To gain a vantage point from the last term in AEP Level 3 which I spend more time with new magazines at library. The topic about Sumo of The Economist magazine caught me reading it, next for blogging I’m looking for article Sumo then “Sumo falls prey to Japan's mafia” is found in the BBC News.In the article, Sumo, the most notable Japanese sport, has a bad reputation for an illegal gambling scheme which is run by the yakuza. Sumo, the sport of emperor’s court, traces a sacred purpose, so wrestlers are expected to strict standards of good behavior. In July the NHK banned to broadcast the Nagoya basho-tournament- because Japan’s top wrestler played illegal betting organized by the yakuza. But the old wrestler said, “It’s natural” and "Even in traditional Kabuki theatre there is a famous character, a sumo wrestler who becomes a yakuza. So the link has always been there." Furthermore, the yakuza have portrayed tradition Japanese value; honor, loyalty, reciprocity, endurance, obedience. Jake Adelstein, author of Tokyo Vice, believed this scandal is part of the police offensive against the yakuza.
I was not surprised that the police demonstrate to build their overhaul of the powerful and construct new positions over the yakuza in modern Japan. If more of us would step outside and take a look inside from far distance. We might see how they are related. Sumo, the yakuza and the police were born from the social mechanism. Sumo came under the influence of a propaganda sport campaign. Similarly, the yakuza was born after the destructive power of the samurai system. The police is the form of samurai and a influential in shaping guardian and protective policy. They live together in a same home for a long time. But it's a war starting because they lacked of awareness of each other and crossed a line of boundary. They conserve only what they do. They do only what they understand.
Do you agree or disagree? Why? Should the yakuza totally destroy from Japan? Why or Why not?
I was not surprised that the police demonstrate to build their overhaul of the powerful and construct new positions over the yakuza in modern Japan. If more of us would step outside and take a look inside from far distance. We might see how they are related. Sumo, the yakuza and the police were born from the social mechanism. Sumo came under the influence of a propaganda sport campaign. Similarly, the yakuza was born after the destructive power of the samurai system. The police is the form of samurai and a influential in shaping guardian and protective policy. They live together in a same home for a long time. But it's a war starting because they lacked of awareness of each other and crossed a line of boundary. They conserve only what they do. They do only what they understand.
Do you agree or disagree? Why? Should the yakuza totally destroy from Japan? Why or Why not?
__________
References
Roland Buerk . (2010, September 22). Sumo falls prey to Japan's mafia. BBC news. Retrieved September 30 2010 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11390278
I like your idea to explain this social situation. I agree with u that those job is the results of the decline of old traditional roles, so they have still been related with each other as old relationship. Moreover, this explanation covers more than Sumo's case. It can explain most of illegal activities like Thai culture. In Thailand, most illegal economy belong to governmental office staves because of the influence of old Thai feudal system.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I a bit understand this situation, I like your idea,NK because you describe me to see the relationship among samurai, police, yakuza, and sumo.
ReplyDeleteNK, Please let me know.
For checking my understanding, Did NHK ban to broadcast the Nagoya basho-tournament for showing that NHK disagree with bad behavior of wrestle? and Does NHK try to inform people that he does not support the activity with relate to illegal thing?
I just knew that the sumo tournament is held by Yakuza.
ReplyDelete- Do you agree or disagree? Why?
In fact, evrybody who is illegal should have eliminated, so I agree.
- Should the yakuza totally destroy from Japan? Why or Why not?
Personally, I have been to Japan for 3 times: the first and third time were for meeting, but the second time that I spent 3 months to be there. I didn't know who Yakuza is untill my Japanese colleages pointed and told me. They seemed to be officer who dresses up with suit and tie. My colleages said that usually they didn't try to approach to people unless those people put themselves to relate Yakusa. Also, most of night bussinesses and entertainment places are owned or controlled by Yakuza, and people will spend the relaxed time to drink or hang out at those place. I think that if all Yakuza are eliminated from Japan, the people who love night life would be sorrowful surely 555+. Moreover, as long as I know, all Yakuza has commonly benefit with politicians, and the polices may get bribery from Yakuza like some country, so It's quite difficult to do that. If Yakuza was disappeared, those people would not let whoever do that because they will lose money possibly. However, I think Yakuza should be eliminated from Japan if it's possible.
