show and tell #1

Emmett Moore

THE BOSOZOKU

The bosozoku are notorious collection of Japanese biker gangs and are well know for their modified bikes, flashy clothing, and unique hairstyles. But all of this was back in their heyday and it seems like this sub culture group maybe dieing out, since their membership is at all time low and many of their traditions have begun to fade. The Bosozoku first appeared in Japan in the early 1950’s right as japans automotive industry begun to expand. The reason for this group starting was a way for the young lower class Japanese class to be part of something bigger then themselves while still not joining the mainstream system. Almost all members of Bosozoku are under the legal age of 20 in Japan; often when they do come of age they will move on or in some cases join the yakuza. They reached their peak of power in the 80’s and 90’s and were most well known for their illegally modified bikes and their acts of hooliganism. Their numbers in recent years have fallen from 42,520 in 1982 to very low 9,064 in 2011, this was mostly due to new laws being passed in late 2004 which gave the police more powers in order to arrest large groups of these rowdy and rough bikers. The Bosozoku were most well known for their bikes and their customization that would do to them, these bikes were mix of many different styles and would often have certain stylistic attributes to represent the region of Japan they came from. This group became so infamous that they become featured in Japanese TV shows, movies and even anime. They were easy to recognize in these programs because of their distinct clothing choices and over the top hairstyles.  Why have the Bosozoku declined mainly due to the stricter police policies as well as the global recession have left these hooligans ill equipped to mange their once lavish lifestyle. The Bazooka of the modern day have left many of the old styles of doing things behind replacing motorbikes with scooters and their flashy clothes for my subtle style.

While reading this article, I could not but help but be reminded of our biker groups here in America, many of which still have strong followings today and how many of these groups are seen in the same light as the Bazooka in Japan or worse. But they still exist in large numbers here in America and I think interesting that this group might be declining in Japan and if there are more cultural reasons behind their decline. Another difference I see between American biker groups and their Japanese counter part is the age of the average member. In America the average is around 25, which is considerably older, then the Bosozoku. Another thing I noticed was that went very much out of their way to stick out and go against the system in country from my understanding views going along with the system as cultural value.

So here are a few questions to think about?

Is the reasoning why the Bosozoku are declining is due to what factor is just the changing time or are modern kids are not interested? What is your opinion?

Is the reason why American Biker groups are still large in America due to the fact the stepping outside of control bounds or rebelling is very close to the American idea of freedom and rebelling?

The final question I have is does it matter that semi-illegal sub culture group is declining should anyone care and could point to changes in attitude in the over all culture.

also here is a link to the article http://www.tofugu.com/2012/03/26/violent-japanese-biker-gangs-just-not-what-they-used-to-be-bosozoku/