Shinjuku Golden Gai
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Shinjuku Golden Gai is a district of Kabukicho within Shinjuku, a special ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is composed of a network of six narrow alleys, connected by even narrower passageways which are about
Entrance gate of Shinjuku Golden Gai
An alley in Golden Gai
Early Golden Gai
Akarui Hanazono Sanban Street at night
Yakuza
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Yakuza, also known as gokudō, or simply the Japanese mafia, are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media call them bōryokudan, while the
Shinjuku Golden Gai
…as a drinking area, and at least some of the bars can trace their origins back to the 1960s. In the 1980s, many buildings in Tokyo were set on fire by yakuza, so the land could be bought up by developers, but Golden Gai survived because some of its supporters took turns guarding the area at night. Shinjuku…
An early example of irezumi tattoos, 1870s
The Kabukicho district of Shinjuku has historically been known as a popular yakuza hangout in Tokyo.
Yakuza often take part in local festivals such as Sanja Matsuri, where they often ride the shrine through the streets proudly showing off their elaborate tattoos.
Poster for the 1948 Akira Kurosawa film Drunken Angel, a yakuza eiga-genre film