidden by the Botaiho

Offering money as an enticement to join a designated gang (Article 16)

Ordering, permitting or assisting in “yubi-tsume” (Article 20)

Coercing members to have tattoos made on their bodies (Article 24) But they’re nice chaps really… Read all about them in Ikuya Sato’s 1991 offering from Chicago UP 1. Uyoku 右翼 Far-rightists

A long tradition: posters from 1929 and 1931. 浅 沼 稲 次 郎 暗

殺

The Assasination of Inejiro Asanuma Asanuma, then leader of the Japan Socialist Party, was stabbed to death by a 17-year-old rightist youth, Otoya Yamaguchi, in 1960, in a shocking incident televised live. Since then, however, the far right has not murdered any leading political figures. More groups, fewer members

Year No. of No. of groups members 1965 550 120,000 1993 1,450 22,000 2003 1,530 15,600

Police statistics 警察関係調べ Yasukuni Shrine… Mecca for nationalists Denouncing the peace ceremonies at Hiroshima and the US- imposed “Peace Constitution” Demanding the return of the Northern Territories from Russia… A major issue for the right Criticizing the Koreans in their own language…

… in the dispute over Dokdo / Takeshima island. Uyoku Survey 右翼調査

The June 1st 2005 issue of Dacapo (ダカーポ) magazine had results of a survey on Uyoku groups. Dacapo sent out 300 questionnaires and got 27 answers. Some 50 questionnaires were returned as undeliverable by the post office. Countries Countries liked by Uyoku hated by Uyoku Taiwan 9 China 16 Japan 6 North Korea 11 India 5 South Korea 10 Thailand 3 Russia 9 Malaysia 2 America 5

India – Asian country that stuck up for Japan after WW2 and criticizes superpowers. American domination of Japan disliked, but not as much as Communist countries or Koreans (known for anti-Japanese sentiment) Best person to Traitors to Japan lead Japan Corrupt 4 Shintaro 9 politicians Ishihara Takako Doi 3 Kozo Abe 4 Ryutaro 3 Emperor 2 Hashimoto Nikkyoso Little interest in restoring 3 power to emperor. Abe – Doi – former Socialist leader. hawk in Koizumi cabinet. Hashimoto – LDP prime Ishihara – governor of minister who apologized to Tokyo. Korea. Nikkyoso – 日教組 – leftwing teachers union. Which media do you trust / distrust? Trust Distrust Sankei 10 Asahi 21 Shinbun Shinbun None 6 All 5 Fuji TV 2 NHK 2

Survey of 27 right-wing groups, published 1 June 2005 4. Far Leftists

The good old days… battling the riot police over the Vietnam war in the ’70s A Chukakuha-kei Zengakuren demo outside the Defense Agency against sending a C-130 transport plane to Cambodia, July 1997 Trying to stop an SDF tank exercise that used live ammo

… a dangerous business. Anti-airport demo at Sanrizuka, July 1997 Siege warfare at Sanrizuka Police poster asking citizens to inform on leftists Wanted for murder: Osaka Masa’aki of the Chukakuha Wanted for breaking and entering: Onoda Masaru of Kakumaru- ha Aftermath of carbomb attack… on fellow leftist Asama Sanso, 1975 Somewhat ironically… These far-left factions have been so busy killing each other over differences on Marxist/Maoist/Trotskyist ideology that they have never actually got round to assassinating any, err, capitalists, members of the ruling class etc. And they’ve never even tried to attack the Emperor… ．．．But this guy has. He’s a car battery salesman called Kenzo On January 2, 1969, Okuzaki used a catapult to fire a Okuzaki. pachinko ball at Emperor Hirohito while Hirohito was 奥崎謙三 addressing the crowd from the balcony of the Imperial Palace … he missed. But after that Hirohito always addressed the crowd from behind a pane of bullet-proof glass. Okuzaki did a year in prison for the offence… one of several spells behind bars. The film of Okuzaki’s one-man crusade for post-war justice, Yuki Yukite Shingun (The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On), directed by Kazuo Hara, won stacks of prizes at film festivals in 1987. A classic of cine verite

August 20, 1997: Okuzaki leaves jail (again) 2003: Aged 83, he stars in “God’s Love Slave,” a very eccentric and pornographic documentary The late Kenzo Okuzaki

He died at the age of 85 in Kobe, June 16, 2005. Kenzo Okuzaki…

… proof positive that the nail which sticks out sometimes stays sticking out….

… right to the bitter end.