Gamblers & Drifters

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MVPs

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PLOT

Meet Yamanaka Shōji (1950)

Run Time: start to 5:58 | Key Families: MURAOKA – OTHER | Reference Chart (spoilers):

Hiroshima, 1950. Following the events of the first film, the Yamamori family now controls the port city of Kure, in Hiroshima prefecture – with Hirono in prison for the murder of Doi (see Episode 1 Deep Dive), and fellow underbosses about to enter a period of intense strife. Meanwhile, the city of Hiroshima sees the rise of the Muraoka family, led by Muraoka Tsuneo.

We meet Yamanaka Shōji, a drifter taking part in a heated gambling session. Yamanaka is caught cheating clumsily, and, when discovered, gets insolent and tries to leave with half the money. Caught and brutally beaten-up, he ends-up in the kitchen, near knives… which he promptly uses to enact brutal revenge on the whole group – netting himself a 2-year prison sentence.

In prison, Yamanaka directs his endless anger towards guards, earning him some solitary time. Hirono Shōzō (still a Yamamori family member – for now), taking pity on his fellow inmate, brings him food, devoured by the famished and thankful Yamanaka.

Bringing food to an inmate in need, helping another fight off guards and being paroled (see Episode 1 Deep Dive)… No wonder empathetic Hirono makes so many friends in prison throughout the series!

Yamanaka Joins the Yakuza (1952)

Run Time: 5:58 to 16:17 | Key Families: MURAOKA – OTOMO – TAKANASHI – TAKEHARA – OTHER | Reference Chart (spoilers):

Two years later, Yamanaka is paroled, spending his first few hours as a free man wolfing down food in a small restaurant. He meets waitress Uehara Yasuko (note: from here on referred to as Yasuko to match the film dialogue), explaining to her that he has no money, and offering to work or giveaway his watch – his only possession – to pay for the food. Yasuko, touched by the man’s distress, lets him leave without paying – but Yamanaka erupts in anger, berating Yasuko for thinking he’s a beggar.

Yasuko shakes him off angrily, prompting some oily yakuza to muscle in on the scene: Yasuko is boss Muraoka‘s niece, and this slight towards her will be punished. They destroy Yamanaka‘s watch, starting a violent fight. The men, led by Yamanaka‘s soon-to-be nemesis Otomo Katsutoshi (note: from here on referred to as Katsutoshi for clarity and to match the film dialogue), vastly overpower him and drag him outside, beating him to within an inch of his life.

Why is Yasuko so keen to defend Yamanaka, shouting that he’s a good citizen? As we will soon find out, her late husband was in the military, dying in action. Perhaps the sight of another army man, destitute and desperate, inspires some special compassion.

Yasuko interposes herself, only for Yamanaka to issue an angry threat: if Katsutoshi and his men don’t kill him on the spot, he will spend his life hunting them down to kill them instead. Katsutoshi and his men, outraged, go for the kill – but are suddenly interrupted by Otomo Choji, boss of the Katsutoshi family (and real father to Otomo Katsutoshi) and his men Nakahara Keisuke and Kuramitsu Toshio. The group quickly disbands, with father and son voicing their displeasure about each other, and Yamanaka is saved.

As Yamanaka recovers under Yasuko‘s care, Muraoka visits them with his Captain Matsunaga Hiroshi. Muraoka explains that Yamanaka cannot be kept at Yasuko‘s house, as it would cause a scandal. The camera zooms in to reveal why: the altar of Yasuko‘s late husband, a young man in the Japanese army uniform – whose widow cannot be seen engaging in a casual relationship with a new man.

At the Muraoka headquarters, gambling is under way, under the watchful eye of Muraoka underboss Eda Shōzō. Yamanaka is summoned to the office of boss Muraoka, where Muraoka‘s kyōdai (sword brother) Takanashi Kunimatsu presents him with a choice – become a yakuza, or remain a civilian. Yamanaka, carried by his burning grudge on Katsutoshi, asks to join, so he can enact vengeance.

