Japanese films - 25 best new releases of recent years

Atomic Samurai (2020)

A new feature in Japanese cinema is a feature-length film based on real events, dedicated to 50 volunteers from the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. From the first minutes, the viewer is captured by the atmosphere of horror of a nuclear disaster, recreated with detailed reconstruction. A triple whammy of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear reactor accidents hits the nation simultaneously. The nuclear power plant employees, who have not left their workplaces since the first day of the tragedy that occurred on March 11, 2011, will voluntarily take care of the elimination of technical faults.

New movies: 100 best films of 2021

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Original title : Fukushima 50 Genre : Drama, biography, history Actors : Koichi Sato, Ken Watanabe, Hidetaka Yoshioka... Country : Japan Rating : Kinopoisk – 6.3, IMDb – 6.2

Kingdom (2019)

A wounded childhood friend dies in the arms of a young warrior. Once upon a time, children were separated because one of the boys resembled a prince. Will the future great warrior be able to forgive the future great emperor, who became the unwitting cause of the death of his comrade? The spectacular film tells about events that took place not in Japan, but in China. The blockbuster is based on a manga about the Chinese emperor who united the lands of the Celestial Empire and began construction of the Great Wall.

Historical cinema: 30 best films of the genre

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Original title : Kingdom Genre : Action, military, history, drama Actors : Kento Yamazaki, Ryo Yoshizawa, Masami Nagasawa... Country : Japan Rating : Kinopoisk – 6.4, IMDb – 6.6 Age restrictions : 16+

Dolls (2002)

Dolls

Matsumoto and Sawako were recently a happy couple, but the young man decided to leave his beloved and marry for convenience. On the eve of the wedding, Matsumoto learns that Sawako has lost her mind.

Old Man Hiro is the boss of the Yakuza. He is rich and respected, but sick and lonely. Once upon a time he was a poor worker, and his beloved girl brought him breakfast to the park every day. But he left her, chasing his dream of becoming an important man. Now, 30 years later, he returns to the park where they once met...

Haruna Yamaguchi spends entire days sitting on a deserted beach, looking out to sea. Her beautiful face is almost hidden by a bandage. Most recently, before the accident, Haruna was the star of television shows. She was adored by millions. Nukui is perhaps her most devoted fan. Today he is going to prove it...

Roommates (2019)

A comedy-melodrama about teenagers, based on one of the best mangas by Ayu Watanabe - a film typical of Japan. The main characters are forced to live together after the guy's apartment becomes unusable due to the girl's mistake. School prince Shusei Kugayama falls in love with his reluctant neighbor Nishimori Aoi, so the couple is not going to leave. The idyll is disrupted by the arrival of a cousin, dissatisfied with this state of affairs.

Selection on the topic: 30 best films about teenagers and school

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Original title : L-DK Hitotsu Yane no Shita, (Suki) ga Futatsu Genre : Melodrama, Comedy Actors : Monet Kamishiraishi, Yosuke Sugino, Ryusei Yokohama... Country : Japan Rating : Kinopoisk – 6.8, IMDb – 6.6

Election (2005)

Who doesn’t know, but in one of the most influential Hong Kong groups in the world, “Wo Shing,” every two elders choose a new head of the triad mafia. It goes without saying that a serious power struggle inevitably breaks out between the two contenders. Lok is the favorite in this fight since he has long been in good standing with the elders. His opponent Big D, although he does not have such patronage, is also ready to present a couple of surprises to his opponent. In general, we repeat, the struggle between them is just beginning...

You Shine in the Moonlight (2019)

The fantasy drama is based on the novel You Shine on a Moonlit Night by Tetsuya Sano. Voice acting in Russian added to the beautiful Japanese film with fans dreaming of a dose of romance and light sadness. The plot of lovers who have no future due to illness is very common in Japanese cinema. This time, high school student Mamizou has a spectacular but fatal luminescent disease - under the light of the moon, the girl’s body flickers, and the closer the end, the brighter the glow. Mamizu is not allowed to leave the hospital, so her lover’s dreams are fulfilled by her boyfriend Takuya.

