90s era offshoots of the Bosozoku. They are different from Bosozoku. The Gurachan are the coolest lol What the Gurachan are doing is so unique and I think artistic. If they were in a more welcoming country, they probably would be much more respected for their artistic ability and efforts. But in Japan most people just see them as idiots lol
I like Bosozoku more. I wish they would make a comeback.
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Although the Bosozoku are dying, they seem to have reappeared in other countries like in South Korea. It is strange how they are celebrating independence from Japan by using a Japanese Subculture. Alot of Koreans told me this is not Japanese, but even the word bosozoku is Japanese.
I guess it is similar to Chinese people singing anti-Japanese songs while enjoying a Japanese pasttime Karaoke. Or anti-western activists using the internet to spread anti-american messages.
Different perspective on Nanking Massacre. 50 years after the fact, especially considering there is larger more recent unsolved issues, is Nanking used more for politics and special interest than pure historical debate?
Recent documentary on a changing Sanya Area of Tokyo.
Formerly known as a dangerous area filled with day laborers, the old Sanya is slowly dissappearing. In its place are westerners who are trying to save as much money possible in expensive Japan and young people who do not even know that the area is known as "Sanya".
I have heard other countries like the USA get very negative when they hear former blue collar areas (such as where Ford Plants used to be) are disappearing. For a country that is supposedly much less welcoming of immigrants, notice how little Japanese think of dissappearing areas such as Sanya. It is even taken as a positive thing. Perhaps there is a different interpretation of "change" among the cultures.
Broadcast 1985 - Documentary on the Japanese Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Royal Grounds of the Last Remaining Emperor on Earth. At one point, atleast on paper, the Imperial Palace's real estate was worth more than the entire state of California. Theoretically, Japan could have bought the entire United States of America by selling only metropolitan Tokyo.
Although the presentation is bland (they should have atleast used some still images to gather attention), what he says is interesting and it is not that long so try watching it.
Department of Fisheries Negotiating Officer Mr. Morishita talks about how much of the whaling policies is led by small economically underdeveloped Carribean nations, but Japanese as well as foreign media largely report whaling as a Japan VS. Anti-Whalers issue.
A segment on the Ainu Rebels, a group of young people trying to revive Ainu culture and pride. As you can see, as many researchers say (and for some reason many Koreans like to vehemently disagree), Ainu do indeed look old japanese-japanese (or Jomon) , or a bit caucasian.
On the other hand I do think parts of this are strange. I have only been to Hokkaido once, I am from Osaka so may be I am ignorant of the situation there but at least here, just like how she says, there really is no discrimination against Ainu. It is like these people are showing that there is discrimination. I mean, is'nt that something we should know on our own?
Hell, I think there is more discrimination against us people from Osaka than Ainu. Listen to this guy, The Japanese Rightist say that "Yes, this town is full of homeless people who seldom take a bath." Lol! And take a look at this anti-Osaka website (it is in very poor English) Osaka-Minkoku. In short, they like to say that we are uncultured, loud, poor, violent, naturally criminal people. Notice that the word Osaka Minkoku (Republic of Osaka, 大阪民国) is a play on Daikan Minkoku (Republic of Korea, 大韓民国). Hehe!
Also Watch: Looking for the Genetic Roots of the Japanese In this documentary, it shows that the Ainu and the Jomon Japanese are genetically identical. The modern Japanese are believed to be made up of the Jomon Japanese and the Yayoi Japanese, who are believed to be more from China.
Documentary on the little-known Homeland Project, in which 93,000 Zainichi Koreans were persuaded by North Korean Officials to return to their homeland. The fate of what happened to them is unknown.
Looking at the Homeland Project through eyewitness accounts and classified documents from Japan, North Korea, Russia, USA, Eastern Europe.
Fall 2005 - Follows the campaign trail of aspiring Liberal Democratic Party councilman Kazuhiko Yamauchi.
Possessing no experience, no charisma, no support, no knowledge of Kawasaki City, which he is running for, he is abruptly chosen as the candidate by Prime Minister Koizumi.
He goes on a comical campaign showing how politics functions in this instance. Hours of repeating his name to random people at the train station. Practicing the proper grip in hand shakes. Being told to repeat his name some more.
On the upside, this is very honest. Maybe by trying so hard to make democracy look bad, this is actually reflecting a good side of democracy as well? Where else would you find such an honest look at politics?
The host, a former British National turned Japanese, explores the Kumano Kodo, a religious holy area for Japanese Shintoists and Buddhists. Around Part 2 and Part 3 there is alot of things about Shintoism.
Shintoism is a native Japanese religion, older than any major religion, which accepts any belief - whether it be Christian, Islamic, Jewish, or whatever. It means God’s Path and is very open. If you believe Jesus is god, then that is your path. If you believe in yourself, you yourself is a god.
Shintoists do not go out and preach to anyone how things should be. Alternatively, they do not keep anyone or anything out. In a climate of religious hostility such as in Israel, Lebanon, Korea, it is nice to see a religion that is not, should I say “competitive”.
I like part 3 the most. If you just watch 1 part watch part 3.
Follows a girl and her trip outside of Tokyo. She takes small local trains through all the little towns to find many small, less known things while meeting locals along the way.
Very good documentary centered around the Nanbayasu Family, a Family operating under the huge Yamaguchi Family. We see many of the things of Yakuza Culture we normally do not see.
The Shintoist Rituals of the gangsters. The holy swords in the offices. The Family Flag and the philosophy behind wars. The small poor families, one of which operates out of an apartment complex, who seem to be operating not for money but for honor, or their interpretation of it. A Yakuza Elder Ritualist, who is at one glance just a neighborhood grandfather, and his philosophy on the Path.
Part 1
“The Yamaguchi Family is a Paramilitary Force.”
- Chairman Yoneoka of the Yoneoka Industries, a small family based out of Nihon-bashi, Osaka (Now a Otaku Enclave) They are known for their bloodthirsty temperament.
“You kill before you get killed. That is the Yakuza Way.”
- Waka-Gashira (Young Head, Underboss) Takeshi Kagotani of the Nanbayasu Family, based out of Sakai City, Osaka
“Not once have I ever regretted this life. Ever. I made my own decisions.”
- Chairman Hiroshi Yoneoka, 2nd Regime boss of the Yoneoka Industries, on his 14 years in the penitentiary
Part 2
“So as long as men continue to respect other men, the Yakuza will keep growing?”“Yes.”
- Chairman Ryuji Hayashi of the Hayashi Family, a small 30 member family based out of Kishiwada City, Osaka.
“A True Yakuza would never order his men to kill or die for him. Would a real father do that to his own children?”
- Yakuza Elder Kazuma Tsumura, on the Younger Yakuza
Su Chang (張・素), age 9. She is a Chinese girl who came to Japan because of her father's work. Promising her mother that she will become #1 in Japan for China, she has come to a foreign land. Broadcast May 2000, this documentary spans a 2 year period. The producers, one Japanese and one Chinese, filmed this only with a Sony Handicam.
Award winning documentary on the only North Korean School in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. To my surprise they actually teach some things you would assume a Kim Jong Il funded organization would hide, like how many Zainichi Koreans were not forced to come to Japan, rather they came for work but try to claim they were forced. Maybe North Koreans are not as brainwashed as we assume? Also Watch: 3 Generations of Life as a Zainichi Korean
2007 - Writer Manabu Miyazaki has written a unique book on looking at the Japanese Yakuza (Japanese Mafia for lack of a better word) as a positive, contributing segment of Japanese Society and Culture.
He breaks the Yakuza into 2 stages of transition -
The Modern Yakuza is what he calls the “Society-Oriented” Yakuza of after World War II. These groups were created and nurtured by the larger society in general. They were a place where the weakest in society (the poor, the discriminated, etc) went for protection from poverty. He explains that they served a social welfare function - they provided food, jobs, minority rights etc to those who did not have the means or power to get them.
The Present Day Yakuza is the Yakuza of now, and they are called the “Profit-Oriented” Yakuza. As poverty in Japan has diminished, the Yakuza began to lose their foundation of existence - to protect the weak from poverty. But they began to find that as Japan grew richer, other segments of society, namely the corporate, entertainment, and industrial segments began to need them. They became what Mr. Miyazaki calls “The Lubricant that moves Society”. They began to provide services that were needed by the corporate, industrial, and entertainment world - debt settling, money loaning, stock trading, etc.
He wraps it up with the idea that the Yakuza are a part of Japan and will never dissappear. Instead of trying to destroy the Yakuza, we should try to coexist with them.
I think this is a interesting idea. Whereas traditionally the Yakuza has been thought of as something unacceptable and must be destroyed, Mr. Miyazaki puts it as something that will never go away, and actually serves positive functions. Instead of trying to fight a impossible battle, should we learn to live together with the Yakuza just like how we learned to live with people of other backgrounds and races?
I personally have had no trouble with them and think society does need people like this whether you like it or not.
A very interesting and contested theory is that the Japanese are actually a part of the Lost Tribes of Israel. During the constant warfare and strife that engulfed Israel, 10 of the 12 Tribes of Israel dispersed into Asia and have since disappeared.
Israeli officials publicly acknowledge the mysterious similarities between Judaism and Japan. Recently, in March of 2007, Rabbi Avichail of the Israeli Investigative Body Amishav, which searches for descendants of the Lost Tribes, arrived in Japan. Although they only stayed for a short amount of time, the investigative body concluded that "There is no doubt that there is some kind of strong connection between Judaism and Japan. More research is needed to determine the details."
The connections are very interesting.
For example, the Japanese Shintoist Holy day is the Yamaboko Junko, or "Going atop the Mountain to lay to rest the Shrine". The day Noah's Ark rested atop Mount Ararat lies on the same day. The word "Essa", which is a carrying chant chanted by the holders of the Omikoshi, or portable shrine, is a word which really has no meaning in Japanese but means "Carry" in Hebrew.
One of Japan's largest festivals, the Gion Festival, is believed by many, including the Gion Festival officials, to be the same as Ancient Israel's Zion Festival. The month long festival is almost identical in each event, date, etc. The artwork depicted on the portable shrines in the festival are from ancient Japan, but are renderings of landscapes in the middle east - camels walking the desert, pyramids, Baghdad Palaces, and most surprising is a grand picture of Rebecca offering water to Isaac which is confirmed to be a rendition of Genesis 24 in the Old Testament.
Although their war with America was only a short while ago, the Vietnamese do not hold grudges against America. A forward looking, bright nation that has earned the respect of many Japanese.
The Great Leader and Political Genius, “The Only God” Jesus Matayoshi, from the island prefecture of Okinawa, has blessed the Tokyo voting boxes with his bid for governor.
His great proposals include returning Japan to a fishing and farming society and banning the smoking of cigarettes while walking. His brilliant political debate style is to just tell his opponents to “DIE AND SLIT YOUR STOMACH OPEN!!!”
Hi! This site will focus on Asian Organized Crime, Politics, History related videos. I hope this will be a database where you can have lively discussion and watch rare videos. My goal for this website is to spread understanding to anyone interested in these topics.
If there is a certain kind of video you are looking for, for example a particular country you are interested in such as "North Korea" just use the search box or categories to the right. Please comment whenever I will read them all.
日本の主張や情報をより多くの外国の方々に理解してもらおうと思ってはじめました。最初は幾つかの動画を翻訳してyoutubeにだしたらスゴイ数の人がみました。興味はかなりあるんだな、と思い、ブログやニュース・サイトをみたら、日本人が英語で発信してるサイトはほとんどない。日本をよく分かってない外人が書いてるサイトが多く、間違った日本の事を書いてもらいたくないと思いこのブログをはじめました。どうぞコメントでも何か翻訳してほしい動画があったら、言って下さい。
Thanks,
oniazuma
