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Japan Subculture Research Center

A guide to the Japanese underworld, Japanese pop-culture, yakuza and everything dark under the sun.

Month: December 2016

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  • Celebrate Japanese Cinema Day: 映画の日! Ninja! Yakuza! Cyborgs! Reviews!

Celebrate Japanese Cinema Day: 映画の日! Ninja! Yakuza! Cyborgs! Reviews!

But I think that the reason the general public identified with the roles I played, was that they were struck by my stance as a man who unrelentingly stands up…

Some parting words from Yakuza movie icon Takakura Ken on yakuza films, his favourite movies, and acting

But I think that the reason the general public identified with the roles I played, was that they were struck by my stance as a man who unrelentingly stands up…

Let’s Convenience Store! The Musical: コンビニへ行こう!

What’s not to like about a Japanese love song that is dedicated to konbini and the people who staff them, that consists of a handful of exchange students kanpai’ing and…

Aliens Versus Yakuza: 宇宙人対極道: A Masterpiece Of Bad Genre Films

I wouldn't want to spoil the rest of the film for our readers but it does solve the ancient question: in a battle between an alien and a yakuza, who…

The Hardest Men In Town: Chronicles of Sin, Sex, Violence and 1975 classic gangster film THE YAKUZA

In honour of Japan’s Celebration of Cinema Day, December 1st, we’ve reposted some reviews and articles on classic films. Some good, some bad, some epic.This was originally posted on March 10th 2011.…

Ghost in the Shell: The Matrix of Sci-Fi Anime

With the newest Ghost in the Shell film in theaters, and a live-action version on the horizon, it's important to take a look back at what made the original so…

The Realities and “Legal Slavery” of Japan’s Porn Industry

業界全体で知らなかっては済まされないほど若い女性や男性が無理やりポルノに出演させられている現状が我々などの支援団体は目の当たりにしている。ファッションモデル契約と聞いて契約に同意したのに、当日にいきなりポルノ出演と聞かされ台本を渡され、帰りたいやめたいと懇願しても数百万円の違約金を払えと脅され屈する、若干10代の若者たち。使い捨てにされ、その後の進学・就職や結婚にも大きな影響が出ている。

The 10 Worst Films About Japan*: You Might Only Live Twice But Are These Movies Worth Seeing Once?

Memoirs of a Geisha starring Zhang Ziyi as a ravishing prewar geisha by the name of Sayuri ('white lily'), sinks to basement level lows of pigeon-holing and cultural misunderstanding. As…