History UsefulNotes / Bosozoku

The iconic ''bōsōzoku'' image is that of a low-speed zig-zagging motorcade gang making lots of loud noise and threatening whoever comes around, whose members engage in criminal activities with their peers. The average ''bōsōzoku'' was a delinquent teenager, and it was common to retire shortly before or after the age of majority at twenty -- at least before Japan's increasing average age problem. Some low-ranked ''{{yakuza}}'' found an easy target of their activities with them, giving them drugs and weapons in exchange for [[LoanShark money funds]] (and an easy way to recruit people, if they needed somebody to do dirty jobs) -- the most faithful of them becoming eventually official pawns. By the time of their downfall in the late '80s, alternate ways of juvenile delinquency, such as the more American-influenced ''[[{{Gangbangers}} color gangs]]'' (カラーギャング) and the trendy ''teamers'' (チーマー), made the ''bōsōzoku'' look rather old-fashioned and outdated. Some of the adult ''bōsōzoku'' who refused to reform themeselves are most likely to be in ''hangure'' (半グレ, lit. "half-gray") gangs, loosely organized crime groups without ties to the Yakuza who engage in shady business[[note]]Some of them include phone frauds, [[PreemptiveDeclaration remodeling frauds]], [[LoanShark moneylendering]], dubious demolition/waste jobs, shady poverty/nightlife/adult industry business, teenage "model" (sex shop) scouting, product hoarding, etc[[/note]] and have no problem to resort to armed violence.

* In ''Manga/TokyoRevengers'', the Tokyo Manji gang is loosely inspired by the infamous Tokyo-based [[https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/関東連合 Kantō Rengō]] gang, while their clothing is based on their predecessors, the ''bōsōzoku'' gang [[https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ブラックエンペラー Black Emperor]] (changing their swastika symbol to a left-facing manji). The main villain Tetta Kisaki is loosely inspired by the Kantō Rengō's former leader Shinichi Mitate, the mastermind behind the 2012 [[https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/六本木クラブ襲撃事件 Roppongi Club Assault Case]] (a homicide by mass beating that quickly dissolved the gang).

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'' features the "Dragon Chopper" as one of the Foot Clan's vehicles. Its pseudo-Japanese decoration, tall mufflers, high seat and flag are reminiscent of some of the average ''bōsōzoku'' bike customizations, although [[TMNT: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/tmnt/images/6/67/Dragon_bike.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130825054945 its concept art]] makes the comparison even more obvious.

The ''bōsōzoku'' (暴走族, lit. "running-out-of-control tribe") is a Japanese youth subculture associated with customized motorcycles. Their DistaffCounterpart is called ''ladies'' (レディース). On a wider scale, "''bōsōzoku''" is also the go-to term in Japan for any outlaw biker gang (i.e. [[AllBikersAreHellsAngels Hells Angels]] count as ''bōsōzoku'').

The iconic ''bōsōzoku'' image is that of a low-speed zig-zagging motorcade gang making lots of loud noise and threatening whoever comes around, whose members engage in criminal activities with their peers. The average ''bōsōzoku'' was a delinquent teenager, and it was common to retire shortly before or after the age of majority at twenty -- at least before Japan's increasing average age problem. Some low-ranked ''{{yakuza}}'' found an easy target of their activities with them, giving them drugs and weapons in exchange for [[LoanShark money funds]] (and an easy way to recruit people, if they needed somebody to do dirty jobs) -- the most faithful of them becoming eventually official pawns. By the time of their downfall in the late '80s, alternate ways of juvenile delinquency, such as the more American-influenced ''[[{{Gangbangers}} color gangs]]'' (カラーギャング) and the trendy ''teamers'' (チーマー), made the ''bōsōzoku'' look rather old-fashioned and outdated.

