Division of Boryokudan and YAKUZA movie are popular

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First ( Division of Boryokudan and YAKUZA movie are popular )

Boryokudan, is a general term for gang group, is an antisocial group who aimed to achieve their purpose by using violence or intimidation. Boryokudan is known as YAKUZA all over the world by the influence of movies mainly.

‘Outrage Coda’ which will screen from October 7th, 2017 was selected as closing work or the last movie to be shown on Venice International Film Festival this year. It proves that YAKUZA movies are still popular all over the world.

The word, YAKUZA comes from the Japanese traditional gamble game, Hanahuda and the minimum point on that game. In the game, the winner is determined by the last numeral of the total points he/she gathered from adding all 3 numbers. The higher the last numeral is the better. For example, if the three cards are 8, 9 and 3, the total is 20. In the number 20, the last numeral is 0. This is the minimum point. These cards, 8, 9 and 3 are read ‘Ya’, ‘Ku’ and ‘Za’ in Japanese.

Meanwhile, social dropouts generally try to get money by doing antisocial activity since they want to survive. The Game losers look like social dropouts. Therefore, we call the antisocial group ‘Yakuza’.

There is almost no difference between Boryokudan and Yakuza. Basically they are synonymous. However, media such as newspaper and TV treat the word ‘Yakuza’ as a bad word and prefer ‘Boryokudan’ instead.

The law to prevent unfair activities by the member of the Boryokudan, Anti-Organized Crime Law was enacted in 1991. Unfair activities mean below;

• The Activity to require hush money
  Require hush money means when a company or organization operates illegally or has scandalous activities with heterosexual.
• The Activity to require Mandatory fee
  Require Mandatory fee – this is for regular or general people who wish to operate and open a business in a Boryokudan territory have to pay a mandatory fee to the Boryokudans to be able to do so.

There’re 27 lists including the above mentioned as prohibition of Anti-Organized Crime Law.

On October 30th, 2012, The Anti-Organized Crime Law was amended, which greatly affected the regulations of illegal requirements by Boryokudan. This amendment was strictly imposed.

By strengthening its regulations, some of the resources for Boryokudan were stopped, it made each Boryokudan seek for ways on how to survive. As a result, it caused conflict among the opinions within the Boryokudan members. Then it also caused break-up of the Boryokudan.

The biggest Boryokudan, Yamaguchi-gumi was divided to two, Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi and the original Yamaguchi- gumi on August 2015. In addition, on May 2017, Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi was divided to two again, Ninkyo Yamaguchi-gumi and Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi. Finally, the original Yamaguchi-gumi was divided into three groups.

After the separation, the conflict and fight of these groups often occur such as killing incidents, which threatens the lives of the citizens.

On September 12th, 2017, an incident occurred raiding the top of Ninkyo Yamaguchi-gumi at the residences area in Nagata-ku, Kobe-city. A man who regards as the bodyguard of the Ninkyo Yamaguchi-gumi was killed during the raid.

After the incident, battle between Boryokudans are getting a lot of media attention.

Question

You can hear a conversation between two people after you play the sound. Answer the questions about the conversation.

Sound 1

Conversation 1

Did you watch the news? There was a shooting incident in Nagata-ku, Kobe-city yesterday.

Yes. Someone tried to shoot the leader of a new group, Ninkyo Yamaguchi-gumi. Then a male bodyguard was shot and died. This is the first time for me to hear Ninkyo Yamaguchi-gumi. What is its difference from Yamaguchi-gumi?

It’s a group divided from the Yamaguchi-gumi. Some of the members in Yamaguchi-gumi left from the group and made another group called Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi. Then other members of Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi left from the group and made another group again called Ninkyo Yamaguchi-gumi. So, there’re three groups now.

Was Yamaguchi-gumi divided in three? I didn’t know that. Why did they separate into 3?

There were some opinion conflicts on funding sources within the Boryokudan. But I don’t know the details of that.

Ah. I heard that the funding sources of Boryokudan has been decreasing since the Anti-Organized Crime Law was revised.

Question 1

Why yamaguchi-gumi was divided?
A. Because Antitrust law was enacted.
B. Because some members didn’t agree with others’ opinion.
C. Doing activities is better done in smaller groups than in big groups.
D. It caused a chemical reaction.

Answer and Explanation 1

Answer：B
It’s mentioned that it caused conflicts of opinion within the Boryokudan.
A: The law related to this article is Anti-Organized Crime Law, not Antitrust law.
C: It’s not mentioned.
D: It’s not mentioned and the division is a kind of experiment of chemistry.

Sound 2

Conversation 2

It seems that they can’t earn money as much as before since the police are strictly watching the activities of Boryokudan specifically requiring mandatory fees from business owners.

What is mandatory fee? I heard of that, but I have no idea about it.

Boryokudan requires owners of restaurant to pay money for them to run their business in a Boryokudan territory. It was a common style long time ago. But now some owners don’t accept such request since they have the knowledge about the Anti-Organized Crime Law nowadays.

It means that the sources of money for Boryokudan could be stopped. But there’re other ways to earn illegal money like mandatory fee, aren’t they?

Yes. The ways are always changing. Some sources of illegal money seem uncontrollable for the police and the government.

Question 2

What is mentioned regarding mandatory fee?
A. It’s increasing compared to before.
B. It’s same as before.
C. It’s decreasing compared to before.
D. There is no mandatory fee originally.

Answer and Explanation 2

Answer：C
Although there’s no clear keyword as ‘decreasing’, it was mentioned that ‘the sources of money for Boryokudan could be stopped’. So, we know the mandatory fee is decreasing.
A: Increasing number is the number of owners who don’t accept such threat.
B and D: They are not mentioned.

Sound 3

Conversation 3

By the way, How do you say Boryokudan in English? Is it Gang?

it seems to be Yakuza. The word, Yakuza is well known all over the world thanks to movies mainly. Do you remember ‘Black Rain’ and ‘The Last Samurai’? They are Hollywood movies that showed the Yakuza world in Japan.

Yes. Specially, Black Rain was popular because of its gorgeous casting like Takakura Ken and Matsuda Yusaku. Besides that, there is a lot of Yakuza movie screened in the world, isn’t it? I heard that many Yakuza movies that were directed by Kitano Takeshi received high praises all over the world.

Yes. The movie titles are ‘HANA-BI’, ‘ZATOICHI’ and ‘OUTRAGE’. Did you hear that ‘Outrage Coda’ which will screen from October 7th, 2017 was selected as the closing work for the Venice International Film Festival this year?

No, I didn’t. But it’s wonderful.

It’ll be screened from next Saturday. Let’s go and watch it!

Well. No thanks.

Question 3

What was popular about the Yakuza movie, Black Rain?
A. Cheaper price of the film ticket.
B. Casting Famous actors.
C. Beautiful fireworks.
D. Beautiful canal.

Answer and Explanation 3

Answer：B
It’s mentioned that ‘gorgeous casting’.
A: It’s not mentioned.
C: It’s not mentioned and ‘HANA-BI’ is just a movie title.
D: It’s not mentioned and it’s related to the place in Venice, not a movie.

Let’s talk more!

What do you think about Yakuza?
Let’s talk about it with your friend.
How is the situation in other countries?
Ask your teacher or a foreigner about it.

Example

1. Is there a Boryokudan office near your house?
2. What do you think about the security after the Anti-Organized Crime Law was amended?
3. Do you like Yakuza movies?
4. Which actor played the best Yakuza in Yakuza movies?