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Original title : Kimi wa Tsukiyo ni Hikarikagayaku Genre : Melodrama, fantasy Actors : Mei Nagano, Takumi Kitamura, Kyoko Hasegawa... Country : Japan Rating : IMDb – 6.1

Yakuza Code of Honor

The Yakuza adopted the traditional Japanese hierarchical system of oyabun-kobun , where the kobun (子分; adopted son) is in a dependent position of the oyabun (親分; adopted father). They also developed the Jingi code of honor (仁義, duty and law). Loyalty and respect became the ideal for the yakuza. (somewhat similar to the samurai code of honor)

The oyabun-kobun relationship is reinforced by the ritual of drinking sake from the same cup. This Yakuza ritual is not unique, it is also used during traditional Shinto weddings.

Shoplifters (2018)

What unites a strange family of marginalized people – grandma’s pension or love and compassion? Who are all these people really and what secrets is the married couple hiding? Awarded the Palme d'Or, the touching drama about shoplifters has no chance of making it onto the national list of the best Japanese films of all time - according to the country's leadership, the filmmakers humiliated rather than glorified Japan.

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Original title : Manbiki kazoku Genre : Drama Actors : Riri Frankie, Sakura Ando, Kirin Kiki... Country : Japan Rating : Kinopoisk – 7.4, IMDb – 7.9 Age restrictions : 16+

Fireworks (1997)

IMDb rating: 7.8 KinoPoisk rating: 7.9

After showing life's difficulties through the eyes of the yakuza, Takeshi Kitano decided to look at them from the perspective of a policeman. The main character of the film is Nishi, a former detective who is faced with problems. First he loses his daughter, then his wife is diagnosed with leukemia, and then there is a botched arrest in which one of his colleagues dies and he and three others are hospitalized.

Nishi has to borrow money from the yakuza to take care of his sick wife. It is difficult for him to repay the debt, in addition, he learns that one of the wounded colleagues has become disabled and will never return to his former life. Under the weight of problems, he broke down and crossed the line of the law, which led him to his last trip...

“Fireworks” is another film by the Japanese master, in which he demonstrates the yakuza. But if in “Sonatino” he sought to show them from a more humane side, then in the 1997 film they appear as ordinary criminals who want to take away what does not belong to them.

Third Murder (2017)

Why does the elderly worker Mikumi confess to killing and burning his boss, although he faces a death sentence? A top-class lawyer, Shigemori, has doubts about the guilt of the accused - not all the details match, and the testimony of both sides confuses the case even more. In addition to the legal detective story, the multi-layered plot unfolds the drama of patriarchal relations between fathers and daughters using the example of three family tandems.

See also: 25 interesting films in the detective genre

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Original title : Sandome no satsujin Genre : Drama, detective, crime Actors : Masaharu Fukuyama, Koji Yakusho, Shinnosuke Mitsushima... Country : Japan Rating : Kinopoisk – 6.4, IMDb – 6.7 Age restrictions : 16+

Zombies in one shot! (2017)

Among the top modern Japanese zombie films is an original comedy filmed in one shot. The hero of the funny thriller is the director of a low-budget horror film, the events of which take place in an abandoned factory. Film fans demand authenticity from actors in their acting. A perfectionist will get what he wants. What kind of falsehood can we talk about when first the assistant turns into a zombie, and then the entire film crew bathes in blood?

Related selection: 20 best Japanese horror films

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Original title : Kamera o tomeru na! Genre : Horror, Comedy Actors : Takayuki Hamatsu, Yuzuki Akiyama, Harumi Shuhama... Country : Japan Rating : Kinopoisk – 7.1, IMDb – 7.7 Age restrictions : 18+

Godzilla: Rebirth (2016)

An incomprehensible accident occurs in the Tokyo tunnels under the bridge. Officials and emergency workers do not yet know that they will soon have to fight a new version of Godzilla - a monster who was born due to radioactive waste and transforms as he grows up. A full-length fantasy film produced in Japan with high-quality Russian dubbing will appeal to fans of horror films about the famous monster Godzilla.

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Original title : Shin Gojira Genre : Horror, fantasy, action, drama, adventure Actors : Hiroki Hasegawa, Yutaka Takenouchi, Satomi Ishihara... Country : Japan Rating : Kinopoisk – 5.8, IMDb – 6.8

Tadamasa Goto - swindler, assassin, monk and head of the yakuza clan

Tadamasa Goto is one of the most famous and prominent representatives of the yakuza, who managed to become a legendary figure on a national scale. He began his career in 1972 as an ordinary street punk running errands for the mafia, and ended as an oyabun (“head of the family”) of the Goto-gumi clan in 2008. During all this time, he managed to get involved in a lot of amazing stories.