Muraoka laughs him off, reminding him that killings must be sanctioned by the family boss first, but suggests he makes his yakuza debut by joining the Takanashi family. The deed agreed, Muraoka gives Yamanaka his very own expensive watch to replace the one broken by the Katsutoshi thugs. Yamanaka, tearful, silently thanks Muraoka; a loyal subject is born.

Some time passes and Yamanaka, now an better fed and less angry Takanashi man, is happily guarding a brothel when Yasuko comes in drunk, asking for a room to rest. Yamanaka respectfully complies and brings her water, but when Yasuko playfully asks him for a kiss on the forehead, he loses control and forces himself on her, hitting her as she pushes him away. Surprised at his own gesture, Yamanaka pauses, before the two embrace.

Soon, Yamanaka is back at Yasuko‘s apartment, playing with her daughter – a happy family… on the surface. It’s not long until Takanashi and Matsunaga burst in, angrily grabbing Yamanaka and throwing him out of Yasuko‘s house: they inform him that Yasuko‘s late husband is an enshrined war hero, and that boss Muraoka is furious at this unsanctioned and shameful union between the two lovers. Yamanaka is exiled, and off to Kyushu to stay under local boss Takehara.

Yamanaka the Hitman (1953)

Run Time: 16:17 to 21:12 | Key Families: MURAOKA – OTOMO – TAKANASHI – TAKEHARA – OTHER | Reference Chart (spoilers):

Some time later, Yamanaka is summoned to lunch by Takehara. As he sits at the table (set for one), he finds an unexpected object under the seat: a gun. Puzzled, Yamanaka wonders what to do – until he hears a very near, and very clear, conversation in the room next door between boss Takehara and some of his men: a local construction businessman is causing them trouble, and needs eliminating. If only someone unaffiliated to their family could help…

Yamanaka understands the message loud and clear, and is soon whisked off to his next destination: the construction site. Yamanaka finds his victim, slowly raises his gun, and hesitates – before finally shooting. His prey is dead, and his job is done. Yamanaka, shaken but satisfied (and whistling a somber military song to celebrate his deed), has “become a (yakuza) man” and a hitman, and has started the making of a doomed legend.

After this successful hit, and evading the police, Yamanaka is immediately forgiven by Muraoka, who officially lets him join his family with Takanashi as his guardian, in a ceremony held by powerful yakuza elders Tokimori Kanichi and Kageura Tatsujiro.

The Muraoka – Otomo War Part 1: Merchants vs Gamblers (1955)

Run Time: 21:12 to 34:25 | Key Families: MURAOKA – OTOMO – TAKANASHI – OTHER | Reference Chart (spoilers):

Hiroshima, 1955. The Muraoka family is handling security at a brand new bicycle racetrack when two Katsutoshi men light up a small amount of dynamite in the racetrack toilets, only to be immediately caught by Eda. They are brutally beaten up, to the alarm of the local officials, already on the phone to the police about the incident.

But first to arrive at the scene is Katsutoshi, threatening to kill the men who harm his own. As an argument between Eda and Katsutoshi escalates dangerously, local official Nanryozaka Makoto reminds Katsutoshi that Muraoka is director of the Bicycle Race Promotion Association, and should not be crossed. Katsutoshi, in return, dismisses the warning and warns Nanryozaka to make sure Katsutoshi men get lucky in their racing bets going forward – or else.

Director of a Racing Association (Muraoka), Director of a Boating association (Yamamori, see Episode 1 Deep Dive), with directors raking in 96% of 1 billion Yen earnings (according to Katsutoshi anyway)… Life – and income – is good for the local yakuza bosses!

Nanryozaka, flanked by policeman Ishida Eisuke, visits Muraoka for a crisis meeting, bemoaning their lack of control over the racecourse. Muraoka, unflappable, responds that Katsutoshi is a useless punk in rebellion with his father and should be ignored, with Matsunaga adding that security will be increased in response. But Ishida is weary of the escalation of violence, suggesting instead making Katsutoshi a director, an idea immediately and firmly rejected by Muraoka.

Elsewhere, father Otomo Choji berates his son Otomo Katsutoshi for his rash actions against Muraoka. He reminds his son that he and Muraoka have been kyōdai since the war and opened the black market together, with Muraoka giving Otomo full reign over it.

