Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Screenplay: Norio Osada, Fumio Kōnami, Kinji Fukasaku
Based on a book by: Atsushi Mizoguchi (uncredited)
Starring: Koji Tsuruta, Tomisaburō Wakayama, Ryôhei Uchida, Noboru Andō, Bunta Sugawara, Yoshi Katō, Seizaburō Kawazu, Hideo Murota, Harumi Sone, Asao Uchida, Rinichi Yamamoto
Country: Japan
Running Time: 96 min
Year: 1969
BBFC Certificate: 15
Kinji Fukasaku’s Japan Organised Crime Boss, which is coming to Blu-ray via Radiance Films, was made by Toei as a star vehicle for Koji Tsuruta. It was a commercial success, leading to it becoming the first in a series of four Nihon Boryoku-dan (Japan’s Violent Gangs) films. Fukasaku didn’t direct any of the other episodes, though Sympathy For the Underdog started out as an intended sequel before morphing into its own entity.
Wanting to keep the film from being another generic yakuza movie, Fukasaku injected some contemporary geopolitical issues into Japan Organised Crime Boss. Several ‘proxy wars’, such as the Vietnam War, were going on at the time and were controversial topics. These proxy wars saw powerful nations sending soldiers to fight their enemies either directly or indirectly through someone else’s conflict, therefore keeping their hands relatively clean and avoiding conflict on home soil.
Fukasaku didn’t have to concoct a far-fetched plot to confront these issues in his story. He drew inspiration from a true-account book called ‘Blood and Conflict’ by Atsushi Mizoguchi. This was about the Yamaguchi-gumi yakuza clan. He also studied links between politics and crime to inform the story.
With its honourable hero, Japan Organised Crime Boss could rightfully be called a ninkyo eiga (chivalry film) but, due to it being inspired by true events and set in modern-day Japan, some (including Nathan Stuart on this disc) class it as the first jitsuroku eiga (‘actual record film’). As such, it could be seen as quite an important and pivotal film for Fukasaku, who is best known (away from Battle Royale in the West) for his Battles Without Honour and Humanity series.
At the start of Japan Organised Crime Boss, a complex voiceover and series of headlines and action scenes describe how the Danno Organisation, a powerful yakuza clan, has expanded its influence in Japan under Boss Danno and his ruthless captain, Tsubaki (Ryōhei Uchida). Facing opposition from the Tokyo Alliance (an amalgamation of Tokyo gangs), the Hamanaka Family, based in Yokohama, becomes a pawn in the power struggle.
After his release from prison, Tetsuo Tsukamoto (Kôji Tsuruta) inherits leadership of the Hamanaka Family and is asked by his dying boss to go against the Danno Organisation, keeping them out of their turf.
Tsukamoto initially seeks peace with the Sakurada Family, who are acting as a proxy for the Tokyo Alliance, but he is forced to retaliate to appease his men, due to Sakurada being responsible for the death of their previous boss. A series of violent events, including murders and betrayals, escalate the conflict.
The drug-addicted leader of the Hokuryu Kai, Miyahara (Tomisaburô Wakayama), is expelled from the Tokyo Alliance and is convinced to align with the Danno Organisation. His gang becomes a dangerous force, causing chaos and violence. Tsukamoto faces threats from the Hokuryu Kai, due to their allegiance to Danno, but Miyahara grows to respect Tsukamoto.
Whilst Tsukamoto navigates this dangerous world, he finds love with the sister (Sanae Nakahara) of Kazama (Bunta Sugawara), his most loyal gang member.
Fukasaku would later openly move away from more traditional tales of honourable criminals as you see in Japan Organised Crime Boss, through the Tsukamoto character, but that’s not to say this earlier approach is any less admirable. In fact, I’d say the film is up there with the director’s best. Mind you, I’ve watched a lot of his films and I’m almost never disappointed, so it’s hard to pick favourites.
As usual for Fukasaku, his frames are often quite busy, filled with minor characters and activity. The action scenes are shot handheld, giving energy and a sense of chaos, even if this is a little more restrained than his later work. It’s no less violent though, with splashes of blood throughout and some pretty brutal sequences here and there.
The cast is wonderful too. Tomisaburō Wakayama steals a lot of scenes as the drug-addled Miyahara, who’s larger than life and carves his own unique path through the yakuza underworld.
Reportedly, Wakayama wasn’t Fukasaku’s choice for the role but the studios insisted. However, the director was so impressed with the actor’s performance, he changed his mind and cast him in Sympathy for the Underdog a couple of years later and other films following this. Japan Organised Crime Boss was also the first of several films Fukasaku made with Noboru Andô, who must have also made an impression on the director.
Kôji Tsuruta is no slouch either, as the film’s star. He was huge in Japan but isn’t quite as well known in the West. Interestingly, he himself was once reportedly attacked by members of the Yamaguchi-gumi yakuza clan on whom this film is based (though later the actor and clan boss would become friends). In Japan Organised Crime Boss, Tsuruta perfectly balances the tough but hyper-cool gangster persona with a warmer side, in the love and respect he shows his men and more honourable peers.
As the film moves on, in fact, the heart of the drama comes out through the intriguing relationship between Tsukamoto and Miyahara. They’re harshly contrasting characters, with the former acting like a traditional yakuza putting honour and dignity above all, whereas the latter is a wild animal, who does what he likes and is prone to violent outbursts. However, after witnessing Tsukamoto’s calm composure and strength in the face of one of his explosions, Miyahara develops a deep respect for the man. This respect is reciprocated as time goes on, leading to a surprisingly poignant conclusion.
Overall, Japan Organised Crime Boss is an incredibly effective and well-crafted blend of ninkyo eiga and jitsuroku eiga, that heralded the raft of classics that Fukasaku would direct in the years that followed.
Film: 
Japan Organised Crime Boss is out on 18th November on region A&B Blu-Ray, released by Radiance Films. The transfer is fantastic – clean and detailed with pleasing colours and well-balanced tones. I’ve used compressed screengrabs throughout this review to give you an idea of how it looks. The stills look softer than I remember it looking in movement though. It sounds good too.
LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
– New 4K restoration by Toei Company
– Uncompressed mono PCM audio
– Archival interview with Kinji Fukasaku
– Interview with yakuza film historian Akihiko Ito (2024)
– Visual essay on Koji Tsuruta’s collaborations with Fukasaku by yakuza cinema expert Nathan Stuart (2024)
– Trailer
– Newly improved English subtitle translation
– Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
– Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Stuart Galbraith IV and an archival review of the film
– Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
There’s a 34-minute archival interview with Fukasaku on the disc. He opens by talking about the challenges of his job as a film director, particularly during difficult times in the Japanese industry. He has some amusing stories to tell, including one involving a snake that animal lovers might want to skip past. He also takes questions from the group of businessmen making up his audience. This brings up some fascinating topics about filmmaking more generally.
Akihiko Ito provides a 15-minute interview about the film. He largely talks about the film’s background but also discusses the film’s themes and qualities. It’s an excellent piece.
In an essay on the disc, Nathan Stuart looks at the films Fukasaku made with Kôji Tsuruta. This is also a valuable addition to the set. I found the actor’s backstory, given in the initial portion of the piece, to be particularly interesting. The essay gave me several titles to add to my wishlist too. Hopefully, Radiance, Eureka or Arrow have some of these on their schedules.
I didn’t receive a copy of the booklet to comment on that, unfortunately.
So, it’s another first-rate package from Radiance. I can’t get enough of these Fukasaku releases, so keep ‘em coming.
Disc/package:
Leave a Reply