For a long time, their choice of costume was almost indistinguishable from the British ''Ton-Up Boys''/''Rockers'' in the '60s, or the American ''[[GreaserDelinquents Greasers]]'' in the '70s. However, it wasn't until the early '80s, during the peak of their craze, that the ''bōsōzoku'''s highly pseudo-nationalistic IconicOutfit (inspired after some ''uyoku dantai'' uniforms) was made widespread between the gangs. This costume usually consisted of jumpsuits or ''tokkō-fuku'' (longcoats named after the ''tokkōtai'' kamikaze pilots, and originally an honourable item worn only by the leader, especially for important gatherings), and sometimes a scarf/gauze mask to conceal their identity and/or ''hachimaki'' headbands, both the traditional festival type and the WWII-style ''[[WearingAFlagOnYourHead hinomaru]]'' style. Other stereotypical clothing accessories may include the ''tasuki'' sash or ''jika-tabi'' boots. Their clothing was usually embroidered with slogans written in [[DelusionsOfEloquence needlessly complicated]] ''kanji'', whether vaguely patriotic or simply cool-sounding English catchphrases, plus all sorts of far-right imagery like the Emperor's Chrysanthemum Seal, [[UsefulNotes/ImperialJapan Rising Sun flags]] or ''[[ThoseWackyNazis swastikas]]''. ''Ladies'' gangs are usually portrayed in similar clothing, but with a penchant for [[HighHeelPower high heels]] and open ''tokkō-fuku'' jackets showing their ''{{sarashi}}''.

It's commonly thought that their use of far-right paraphernalia was appropriated purely for shock value, although an alleged alternative reason is to justify that their gatherings were a form of political expression, in the case of [[ChewbaccaDefense being caught by police]]. Of course, the ''uyoku dantai'', who were legitimate ultranationalist far-right groups, tried to take profit of this to recruit new members to their organizations, to mixed success. Since the '90s, the pseudo-nationalistic look has been usually heavily toned down to be less conspicuous, if not outright abandoned.

RockAndRoll was an important inspiration for Japan's rebellious youth in the '70s, and became a staple of ''bōsōzoku'' and ''yankii'' culture: once thought as old-fashioned during the '60s, Japanese bands like ''Carol'', ''Cools'' or ''Yokohama Ginbae'' made rock, leather jackets, and pompadours popular again overnight. However, some rising rock superstars, like ''Carol'''s Eikichi Yazawa, took the decision to alienate a big part of their audience and ban any ''bōsōzoku'' from their audience to stop possible fights and other turmoil.

Japanese police technically classifies the ''bōsōzoku'' into two subsets: the ''kyōdō kiken'' (associative hazard), and the ''ihō kyōsō'' (illegal racing) types. The former subset is the well-known gang type; the latter is the more obscure offshoot of the ''kaminari zoku'' dedicated to street racing. These racers are more known as the ''hashiriya'', and [[DoNotCallMePaul don't like to be associated]] with the standard ''kyōdō kiken''-type ''bōsōzoku'', because their profile is much more discreet than their cousins, since they're on the average more likely to be individualistic, and their vehicle modifications tend to be purely functional. Unlike the ''kyōdō kiken''-type ''bōsōzoku'', the number of ''hashiriya'' bikers has managed to stay afloat, peaking in the 10s -- in fact, since their downfall in the '90s, the former ''kyōdō kiken''-type ''bōsōzoku'' have borrowed traits from the ''hashiriya'', such as being grouped on small individualistic and easily dispersible gangs, or having a bigger emphasis on racing.

Since [[TheNineties the Nineties]], their membership has been rapidly declining, with most of the biggest gangs being already disbanded -- a 2019 police report estimates 150 groups, in comparison to their 1981 peak of 835 groups. Some of the most noticeable reasons of their fall are a series of increasingly harsh police penalties, Japan's population ageing and declining birthrate, motorcycle enthusiasts being more interested in the ''hashiriya'' subculture, increasingly expensive vehicle and gasoline prices, the shift to eco-friendly vehicles, and an increasing disinterest of vehicle purchases in younger generations worldwide.

* ''Bakuon Rettou'' by Creator/TsutomuTakahashi, is an ComingOfAgeStory inspired on the author's youth in the ''Zero'' gang, it shows how unglamorous and crappy the lives of gang members are, on the brightside, if someone like [[AuthorAvatar Takashi]] could reform, [[EarnYourHappyEnding anyone can]]. It was successful enough to be published again in a monthly magazine three years after it ended.

* Katana's new design from ''Film/SuicideSquad2016'' has a mishmash of ''bōsōzoku'' traits, like a heavy use of Chrysantemums, ''kanji'' lettering and a ''tasuki'' sash. However, the rest of the costume seems to have been more inspired by modern BikerBabe clothing.