It reminded me of the corruption and violence that also result from making drugs people want to use for fun illegal, such as marijuana, alcohol and cocaine. That just encourages corruption, violence and mafia groups, which is bad for society and people who use drugs for to relax or socialise.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the best solution would be to legalise gambling on sumo matches to cut out the yakuza violence?
That the yakuza are traditional in Japan seems a very bad reason to accept them - just because something has been a bad part of a culture for a long time does not make it right; it's still wrong.
The mafia are also traditional in Italian society, and alcohol was made illegal in the US, their power spread there, too. There are some great mafia movies which also portray godfathers as good people who care deeply about their families, but they are still evil people.
I am sure that Japan would be better off if the yakuza were completely destroyed. A good way to start would be to legalize some of the things that give them power with the police and politicians.
Gift (@ October 3, 2010 12:22 PM)
ReplyDeleteThe NHK refused to broadcast that tournament because they found the top wrestler playing illegal betting and they disliked it. Actually the NHK didn’t concern about the people’s thinking but they got a flood of complaints from Japanese viewers and a decreasing in number of sponsors.
Peter (@ October 3, 2010 10:14 PM )
I agree with you to legalize gambling on every sports such as baseball games, sumo matches. Let the gangsters to be invisible in society.
In the US, some of the hardened criminals are come from Italian mafia. Nowaday,in Italy, a powerful person in government is also from the Italian crime family. Sometimes the Italian police operation is nothing.
This News is interesting for me. I never heard that before, I just known that yakuza is a harmful for society. They kill a lot of people and do something illegal. So I think yakuza should detroy from Japan. But how is yakuza totally destroy from Japan?
ReplyDeleteThis article is reflecting to Thai boxing directly. Corruption, bribery and mafia all of them go along with Thai boxing !!
ReplyDeleteFrom Net idea (@ October 4, 2010 9:12 PM) remind me of this idea: Sports are good but sometimes people make it bad, why?
ReplyDeleteSuch as Thai boxing, hose racing, football, etc. It is turn from sport to gambling.
There was another report on the evils of Japan's yakuza in the BBC News today.
ReplyDeleteIn "Exposing the world of Japan's yakuza mafia", David Lee tells us about the threats made to Jake Adelstein when he was investigating the yakuza'a violent involvement in Japan's sex industry. As Lee notes, Japan is unusual in that due to cultural beliefs "organised crime has not been driven underground" (Disorganised crime sect. ¶ 8). According to Lee, quoting Adelstein, Japanese believe that "the only thing worse than organised crime is disorganised crime" (¶ 10), which means that the yakuza are quite open and well known in their activities. However, as Adelstein discovered when his life and that of his family was threatened, the Japanese version is every bit as evil, violent and vicious as the American or Italian mafia, however politely they might pretend to be.
I have to admit that I was surprised when I read about the open way the yakuza gangs run their businesses. As well as legalizing prostitution and other non-harmful pleasures that encourage such nasty types to profit from what many ordinary people think is acceptable, the Japanese should perhaps reconsider their traditional belief that organized crime is preferable to disorganized crime. Although it might be understandable, that does not sound to me like a healthy cultural tradition.
References
Lee, D. (2010, October 4). Exposing the world of Japan's yakuza mafia. BBC News. Retrieved October 5, 2010 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11446716
Peter (@ October 5, 2010 6:34 PM )
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly, legalizing prostitution appears on most movies becoming to be true. In Japan at an anti-social, the yakuza want to replace the police system and legal businesses. They changed rapidly from pure-white society to tones of grey. Japanese should do the few things that beats this circle with high pressure.