For example, in 2001 it turned out that he collaborated with the FBI and for years passed on his accomplices wholesale and retail. Moreover, he leaked information to the Bureau about the largest transactions and participants in precisely those gangs with which he was formally in an alliance. For this, the FBI helped with a complex liver transplant operation, which Goto simply had no use for. In a fit of gratitude, he donated $100,000 to the clinic, thereby attracting too much attention, and as a result, all his maneuvers and flirtations with the feds became known to everyone.

Autobiography in which Tadamasa Goto reveals the secrets of the yakuza

Surprisingly, even after such a scandal, he held on as oyabun for another seven years. Tadamasa Goto finally retired only in 2008 and immediately accepted the rank of a Buddhist priest, taking a new name, Chuei. This did not stop him from becoming accused in a murder case in 2010. Then the modest monk risked getting jail time for organizing the murder of a real estate consultant, but he managed to get out of it here too: the relatives were given almost one and a half million dollars, and the case was hushed up.

What's the result? The clinic where this yakuza was treated named a new strain of plague after him in gratitude, and he himself remained alive, despite the fact that he handed over everyone he could to FBI agents. And even accusations of brutal murder could not overshadow his work as a righteous clergyman. But that's not all! In 2010, Goto published an autobiography in which he revealed all the ins and outs of the life of the yakuza. By the way, returning to the murder of director Juzo Itami: if the Goto clan is really to blame for his death, then it was Tadamasa Goto who gave the order to eliminate him.

She Wolf and the Black Prince (2016)

The heroine of the bright representative of Japanese teen cinema, Erika Shinohara, is the new girl in class and is afraid of being an outcast among schoolgirls bragging about their boyfriends. A girl invents a boyfriend for herself, and when her girlfriends doubt his existence, she films a handsome guy passing by on her phone and presents the photo as proof. But the star of the school, a guy named Kyota Sata, is in the picture. To save the situation, Erica persuades the local prince to play along with her, but what will the spoiled and callous Sata demand from the girl in return?

List of the best films about school, teenagers and love

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Original title : Ookami shoujo to kuro ouji Genre : Drama, melodrama, comedy Actors : Fumi Nikaido, Kento Yamazaki, Riria Baba... Country : Japan Rating : Kinopoisk – 6.3, IMDb – 6.1

The murder of a comedy director. Yakuza revenge for a joke

Silly yakuza from the comedy “Minbo Specialist”

Juzo Itami was a mediocre director in the 1980s and 90s, making dramas, comedies, and even a Western. He wrote all the scripts for his films himself, and his films were quite funny and full of satire. But one day Juzo crossed the path of the yakuza, infuriating them in earnest. The story turned out to be absurdly absurd.

In 1992, the director made the satirical comedy “Minbo Specialist,” in which he showed the yakuza as idiots and hillbillies. In his film, the Japanese mafiosi were portrayed as simply pathetic, crooked punks who wear vulgar clothes and know nothing more than to punch people in the face. Of course, these scum were defeated by the smart young heroine (played by the director's wife).

Juzo Itami

This story infuriated the Yakuza themselves, and soon after the film was released, an attempt was made on Juzo Itami. First, he was mutilated with a knife by bandits on a motorcycle (probably mafia recruits from bosozoku youth gangs). The director survived the attack, but that was only the beginning. Five long years later, in 1997, the Yakuza took their revenge for real. Shortly before the New Year, Juzo Itami suddenly “jumped” from the roof of the building where his office was located. According to some versions, the bandits forced him to do this at gunpoint, or he jumped off himself, running away from them along the roof.

Why exactly five years later? To be fair, it should be said that the entertainment industry was then almost one hundred percent controlled by the yakuza. So Juzo Itami not only made a comedy about the mafia, he also did it with money from the Goto-gumi clan. Apparently, five years later, the director again gave reason to remember the old insult. For example, because he became too famous. The Yakuza does not forgive even after years.

Assassination Classroom (2015)

The government offers high school students 10 billion yen for the murder of teacher Kuro. The unusual teacher himself demanded an appointment to the graduating class, made up of slackers and loafers. The yellow octopus alien has already destroyed most of the Moon and is threatening to take over the Earth if it cannot be killed before spring. What is Sensei Kuro's mission and what does he really achieve?

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Original title : Ansatsu kyoshitsu Genre : Science-fiction, action, comedy, adventure Actors : Ryosuke Yamada, Masaki Suda, Maika Yamamoto... Country : Japan Rating : Kinopoisk – 6.3, IMDb – 6.2

Ryuzo and the Seven Fighters (2015)

According to unofficial statistics, there are about 110,000 active Yakuza members in Japan in the 21st century. Do careless scammers take this into account when choosing their victims? What will happen if the new format swindlers scam an old Yakuza fighter over the phone? How will veteran Ryuju and his team of retired boys punish young people for disrespect? A comedy film about a kind of generational conflict was directed by the famous Japanese director Takeshi Kitano.

Selection on the topic: 35 best films about gangsters and mafia

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Original title : Ryuzo to 7 nin no kobun tachi Genre : Comedy, crime Actors : Tatsuya Fuji, Masaomi Kondo, Akira Nakao... Country : Japan Rating : Kinopoisk – 6.4, IMDb – 6.2 Age restrictions : 16+

I am a hero (2015)

A zombie film about manga artist Hideo Suzuki, a loser who loses the affection of his girlfriend. The girlfriend no longer wants to support the loser and puts the guy out on the street with his only property - a gun. At this time, a virus epidemic breaks out in the country, turning people into zombies. Hideo gets a chance to realize his dream - to become a real hero during the bloody chaos.

Mayhem from Kudo-kai

In the Yakuza code, civilians have a special place. It is believed that deliberately killing or maiming them if it can be avoided is unworthy of a noble bandit. There used to be a proverb: “The police protect us at night, and the yakuza protect us during the day.” To be fair, there is also a rational calculation in this: any mold, such as hooligans, rapists or thieves, only attracts attention to the area and prevents the mafia from doing really serious things. So the Yakuza fought petty crime to the best of their ability - to improve their image and avert the eyes of the police.

Kudo-kai clan emblem

However, there are clans that deliberately cross this line and are ready to kill a civilian at the first need. They are so indifferent to any life outside the clan that they create for themselves the image of lawlessness.

For example, in 2013, the Kudo-kai clan became famous throughout the country for its murders, in which there was a place of evil irony. Trying to put pressure on a fishing cooperative in the coastal city of Fukuoka, the Yakuza first shot the 70-year-old head of the organization, and then, going into a frenzy, attacked his grandson and a cooperative worker with a knife. During the crime investigation, police checked similar cases in the area and found that a strikingly similar murder had occurred here in 1998. The same handwriting, motives and the same story, even the age of the head of the cooperative turned out to be the same. The more recent murder could not be solved, but four yakuza were accused of the twin case of 1998, which contained more evidence and clues.

Headquarters of the Kudo-kai clan

However, this incident did not teach the Kudo-kai clan anything. Already in 2014, one of its leaders stabbed a nurse in a clinic who dared to contradict him, and in 2015, the Yakuza beat a dentist almost to death on the street. When the police found out who exactly this young man was, they probably grabbed their heads. It was the grandson of the murdered director of the cooperative. But not the one who was shot in 2013, but the one who died in 1998. Kudo-kai decided to frantically step on the same rake and repeat the same story again and again.

Loser (2015)

A motivational Japanese movie based on a true story described by a private school teacher. Tsubota Nobutaka met his ward during the summer holidays. Sayaka at that time was a typical biri gyaru - a “second-rate” schoolgirl with bleached hair and a short skirt. To improve her knowledge, the girl takes lessons from Tsubota. Thanks to the teacher, Sayaka is transformed and achieves brilliant success in her studies.

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Original title : Birigyaru Genre : Drama Actors : Kasumi Arimura, Nanami Abe, Morio Agata... Country : Japan Rating : Kinopoisk – 7.3, IMDb – 7.4

Yakuza rituals

Yubitsume (cutting off a finger) is a way to pay for one's mistake. For the first offense, the guilty yakuza must cut off the end of his left little finger and bring the cutting to his boss.