* The UsefulNotes/TurboGrafx16 game ''Ane-san'' is a BeatEmUp composed of an [[ImprobablyFemaleCast all-female cast]] made up of ''ladies'' gang fights. It's considered in its homeland as a [[WidgetSeries bakage]] for its weird art direction and minigames, such as the [[FaceOfAThug scary face contest]], the [[GameOfChicken chicken racing game]], the [[AnInteriorDesignerIsYou room decoration feature]], or the [[DreamSequence intermission poems]]. It's also commonly thought to have been made as a DistaffCounterpart of the ''VideoGame/ChoAniki'' series, even sharing the same composer.

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'' features the "Dragon Chopper" as one of the Foot Clan's vehicles. Its pseudo-Japanese decoration, tall mufflers, high seat and flag are reminiscent of some of the average ''bōsōzoku'' bike customizations, although [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/tmnt/images/6/67/Dragon_bike.jpg its concept art]] makes the comparison even more obvious.

* ''Shissō, yankī damashī.'' (疾走、ヤンキー魂。) is a ''yankii'' / ''bōsōzoku'' MMORPG franchise. The original installment was a short-lived online game which barely lasted a year, mostly for server issues. The second version of the game, with new 3D graphics, also roughly lasted for a year and a half, mostly caused for developer Sync Arts' bankruptcy. The third and last version, made by Creator/SquareEnix, was developed for mobile phones and lasted slightly longer than the previous installments, and had a crossover with ''VideoGame/RacingLagoon''.

* ''Manga/GreatTeacherOnizuka'''s eponymous character was a leader of a ''bōsōzoku'' gang. ''GTO'' itself is a sequel to the more ''yankii'' / ''bōsōzoku''-centered ''Manga/ShonanJunaiGumi''. The prequel manga ''Manga/BadCompany'' shows how Onizuka and his best friend Ryuji got their start in the ''bōsōzoku'' world.

* Some of the ''VideoGame/KunioKun'' series' games feature ''bōsōzoku'' enemies. Most of them are the DarkerAndEdgier entries, such as the first game, ''VideoGame/ShodaiNekketsuKohaKunioKun'', ''VideoGame/KunioTachiNoBanka'' and ''Tokyo Rumble'', but some lighter entries such as ''Soccer Hen'' and the mobile port of ''Nekketsu Kakutō Densetsu'' feature them. It helps that series creator Yoshihisa Kishimoto was a former ''yankii'' and ''bōsōzoku''.

* ''Bakuon Rettou'' is an ComingOfAgeStory inspired on the author's youth in the ''Zero'' gang. It was successful enough to be published again in a monthly magazine three years after it ended.

* Some of the ''VideoGame/KunioKun'' series' games feature ''bōsōzoku'' enemies. Most of them are the DarkerAndEdgier entries, such as the first game, ''VideoGame/ShodaiNekketsuKohaKuniokun'', ''VideoGame/KunioTachiNoBanka'' and ''Tokyo Rumble'', but some lighter entries such as ''Soccer Hen'' and the mobile port of ''Nekketsu Kakutō Densetsu'' feature them. It helps that series creator Yoshihisa Kishimoto was a former ''yankii'' and ''bōsōzoku''.

* ''Manga/GreatTeacherOnizuka'''s eponymous character was a leader of a ''bōsōzoku'' gang. ''GTO'' itself is a sequel to the more ''yankii'' / ''bōsōzoku''-centered ''Shonan Jun'ai Gumi!'' .

* Custom tailfins, like the elongated and curved ''tsuppari tail'' (ツッパリテール, lit. "delinquent tail"), the twin-pointed ''ebi tail'' (エビテール, lit. "shrimp tail") or the Kawasaki Z750 "Z2" tail (Z2テール).
* Custom frontal fairings, like the famous aerodynamic ''Rocket cowl'' (ロケットカウル), although some of them prefer to place them in extravagant non-aerodynamic positions. A less flashy alternative is to install a fabric windshield (布たれ風防).

* Customised front wheel, with accessories like flag rods (集合 / ''hata bō'', more popular during the more nationalistic paraphernalia period), or other decorations like an ''aero shark'' (エアロシャーク) front wheel fairing.

* In ''Dead Man Calling'' by Creator/JunjiIto, three members of a family of five are brutally murdered in a random attack by the ''bōsōzoku''. The murderers are sentenced, but the two surviving siblings are driven mad by the gang leader's insistence they forgive him, which he first communicates by letter, then as an apparition.