Katsutoshi, with an eye on the future and on the profits brought by a racecourse versus the dwindling black market as the country nears the end of rationing, protests and asks that his father modernise their business. But Otomo Choji refuses, and the conflict comes to a head, leading to Katsutoshi being taken out of the succession line from his father’s family, in favour of second-in-command Kuramitsu.

The Otomo refer to the two activities historically linked to yakuza and yakuza organisations: ‘bakuto’ (itinerant gambler, a mostly illegal activity) and ‘tekiya’ (itinerant merchant, often associated with black market trading) – although, in the modernising yakuza world, businessman is clearly the activity of choice.

Undeterred, Katsutoshi starts running a gambling den, promptly raided by Matsunaga who reminds him of the agreement between the two families, and offers to let Katsutoshi go free if he closes this unwelcome business. Katsutoshi, flippant as ever, reveals the ace in his sleeve: he is now backed by yakuza elder Tokimori, who named Katsutoshi as his successor, before both rudely send Matsunaga back to his master Muraoka.

Drunk on power and beer, Katsutoshi and his gang party at a local bar, before the fun is cut short by Tokimori rushing in to reveal that they have both been expelled by Muraoka in an order signed by other powerful elder Kageura – cutting them off from doing any business in Hiroshima. Katsutoshi laughs the matter off hysterically and tears the notice.

Katsutoshi refers to his gang as a ‘kamikaze team’, stating that they will all die together. For him and Yamanaka, who were unable to fight in the war, the dark glamour and heroic image of kamikaze pilots seems to be an irresistible point of comparison.

In the meantime, the Muraoka family is doing a team-bonding tattoo activity, much to Eda‘s pain and displeasure (and cleverly evaded by Matsunaga). But the fun soon turns to chaos, as the Katsutoshi gang raids the Muraoka building – first luring the men out, then coming straight in for Muraoka. As the fight moves further and further upstairs, much in the manner of a samurai castle raid other, Eda, Matsunaga, Yamanaka, and Muraoka men regroup to protect Muraoka and fight off the other gang. Matsunaga finally wounds Katsutoshi, forcing Katsutoshi and his men to retreat.

After two dead and eight injured, the raid is over – but not the war.

The Muraoka – Otomo War Part 2: Hirono Enters the Scene (1955)

Run Time: 34:25 to 49:50 | Key Families: MURAOKA – OTOMO – TAKANASHI – YAMAMORI – HIRONO – OTHER | Reference Chart (spoilers):

Back in Kure, an old acquaintance has set-up shop: Hirono, freshly broken off from the Yamamori family (see the Episode 1 Deep Dive) to head his own, including member Shimada Koichi. They are soon visited by a very special guest: Mrs Yamamori, with her husband Yamamori Yoshio (Hirono‘s old boss) staying behind in the car. She need a favour: sheltering Yamamori‘s friend Tokimori for a few days while the Muraoka – Otomo strife continues, in exchange for an envelope of money. Hirono refuses, with Mrs Yamamori insisting and reminding Hirono that Yamamori hasn’t even formally expelled him yet – a hackneyed move that fails to convince a very unimpressed Hirono.

Did Yamamori fail to formally expel Hirono out of of the goodness of his heart? Or because it’s more convenient to pull favours from Hirono if he’s still ‘technically’ one of the family? Who knows…

Hirono and his family may be masters of their own fate, but this comes with a precarious lifestyle – and food diet. Unable to put food on the table, Shimada resorts to killing and eating local dogs to feed Hirono… who realises after some suspicious dog howling outside, and very sheepish-looking Shimada and crew. (note: it is very obvious from the scene that no harm came to the dogs… at least in real life) Hirono understands the dire situation his family is in and, despite his own reservations, understands that he must fulfill Yamamori‘s request in order to get a much-needed cash injection.

Tokimori becomes a guest of Hirono, immediately complaining about the hosting conditions, to Hirono‘s disdain. But Hirono soon has another visitor: Yamanaka, his old cell mate, waiting for him at a near-by café. Hirono understands that Yamanaka is on a mission to kill Tokimori, and admits that he is staying with him. Yamanaka is crestfallen, unwilling to put his old friend in trouble by murdering his guest. Hirono, also unwilling to fight Yamanaka, has a plan: he will bring Tokimori to Hiroshima, ending his guard over him and allowing Yamanaka to conduct the hit. The two men agree and part ways.

