Kamikaze Pilots and Bosozoku Culture
I chose to do my culture report on Bosozoku because they were a heterodox movement that came into existence during the establishment of modern Japan. I was intrigued by their unique and somewhat wonky vehicle builds, and how in your face they were for a culture that existed in a conformist country. I had some general knowledge of the subculture prior to doing my research mainly due to their unique car build style but knew very little about the history, and the specifics and how far back the history went. The Bosozoku are a culture that had its early roots in Japanese biker gangs called Kaminari-Zoku or “Thunder Tribes”. They first appeared in the early 1950s, and a large part of their population was service
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It consists of large groups or gangs of Bosozoku gathering together at a meeting point, and then through the night creating a show of sorts for passersby in hopes to inspire. This often involves races, and various acrobatic driving practices such as hanabi, which is the acting of using a kickstand or various weapons to make sparks by dragging them on the pavement. As well as acts like yonshasen kama and raidaa chenji which involves zigzagging through lanes and changing riders while driving. There are generally a few vehicles in charge of intersection blocking to stop other drivers and police from getting in the way. These high-risk acts can often end in injury or death so keeping civilians away greatly reduces the risk. These high-risk acts can be attributed to the thrill-seeking nature of the Kaminari zoku and …show more content…
Japan was known to be a very reserved, and conformist in many ways. Bosozoku stuck out in this way between their long Tokkofuku, which resembled bomber jackets, brightly colored and loud motorcycle or cars they demanded attention. Each motorcycle had its own individual flare but was adorned with the gangs flag. Creating a community filled with unique individuals. Another fascinating piece is that once the youth reach adult age, which is 20 in Japan, they cease to be Bosozoku. In a majority of cases, they join the workforce and work blue-collar jobs. Though some do go on to have a criminal lifestyle as Yakuza.
My research gave me a much deeper understanding of the culture, and it’s participants. My exposure before was somewhat superficial and based mainly on their car culture. Understanding the background of members and how the culture was born gave me a deeper understanding of the roots of the culture, and the true origins. I have become increasingly intrigued by the cultural exchange that occurred after WWII, and the occupation of Japan. I was lucky enough to come across a book that went in depth about all aspects of Bosozoku culture, many of which I was not familiar
The Yakuza (Pollack, 1975) was an interesting movie using the blend of American and Japanese culture to help build the storyline. This neo-noir film is about a man that returns to Japan, after World War II, to retrieve the daughter of his friends. Though he completes his mission he is pulled into something deeper that could claim his life. His movie is mostly about relationships between characters and how they change with better understanding of each other. Not only that, but the relationship between East and West. Using the Japanese culture the audience is enlightened about “many salient social and anthropological facts about Japan and its culture.”(Meyer, 1998) Like for instance that “Yakuza” is formed from numbers that when combined equal 20, which in Japanese gambling is an unlucky number. I take this in direct correlation with what happens to the characters in the movie, they seem to lose a lot before thy make it through to the other side of the storm.
One is known for his occupation and what he does and what he withholds from doing. The yakuza is a large crime organization that has thousands of members that span throughout the entire world. They originated in Japan and since then have slowly moved across the globe into many different countries; they even have members in the United States today. *The yakuza is a highly organized crime organization that places great importance in respect and honor and seeks revenge when they do not receive it, they are involved in different types of crimes and they have certain characteristics that separate them from other organizations.*
Throughout History, there have been many different groups or events that are still widely known today. Groups of people such as the Indians or Vikings are popular groups which are referenced constantly in today’s society. However, none of these groups is more known or referenced than the Japanese Samurai. Originating in 646 AD, these Japanese warriors developed from a loose organization of farmers to the dominant social class in Feudal Japan. Along with their dominant military and political standing, the samurai brought with them a unique code or moral belief that became the core of Samurai culture. Because of this, the Samurai and their principles still affect modern day Japanese society with social customs today deriving directly and indirectly from the beliefs of the Samurai.
The notion of yakuza’s existence; one of the world’s most well-known organized crime syndicates, is very obvious and well-aware inside the Japanese society both in the olden and present day. They are very well perceived by the public. Yakuza’s confirmation of existence can be seen on several circumstances; for instance, yakuza magazine and video games, their participation in annual Sanja matsuri and the headquarters around the big cities.
Japan lasted from 1185-1603. During that time Japan had emperors, shoguns, daimyos, samurai, and peasants who were all apart of a social class, and all together it was called the Samurai Society. The emperor was just a figurehead for the shogun. The shogun was a powerful military leader that ruled in the emperor’s name. Daimyo were powerful landlords. The daimyo often led armies of samurai. These samurai were trained professional warriors who served daimyo and shoguns. The samurai had to follow a certain code of rules for samurai called Bushido. One of their rules included to always have self-discipline to become a good samurai. The samurai warriors wore light armor, helmets (usually shaped like an animal), and had two swords around their waist. Their armor had a lot of detail and color to it, like their unique helmets. After the samurai comes the peasants, which included farmers and fishermen. They usually always work, then pay takes to the shogun. They usually gave the shogun what they earned from working like food or crops. What made their jobs a bit difficult was their topography. Japan’s topography included many mountains, undersea volcanoes, and barely any flat land to farm on. The Japanese didn’t only work they also practiced their religion. For example, they practiced Confucianism, Buddhism (...
In Japan there is the Yakuza, also known as the 'Japanese Mafia', which consists of up to 2,500 families. The three largest groups in the Yakuza are the Yamaguchi-gumi, Sumiyaoshi-kai, and Inagawa-kai. These three groups together have around 61,100 members, or seventy-three percent of the gangster population in Japan. These organizations have been in existence for about 300 years, and have their roots in the Tokugawa period (1600-1867), when Japan united under a central system of government (Abadinsky, 2010, 2007) . Some suggest that the Yakuza are the true heirs of the samurai, as the samurais formed structured groups of organized crime after the feudalism in Japan ended. T...
What are some key things you have learned about this culture through reading the scholarly sources?
Shinto is a native religion of Japan and the people of Japan. It is defined as an action centered religion, focused on ceremonial practices to be carried out thoroughly, to establish a assembly between present-day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and organized in the written historical records of the Jokiki and Nihon Shoki in the 8th century (Nelson 7-8). Still, these early Japanese writings do not refer to a joined “Shinto religion”, but rather to a gathering of native beliefs and mythology.
Throughout history, human beings have developed diverse cultures all over the world. Within the many cultures and countries of the world one can also find many different “subcultures” that have appeared over the years. Merriam Webster’s Online dictionary defines a subculture as: “an ethnic, regional, economic, or social group exhibiting characteristic patterns of behavior sufficient to distinguish it from others within an embracing culture or society” (Merriam-Webster). That said, this essay will take a look at a subculture unique to Japan, called: “Hikikomori.” Hikikomori have become a major issue in Japan. Practically interpreted as "social withdrawal”, hikikomori refers “to the state of anomie into which an increasing number of young Japanese seem to fall these days.” Thus, in order to understand the subculture of hikikomori, one should first learn what exactly hikikomori are, its effects on the individual involved within the subculture as well as the family and friends surrounding the hikikomori, and lastly how and when this subculture began.
Clifford Geertz once said: “Cultural analysis is intrinsically incomplete. And, worse than that, the more deeply it goes the less complete it is.” I recently spent a short amount of time at a busy 5-way traffic circle near my residence. While sitting in one spot for about 25 minutes, I observed many people doing many different things (mainly driving). Observing the various people made me think of what their particular cultures may have been, and from there, I began thinking of culture in and of itself. What is culture? Culture is defined as: Ideas and behaviors that are learned and transmitted. Nongenetic means of adaptation (Park, 2008). Culture plays a vital role in anthropology. After all, anthropology is the holistic, scientific study of humankind (Park, 2008). One cannot study humans as a whole without studying and understanding their cultures as well.
From the interactive oral presentation on the Japanese vs. Western Social norms, I have learned a tremendous amount on how Mishima incorporated traditional Japanese and western influences in the novel to portray the loss of traditional Japanese culture within the Japanese society.
There are many historical aspects of the Japanese, but the most interesting is the history of the Samurai. In Japans history war played a large role in the country. Controlling clans fought for parts of the land and overall control of the country. These clans were powerful families that resided in the country and who all wanted power and control of Japan for themselves. The families that would be in control were known as Shoguns. These shoguns would have warriors that fought for them if any of the other clan families would try to attack him in order to overthrow him and take his power from him. The Samurai followed a code that developed from Chinese beliefs when in battle. The Samurais code was known as the Bushido. This code was also known as “The Way of The Warrior” which was the main belief s...
Culture of Japan - history, people, traditions, women, beliefs, food, family, social, marriage. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/Japan.html
Japan is a fascinating multifaceted culture, on one hand it is filled with many traditions dating back thousands of years and yet is a society with continually changing fads,
A comparison between modern Western countries and Japan emphasizes a large discrepancy in beliefs regarding cultural growth in the separate parts of the world (Leonardson, 2004). According to many scholars and much research done on Japan the culture is the perfect example of what cultural homogeneity means as a whole. The cultural homogeneity affects the Japanese youth in how they grow, develop, affect their communities, and live their future lives in the community; this also plays a role in forcing out crime in the country. It also affects the procedures of the police force when interacting with citizens and planning new procedures that require the help and cooperation of Japanese citizens. The cultural