* Oversized flags and banners, either mounted to a flag rod (described below)

Aisa re teru itsumo ''satisfied\\

JapaneseDelinquents, [[RecycledINSPACE but]] [-WITH [[AllBikersAreHellsAngels BIKES!]]-] ...Or at least that's what it may look at first glance.

The ''bōsōzoku'' have distinctive features among the various subsets of JapaneseDelinquents. The longest-standing media portrayal of Japanese delinquent is ''yankii'' from the late 70s to early 90s or the earlier 70s ''tsuppari'', who typically belong to a very specific school setting; while the average ''bōsōzoku'' is more concerned with gang matters than with school issues, in case they haven't already dropped out of it. However, due to their close average age, there was a noticeable trend exchange between the two subcultures.

The iconic ''bōsōzoku'' image is that of a low-speed motorcade gang making lots of loud noise and threatening whoever comes around, whose members engage in criminal activities with their peers. The average ''bōsōzoku'' was a delinquent teenager, and it was common to retire shortly before or after the age of majority at twenty -- at least before Japan's increasing average age problem. Some low-ranked ''{{yakuza}}'' found a easy target of their activities with them, giving them drugs and weapons in exchange of [[LoanShark money funds]] (and a easy way to recruit people, in case they needed somebody to do dirty jobs) -- the most faithful of them becoming eventually official pawns. By the time of their downfall in the late 80s, alternate ways of juvenile delinquency, such as the more American-influenced ''[[{{Gangbangers}} color gangs]]'' (カラーギャング) and the trendy ''teamers'' (チーマー), made the ''bōsōzoku'' look rather old-fasioned and outdated.

Their origin can be traced to The Sixties' ''kaminari zoku'' (カミナリ族, lit. "thunder tribe"), close cousins of the [[GreaserDelinquents Greasers and Rockers]]: youngsters who could afford motorcycles, subsequently [[LoudOfWar removed their mufflers]] and [[DrivesLikeCrazy rode them recklessly]] on roads. However, excluding their annnoying noise, they weren't much of a concern to Japanese society... At least, before motorcycles became cheap enough for the average high schooler to buy in the seventies, thanks to [[Analysis/JapanTakesOverTheWorld Japan's fast economic growth]] -- and among those teenagers, your average {{Delinquent|s}}, who was more concerned with causing ruckus than anything resembling proper racing.

The ''bōsōzoku'' started to get identified as such by police since 1972, when the cases of assault and blackmail by motorcyle-riding teenagers against civilians started to rise. In a short time, the number of gangs exponentially rose, and violent riotous fights between gangs equipped with knives, [[MolotovCocktail Molotov cocktails]], [[WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter wooden swords]], [[TwoByFore square timbers]] or even [[FightingWithChucks nunchucks]] were increasingly frequent, to the point of becoming a national threat -- it was at this time when the gangs started to form into coalitions to protect each other, and while the quantity of battles decreased, the number of participants in each skirmish was much higher (up to 600 in the biggest riots), thus the collateral damage higher. This proliferation of large-scale gangs had two direct consequences: the creation of strict anti-juvenile delinquency laws, and the foundation of very hierarchical, almost militaristic structures within ''bōsōzoku'' gangs, both which would impact to the rapid downfall of the subculture in the 80s (ironically, [[HoistByHisOwnPetard in the latter case]]).

Of course, the true ''bōsōzoku'''s defining trait is his close relation to a vehicle, save for notable exceptions. By far the most popular choice is a motorcycle, although cars are present to a lesser degree -- ''ladies'' are commonly associated with unmodified scooters riddled with stickers. Vehicle customization is one of the main traits of the subculture, and since their modifications are mostly illegal, they're an easy target for fines and arrests. Inspirations for the motorcycle modifications include the Film/EasyRider-style American Choppers (which were incredibly expensive in Japan); the narrow, windshield-equipped bikes of the ''press riders'' (プレスライダー, TV/newspaper file couriers distinguishable through their employers' flag); and motorcycle championship racers. It's commonly thought that with every new generation of ''bōsōzoku'' riders, the inspirations started to muddle each other, making a unique hybrid of all of them with increasing flashiness. To recognize their bikes, expect to see at least one of the following features in a motorcycle:
* