The origin and development of Japanese bosozoku

In fact, Bosozoku motorcycles are divided into two groups. Although most motorcycle modifications sacrifice performance for a ostentatious appearance, there are indeed some Bosozoku who pursue speed, so there are also A Bosozoku motorcycle modified and upgraded for performance.

Of course these motorcycles will not have an exaggerated appearance. Let’s not talk about these “others”. Let’s take a look at the standard Bosozoku “swagger modification”. You must have heard about the bosozoku in Japan, but you may not know their history.

Let’s learn about the history of the Bosozoku clan today.

The meaning of bosozoku is a Japanese subculture similar to a "car club", which refers to a group of young people who like to modify (usually illegally) motorcycles and cars. These modifications often include removing the vehicle's sound-deadening device to make it make more noise while driving.

Bosozokus also often drive dangerously, such as sliding left and right on both sides of the road (snaking), not wearing protective gear, and ignoring traffic signals. The Japanese police call them "Maru-So" (police code: Maru-So). Among the bosozoku, the female group is called "ladies" (meaning "ladies" in English).

Origin; The participants in the Bosozoku are mainly teenagers under the age of 20. Since adulthood is defined as 20 years old in Japanese law, criminal records may be left if you are over 20 years old. There are so-called "internal rules" in the Bosozoku group, so it is easier to join the Bosozoku group, but more difficult to quit.

Usually the bosozoku are also one of the grassroots organizations under violent gangs, and they are also the source of gang members. If the internal rules of the group are violated, lynching or violence are often used as punishment, and the resulting deaths and injuries are also reported in the news.

It is generally believed that the Bosozoku are an extension of the "Banchang Group" in middle school. The Banchang Group is similar to the "Delinquent Boys Group". When the leader of the delinquent boys (Banchang) joins the Bosozoku, the original group The Banchang Group became the reserve army of the "Bosozoku".

In addition, most of the interpersonal relationships of Bosozoku are centered on the school where they are from, so they have close ties with the leader of the delinquent boys in the school, and have a great influence on the delinquent groups in the school. Such tendencies exist in various regions of Japan.

There is also a theory that this subculture in Japan began in the 1950s. At that time, there was a group called the "Thunder Clan" (カミナリ clan). They were considered to be dangerous drivers and ignored Traffic rules for a group of people. Many members are from lower economic classes and may have joined gangs.

These are expressions of dissatisfaction with society. Group fights are also common, in which weapons such as Molotov cocktails, steel pipes, baseball bats and wooden swords are used. Cycling members often have tattoos, and they also have their own team style, but often give the impression of being noisy.

In order to increase the speed of their motorcycles, these young people removed the mufflers, causing them to make loud noises like thunder when driving. Therefore, they were called "Thunder Clan".

In the 1960s, the bosozoku continued to grow. They liked to drive dangerously on the streets, and not only motorcycles but also cars were involved, causing great nuisance to the citizens. In 1972, about 3,000 young people in Toyama City turned into thugs and attacked shops and cars of ordinary people. Therefore, they began to be called "bosozoku" by the Japanese media.

The most interesting thing about the Bosozoku is their clothes and dressing up. Let’s take a look at the conditions and elements that make up the Bosozoku.

Special attack uniforms are usually the same as the uniforms of these teams. . The meaning of "Special Attack Uniform" is "Special Attack Uniform". The idea comes from the uniforms of kamikaze pilots. Special attack suits are often designed to be unique and cost thousands of dollars. The Bosozoku uniforms are usually hand-me-downs and cannot be washed as this is a rule of their fleet.

The stereotype of the special attack suit is to embroider a string of slogans with Chinese characters on the clothes, such as the name of the group, the mood at the time, etc., such as "Noise is the best", "Dew at night is painful", etc. wait. They don't often wear this kind of clothing, only on some important days, such as graduation ceremonies.

Special attack suits have a special status among the Bosozoku clan and are often a symbol of status.

After the leader of a violent group retires, he will basically pass his special attack uniform to his admired successor to show his respect for the successor.

Nowadays, in addition to bosozoku, many fans of idols or singers will wear special attack uniforms to attend concerts and other activities to express their enthusiasm for their idols. At the concert of the Japanese music group Keshi, you will see many people wearing special attack suits, but don't be too surprised.

Special attack suits cannot be bought in ordinary stores. They usually need to be customized because the embroidery of each piece is different. You can also buy it in some online stores, and then ask the store to embroider the words you like for you. If you are interested, you can refer to these Japanese brands (Japanese only).

Bosozoku outfits

There are also cyclists who also wear pompadour hairstyles, sunglasses, headscarves, and Japanese Imperial flags. Similar to the Mala Teacher GTO manga, Onizuka was once a member of the Bosozoku clan.

Bosozoku members include not only men but also women, and of course they include tattoos and modified motorcycles. However, in recent years, bosozoku girls have also become more fashionable and feminine, such as painting their nails and painting their motorcycles pink.

Bosozoku hairstyle

The hair on both sides is combed back, and the hair in the middle is combed high and the airplane head is derived from the early European Cafe Racer. This unique hairstyle has developed new development in Japan, and has gradually become a symbol of delinquents and bosozoku.

Of course, in fact, the so-called bosozoku do not have any uniform hairstyle requirements. So the hair is also quite casual, with flat heads, bald heads, Yamamoto haircuts, all kinds of hairstyles appearing.

Speaking of hairstyle, let me mention my eyebrows. Trimming your eyebrows very thinly and raising them, shaving their ends, or simply shaving them all off is not a new subculture look. Decades ago, Japanese delinquents and bosozokus often did this. The purpose is to make oneself look more fierce

Asian Squat

This kind of squatting posture that Asians can easily do but Europeans struggle to do even if they die is a bad boy. This is a gesture favored by bosozoku, usually accompanied by a cigarette.

This ruffian-looking posture is also to make yourself look more fierce. Of course, it is best to match it with a disdainful expression that is particularly difficult to control.

Motorcycles

In fact, Bosozoku motorcycles are divided into two groups. Although most motorcycle modifications sacrifice performance in exchange for ostentatious appearance, there are indeed some Bosozokus pursue speed, so there are also Bosozoku motorcycles that are modified and upgraded for performance. Of course these motorcycles won’t have exaggerated looks. Let’s not talk about these “others”.

In fact, the brand of motorcycles does not matter, they are generally locally produced cars. Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha. Motorcycles from Japan’s four major motorcycle manufacturers are all good choices. Because the point is not what kind of car it is, but how it is modified.

"Warping" is the core of Baozou modification. The front of the car can be installed with a air deflector, which is often called a "pig head cover", but the installation method must not be the original installation position, and the purpose of installation is not to reduce wind resistance. The high-flying installation has one purpose: ostentation. The tilted front of the car is like looking up at the sky, showing a sense of unruliness and disdain.

Not only the pig hood, the Asahi Fengfang, which has begun to appear in China in the past two years, is also a favorite accessory of bosozoku. But in the same way, Xufeng is not designed to block the wind. There are various installation methods, but the main thing is that they do not block the wind.

Be handsome, stand out, and be different. If you really use it as a windshield, you are doing it wrong. The same goes for the seat cushion that is raised as high as possible, and the rear raised part cannot have any hard support, it just wants a trembling feeling when riding

Of course, a lot of colorful paintings and bright and eye-catching colors The paint is also an essential part, installing a loud air horn; and most importantly, converting it into a noisy direct exhaust are all key points. The only purpose of all modifications is to show off. It doesn't matter if you sacrifice performance or something.

The current situation of the Japanese Bosozoku group

The total number of members of the Japanese Bosozoku group reached a peak of 42,510 in 1982, and then began to decline year by year, reaching 15,086 members in 2005.

Usually, members of the bosozoku will quit when they reach the age of 18 or 20. Internal regulations stipulate that at this time, they must find another teenager to join before they can quit. However, due to the declining birthrate in recent years, more and more quitters are unable to find others willing to join. Teenagers, so the members of the Bosozoku clan have become significantly older in recent years.

After the discontinuation of production of several classic Japanese high-performance cars in response to the exhaust regulations in 2000, the prices of subsequent models have increased, and the decline of the domestic economy has led to the decline of domestic high-performance cars. There are fewer choices, and the price of used cars has also increased due to the discontinuation of production, which has greatly increased the cost of purchasing vehicles for young people.

In addition, the rise in oil prices and the unfavorable tax system have also discouraged young people from owning vehicles. In addition, the diversification of entertainment distracts young people's attention, which is also the reason for the decrease in bosozoku. Although the means of transportation have weakened, young people, in their need to kill boredom and gain attention, have even turned into the wonderful phenomenon of racing on bicycles, which is the "walking bosozoku".

Starting from November 2004, the behavior of bosozoku will be regarded as "same dangerous behavior" in Japan, and according to Article 68 of Japan's Road Traffic Law, they can be punished with up to 2 years in prison. , and is subject to a fine of 500,000 yen and 25 traffic violation points. Your driver's license will also be revoked and you will not be able to retake the test for several years. In addition, after being accused, it will also cause difficulties in employment. In addition, the police have strengthened their crackdowns every year, so the number of bosozoku has also begun to decrease significantly.

The bosozoku that flourished in the 1970s and 1980s are actually now in decline. Although there are statistics, cases such as bosozou attacks on citizens are actually quite rare and are usually physical conflicts between different bosozoku groups. However, dozens or even hundreds of motorcycles wandering in groups on the streets at night, snaking forward, and roaring engines will undoubtedly cause a lot of trouble to the people. Therefore, it is understandable that this kind of behavior will be cracked down by the police.

Especially during the Heisei era in Japan, the rich material and spiritual life, coupled with the declining economic situation, made young people less aggressive than the Showa era. Coupled with police crackdowns, Japan's population is aging. The once ostentatious Bosezo clan has gradually declined. Nowadays, it is difficult to see groups of Bosezo organization parades. Occasionally, some Bosezo culture enthusiasts who miss the old times come in small groups to take a quick tour of the Bōzō city. This is the current situation of the Bosozoku clan.