On the way to Hiroshima, Tokimori behaves strangely, and asks to stop at a near-by house – asking Hirono to wait for him at a local gambling hall managed by Katsutoshi. Hirono is suspicious, but cannot deny the request. As he waits at the gambling hall with a tense Katsutoshi, Hirono gets a phone call: it’s Yamamori, berating Hirono for moving Tokimori around without telling him, and (correctly) accusing Hirono to do so to facilitate the hit by Yamanaka.

As planned by Yamamori, Katsutoshi is also listening to the phone call, understanding the ploy happening around him. Yamamori further presses the point by mentioning on the phone that he paid Hirono, and that Tokimori wants to reconciliate with Muraoka anyway (implying a break with rebel Katsutoshi). Hirono immediately understands the danger he’s in and runs out, barely managing to escape Katsutoshi‘s ire and bullets.

Hirono and Shimada are furious at Tokimori‘s double-crossing, and visit the inn where he’s staying, knocking at his bedroom door and receiving no response. But they have a plan. Pretending a resolution to the conflict, they tell Tokimori that they are delivering a (fake) peace message from Yamamori, sliding it under Tokimori‘s door and pretending to walk away. As Tokimori moves to grab the note, Shimada shoots him through the door – Tokimori is dead.

As Yamamori, Muraoka, Yamanaka, and Matsunaga party happily in a local club, Hirono and Shimada suddenly appear. To everyone’s surprise, they are alive – and Hirono confirms the killing of Tokimori, to Muraoka and Yamanaka‘s stupor, and Yamamori‘s fury. But Muraoka is sensing an opportunity, and he forgives Hirono, only asking for his man Shimada to take the fall for the murder.

With Tokimori out of the way, Muraoka enacts a formal reconciliation with Otomo Choji (senior), giving part of the racetrack responsibilities to the Otomo family’s second in command Kuramitsu in exchange for officially disbanding the budding Katsutoshi family. But this is not the last we hear of Katsutoshi…

The Muraoka – Otomo War Part 3: Muraoka Counter Attacks (1955)

Run Time: 49:50 to | 1:20:20 Key Families: MURAOKA – OTOMO – TAKANASHI – YAMAMORI – HIRONO – OTHER | Reference Chart (spoilers):

Muraoka invites Yamanaka to an expensive restaurant and reunites him with Yasuko, to both parties’ surprise, asking Yamanaka to care for her and make her happy. Yasuko reveals that she has had to become a geisha to survive and Yamanaka, overwhelmed, profusely thanks Muraoka for finally sanctioning the union and placing Yasuko in his care.

Becoming a geisha is an ambiguous sentence: in a genuine geisha house, this means is a prestigious activity, involving decades of learning traditional cultural skills, and entertaining wealthy clients strictly above board. But in the chaotic post-war Hiroshima, and in less reputable houses associated to yakuza, this can mean something a lot more sinister, and a lot less legal, despite the beautiful kimono. Which was Yasuko subjected to in order to survive? And why did wealthy Muraoka force her into this situation? Two questions that Yamanaka seems to completely gloss over.

Yamanaka and Yasuko resume their relationship, despite Yasuko‘s inability to re-marry as a war widow. Yamanaka brushes the matter aside, stating that marriage does not matter for two people in love, wistfully explaining that he also wanted to be a kamikaze but was too young to enroll – a fact that delights Yasuko.

Unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, the phone rings: Muraoka has heard that Katsutoshi‘s men are plotting to kill Kuramitsu to take over the Otomo family again and rekindle the war with Muraoka – and asks Yamanaka to kill them. Yamanaka immediately runs out to perform the hit – but, as he exits the dead men’s house, he is immediately arrested and sentenced to life in prison.

“It’s been a while” – why does Yamanaka say this to one of the men before killing him? Because this is one of the thugs who beat him up at the market earlier in the film, and whom he swore vengeance against. One more to go…

With the Katsutoshi contingent quietened for now, Muraoka moves quickly to make Kuramitsu his kyōdai, under the watchful eye of elder Kageura – the last move necessary to gain control of the Otomo family, and regain management of the profitable racetrack.

In retaliation, Katsutoshi men kill elder Kageura, and hold a press conference to be interviewed about the murder. They flippantly declare that they did the deed in accordance to the yakuza code, and that the murder was needed to save assemblymen and the police from being bribed by Muraoka and his cronies.

Back in prison, Yamanaka meets his former guardian and boss Takanashi, who was sent to jail for a minor offence. Takanashi is surprised to hear that Muraoka has not visited Yamanaka even once, after he committed a life-sentence crime for him. But Takanashi also reveals a piece of information that alarms Yamanaka: Yasuko is being forced to marry her late husband’s brother, with a date already set. Takanashi is telling the truth, and we soon see Yasuko being forced by Muraoka to travel to the wedding she does not want, despite her vocal and emotional protests.

Isn’t it odd how quickly Yamanaka was found by the police after the murder – ordered directly by Muraoka? And how Muraoka never visits Yamanaka in jail, even willingly breaking Yamanaka‘s bond with Yasuko? This is strangely reminiscent of Yamamori‘s behaviour towards Hirono in episode 1 (see Episode 1 Deep Dive), carefully discarding him after use – another proof that yakuza bosses are not the caring father figure that they like to project.

But this is without counting on Yamanaka ‘s resourcefulness – who feigns a severe illness in jail in order to escape. Muraoka is outraged at the news, and at someone revealing Yasuko‘s whereabouts to Yamanaka. A new plan is needed, and he asks Matsunaga to rush Yasuko back to the HQ.

Meeting Yamanaka away from the suspicious police eyes, Muraoka berates him for escaping, and tells him that the story about Yasuko being sent away to marry is pure fabrication. Right on cue, Matsunaga brings Yasuko in, ‘proving’ the veracity of his claim. Muraoka observes Yamanaka‘s reaction closely and puts on his best actor face, playing the hurt father mistreated by his beloved son. Yamanaka, falling right into the trap, breaks down and apologises, revealing that it is Takanashi who told him about Yasuko.

Continuing the charade, Matsunaga takes Yamanaka aside to an adjacent room and in a very astute mix of half truths, plain lies, and careful emotional manipulation, emphasises Muraoka‘s goodness, while carefully hinting that Yamanaka should let Yasuko go for her own happiness. Finally, Matsunaga urges Yamanaka to go back to jail, but Yamanaka, exhausted by the prison life, asks to die instead, suggesting killing Katsutoshi to atone.

As soon as Matsunaga relays this new development to Muraoka, injured Muraoka men come in, loudly complaining of having been brutally attacked by Katsutoshi, with one man captured. Matsunaga checks back in on Yamanaka… only to find him gone, to all of their (and Yasuko‘s) distress.

It was only a few years before that Yamanaka was sent off to murder a construction businessman after overhearing a thinly veiled request from an adjacent room. Muraoka, Matsunaga, and Takanashi have trained and created a monster – that they can no longer control.

Meanwhile, Katsutoshi and his men are taking vengeance on their prisoner, torturing him viciously to get Yamanaka‘s location before finally shooting him. As Muraoka and the police retrieve the corpse, gunshots are suddenly heard: Katsutoshi and his men drive by, attempting (but failing) to kill Muraoka – to the outrage of both the public and the police, who nab Muraoka men for interrogation about the disturbance.

In the motomachi (nicknamed ‘A-Bomb’) slums, Katsutoshi delights at the negative newspaper coverage garnered by Muraoka, and hatches a new plan: the gang needs to attack Muraoka while he’s down, and Katsutoshi suggests blowing-up up the racetrack the next day, during a director meeting. But little does he know that he and his right arm Nakahara have a tail: Yamanaka, on the run and determined to finish what he started. Yamanaka aims and shoots, but he is too slow: Katsutoshi only gets wounded in the leg before his men stop the assassination attempt and chase off Yamanaka.

Katsutoshi is hurt badly and, as he lays in bed unable to move, his men raid a Muraoka-owned club in retaliation, butchering civilians in the way. But one man is missing from this brutal raid: the physically and mentally exhausted Nakahara, who finds it wiser to secretly go to Matsunaga in an attempt at brokering peace for Katsutoshi and what remains of the Otomo family. In exchange for Katsutoshi‘s location, Matsunaga arranges a car for Nakahara… in which he is promptly assassinated. Another blow for Katsutoshi – who, with his location’s information now given to the police, is arrested and sentenced to life in prison. The Otomo family members are now absorbed, dead, or in prison: the war is over.

WAR WINNER: MURAOKA!

Checkmate for Yamanaka (1955)

Run Time: 1:20:20 to 1:37:44| Key Families: MURAOKA – OTOMO – TAKANASHI – YAMAMORI – HIRONO – OTHER | Reference Chart (spoilers):

By the middle of 1955, Muraoka‘s hold over Hiroshima is undeniable – which attracts him much unwanted attention from the police, still on the hunt for Yamanaka. Where is Yamanaka?

We soon have the answer as Hirono arrives back at his HQ – where Yamanaka is visiting him once more to pay his respects. Hirono, concerned but warm, entertains Yamanaka at a local bar, where Yamanaka proudly shows off his gun to the hostesses, calling it his very own kamikaze plane. Hirono quickly and gently puts an end to the show, reminding Yamanaka that he’s on the run and should be careful, and offering to send him to Tokyo, where he could be helped by one of his friends and quietly reunited with Yasuko.

What is the familiar music playing in the bar (1:22:06)? None other than Tokyo Nagaremono, the theme tune from yakuza classic Tokyo Drifter (1966)! A great little Easter Egg – find the full Tokyo Drifter theme here.

Unbelievably, Yamanaka refuses all help, explaining that he does not want to leave Hiroshima and his boss Muraoka behind after making a ‘mistake’ about him (believing he sent Yasuko away to be married – which, unbeknown to Yamanaka, he did do). Hirono, skeptical, remains silent.

Breaking the conversation, the phone rings – it’s Muraoka, who found Yamanaka‘s location and informs him that Takanashi has just been released. Muraoka asks Yamanaka a fateful question: who does he believe about Yasuko? Yamanaka, in answer, simply asks Muraoka where Takanashi is staying, before running out, to Hirono‘s alarm.

Yamanaka finds Takanashi in bed with a woman – and murders his former boss and guardian in cold blood. On the run, Yamanaka runs to Matsunaga, who is astonished and angry to hear of Yamanaka‘s deed. Matsunaga finally reveals to him that Takanashi was telling the truth about Yasuko all along, to Yamanaka‘s utter shock. As police sirens ring around them, Matsunaga takes further pity on Yamanaka and offers to take him to a safe place. But, once again, Yamanaka spurns the well-intentioned help, and runs out.

In between scenes of Yamanaka‘s descent into hell, we get a glimpse of the tension at the Muraoka HQ, where Yasuko yells “You’re no better than him, and you should give yourselves up!” at the men, before breaking down in desperation. An undeniable and uncomfortable truth that silences the room.

Time is running out, Yamanaka‘s gun is out of bullets, and sirens are getting ever so close. Yamanaka finds refuge in an abandoned house, successfully hiding from the police breaking in, but the police is drumming up forces outside – and Yamanaka finally understands that there is now no way out. Slowly, methodically, whistling the somber military song again, Yamanaka loads the gun with rice powder – and commits suicide.

Epilogue

Another epilogue, another funeral – this time, Yamanaka‘s. Hirono, much more demure this time, encounters Yamamori, who seizes the opportunity to make a dig at Hirono, with all parties present praising Yamanaka ‘s boldness and ultimate sacrifice for his family. Hirono sighs, only to turn around and see Muraoka happily and carelessly partying with geisha, flush with the donations made for Yamanaka‘s funeral.

Thoughtful, Hirono reflects once more on this world which is now his life. As the voice-over informs us, Yamanaka‘s name is still revered amongst the yakuza, but nobody visits his grave. Another wasted life in the endless struggle for power and money.

THE END

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