The Yubitsume ritual comes from the traditional way of holding a Japanese sword. The lower three fingers grip the sword weakly, while the thumb and index fingers grip tightly. Removing the fingers begins with the little finger, gradually loosening the grip of the sword, which is undoubtedly very smart.

The hidden idea behind this ritual is that a person with a weak sword grip will rely more on his yakuza brothers, thus strengthening the team spirit! Sometimes the yakuza used prosthetic fingers to hide their absence.

The second remarkable ritual of the Yakuza is special tattoos (irezumi) , which often covered the entire body. Getting Japanese tattoos is a long, expensive and very painful operation. Sometimes it took years to complete a tattoo. It is clear that tattoos contain meaning and symbols that are understandable only to the yakuza themselves.

Usually the yakuza hid their tattoos from outsiders. They only showed them to other yakuza to understand who they were dealing with.

Terrible Will of the Gods (2014)

High school student Shun Takahata asked the gods to add variety to his life. The young man's wish came true - together with other students, he found himself hostage in his own school, forced to participate in cruel fun. A Daruma doll, a porcelain cat, nesting dolls, skittles and other strange toys kill the losers in a live broadcast to the whole world. The driving psychological thriller will delight and stun you with its inventiveness and variety of ways to create a bloodbath.

Top 30 Horror Movies by Viewer Rating

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Original title : Kamisama no iu tôri Genre : Horror, fantasy, thriller, adventure Actors : Sota Fukushi, Mio Yuki, Ryunosuke Kamiki... Country : Japan Rating : Kinopoisk – 6.6, IMDb – 6.4 Age restrictions : 18+

Wasabi (2001)

Hubert Fiorentini is one of the most eccentric guardians of the law in Paris. His methods of fighting criminals are very specific, and therefore the authorities are trying in every possible way to send our hero, if not to retire, then at least on leave. And during such a vacation, he learns that his old love has died in Japan, leaving him with an adult nineteen-year-old daughter. Arriving at the funeral of his former lover in Japan, the policeman, together with the newly-minted heiress, finds himself drawn into local mafia feuds, which directly affect his daughter.

Black Butler (2014)

The action of the feature film with singing Japanese actors takes viewers to England in the 19th century. The main characters, the butler Sebastian and Count Ciel, enter into a contract under which the servant acts as the shadow of the proud boy. On orders from Queen Victoria, the duo investigate a string of murders in London. At the same time, the Shinigami are conducting their own investigation and sending a special group to “collect souls.” Beautiful, full of tricks, the musical is recommended to be watched with subtitles, enjoying the excellent vocal parts.

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Original title : Kuroshitsuji Genre : Horror, fantasy, action, thriller, drama, crime, detective, adventure, family Actors : Hiro Mizushima, Ayame Goriki, Yuka, Mizuki Yamamoto... Country : Japan Rating : Kinopoisk – 6.4, IMDb – 6.2

Vagabond Kenshin (duology, 2014)

The historical drama with action elements follows the adventures of a samurai who vows never to take up arms. However, “never say never” - despite the vow, the legendary samurai will have to uncover his sword to save Japan. Set to epic music, Kenshin Himura will have an equally epic sword fight with Makato Shishio, putting an end to the villain's claim to supreme power.

Selection on the topic: 25 films about samurai

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Original title : Ruroni Kenshin: Kyoto taika-hen Genre : Action, drama Actors : Takeru Sato, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Ryunosuke Kamiki... Country : Japan Rating : Kinopoisk – 7.2, IMDb – 7.6

Why don't you play in hell? (2013)

Yakuza Taizo promised his wife, who was imprisoned for 10 years, that their daughter Mitsuko would play a role in a movie. At the last moment, the father manages to fulfill his oath - he finds an amateur film buff with a film crew who filmed a real battle of clans with the participation of a girl. The actor, playing the role of a fanatical director, had a fever of up to 39 degrees during filming due to diligent acting. Despite the fountains of blood and severed limbs, the result was an interesting Japanese film in a comedic style, with cartoonish, ferocious showdowns.

