Japan is famous for Yakuza movies. Yakuza stands for mafia or gangster. Yakuza was really prominent during the 20th century. Mafia movies became a favorite among Japanese people and they became a prominent genre. The yakuza movies go along the plot of a criminal organization, their rivalry, and vengeance. Some of the best yakuza movies are listed below.
1. Branded To Kill(1967)
Seijun Suzuki’s 1967 movie, Branded To Kill is about an underworld third-ranked hit man called Goro Hanada. He and his wife fly to Tokyo and he meets the second-ranked hit man who became a taxi driver. He asks Hanada to get him back on yakuza business. Later, Hanada was assigned a task that he has done miserably which leads him to go against his organization.
2. Pale Flower(1964)
Pale Flower directed by Masahiro Shinoda is about an old Yakuza who was imprisoned for some time. After he was released, he goes back to the gang and keep up the crimes while he was away. He then meets a beautiful young lady who was interested in underworld matters. He took a liking to her but she invites problems to him.
3. Fireworks (1997)
Fireworks, directed by Takeshi Kitano, is about a cop who lost his daughter not long ago and now finds his wife battling leukemia. He finds his life very miserable and gives up his job as a police officer. He gets deep in debt with a yakuza gang. The story shows the agony and pain he faces throughout the movie.
4. Tokyo Drifter (1966)
Tokyo Drifter by Seijun Suzuki is about an old Yakuza boss who decides to retire from his gang and give up all his criminal activities. But again he has to take the job when he finds one of his former subordinates is taken hostage by his rival gang.
5. Abashiri Bangaichi (1965)
Teruo Ishii’s 1965 movie Abashiri Bangaichi is about a prisoner named Tachibana who served three years in prison. As he was nearing the end of his imprisonment, he escapes with another prisoner called Gonda and flee to a snow country.
6. Youth Of The Beast (1963)
Seijun Suzuki’s Youth of the Beast is a story about a detective who was imprisoned and then later released only to find out his detective partner dead who was murdered by a criminal gang called Nomoto. He infiltrates the group to avenge his friend's death.
7. Cops Vs. Thugs (1975)
Cops Vs Thugs by Kinji Fukasaku is about two Yakuza gangs and how a cop has to choose between the gang and his police. Fukasaku depicts the corrupted men and bloodshed through this movie.
8. Sympathy For The Underdog (1971)
Kinji Fukasaku’s 1971 film, Sympathy for the Underdog is a story about the gang leader named Masuo Gunji of Yokohoma. He was driven out of his by another powerful rival from Tokyo. He then was in prison for ten years. After serving his sentence, he set out to find people who are still loyal to him to revenge on his rivals. He again rebuilds his organization and goes against them.
9. Onimasa (1982)
Onimasa (by Hideo Gosha), the protagonist, is a boss of a gangster clan on an island called Shikoku Island. Although he is a part of a criminal organization, he wishes to live the life of Samurai. The story is set in the early 1900s in Japan.
10. Outrage (2010)
Outrage by Takeshi Kitano is a Yakuza movie. The story revolves around a criminal organization called Sanno-kai ruled by Sekiuchi (Mr. Chairman). Sekiuchi orders his regional crime boss Ikemoto to bring down Murase, the leader of a rival group. Ikemoto does so by befriending him and taking him down. Sanno-kai goes off a full war against Murase’s group. The movie then goes through various unexpected events and twists.