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Original title : Jigoku de naze warui Genre : Action, Comedy Actors : Jun Kunimura, Fumi Nikaido, Shinichi Tsutsumi... Country : Japan Rating : Kinopoisk – 6.7, IMDb – 7.2

Yakuza found ruling party

After Japan was defeated in World War II, the Yakuza fell on hard times. The military took control and did not deal with criminals very delicately, and the exhausted population had no desire to gamble and simply did not have the funds to spend on prostitutes and drugs as before.

When you go to a party meeting immediately after a shootout with another clan

The same applied to the far right of politics. There were many of them, they had some weight and support from the government, but after the defeat of Nazism it was extremely unprofitable to declare such political preferences. In addition, the socialist and communist movements began to gain strength in Japan. At the same time, a fashion for liberalism and democratization of society appeared in the country. And this is another headache for nationalists.

Then the far right resorted to a simply phenomenal strategy. They decided not to wait until liberalism strengthened in the country, interfering with their cards in the political game, and they themselves created the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan. In this they were especially helped by the Yakuza, who appreciated such a cunning maneuver. As a result, a nationalist imperial and militaristic alliance was formed in the country in alliance with the mafia, but under a guise behind which one can hide from excessive attention of the world community. A special role in the creation of the party was played by Yoshio Kodama, a crime boss, drug lord and a real “gray eminence” of politics of those years.

Yoshio Kodama

As a result of such close intertwining of the yakuza with the authorities, many of the politicians almost ate out of the hands of the crime bosses and, under their leadership, carried out fantastic scams like the Lockheed scandal, in which the Prime Minister of Japan himself was involved.

Son after father (2013)

In the maternity hospital, a nurse performs a baby change. Six years later, two families with different social status will be faced with the fact that there is a child in their house that is not their own by blood. For some, the son grows up like an aristocrat, for others, the boy does not know how to hold chopsticks. Genetic analysis confirms the fraud. But how can parents now accept a little stranger into the family and give their beloved baby to someone?

See also: 10 Japanese melodramas about love

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Original title : Soshite chichi ni naru Genre : Drama Actors : Masaharu Fukuyama, Machiko Ono, Yoko Maki... Country : Japan Rating : Kinopoisk – 7.4, IMDb – 7.8

Vagabond Kenshin (2012)

The popular Japanese film is based on the first part of the legendary manga about the killer Kenshin, who became a samurai vagabond and protector of people in atonement for past sins. In Tokyo, his path crosses with the beautiful Kaoru, an instructor at a kendo school. However, the relationship is hampered by the intervention of an opium dealer, whose gang needed Kaoru's dojo. The time has come again for Kenshin to destroy his enemies. The advantage of the film adaptation of the manga was the costumes and scenery of 19th century Japan, as well as a minimum of computer graphics in the battle scenes.

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Original title : Ruroni Kenshin: Meiji kenkaku roman tan Genre : Action, drama, melodrama Actors : Takeru Sato, Yu Aoi, Emi Takei, Go Ayano... Country : Japan Rating : Kinopoisk – 7.5, IMDb – 7.5

Assassination attempt on the biggest mafia boss

Kazuo Taoka was one of the most powerful mafia bosses in history. Under him, his clan, the Yamaguchi-gumi, became the leader in the Japanese criminal world. Kazuo ruled his empire for an incredible period by the standards of a crime boss, from 1946 to 1981, and died in his bed. Having risen from the very bottom, this orphan got involved with bad company early on and earned the nickname “Kuma” (that is, “bear”) because he always tried to gouge out his opponent’s eyes in a fight.

Kazuo Taoka, "boss of bosses" nicknamed "Bear"

In 1978, Kazuo Taoka was the oyabun of such a powerful group and made so much money that he was deservedly called the “boss of bosses.” No one could even think that some impudent minor gang would dare to commit an assassination attempt; The status itself protected the Yakuza leader better than any security. However, it happened. An assassin sent from the Matsuda-gumi clan approached Bear in a Tokyo nightclub. It sounds too funny to be true, but it happened during a party where mafiosi were playing limbo. Having shot the oyabun almost point-blank in the back of the head, the yakuza, confident in his luck, disappeared.

But Kazuo Taoka survived after being shot in the neck, and the killer was later found in the forest with signs of sophisticated torture. No one even tried to hide it - the corpse was left as a warning to all the other yakuza.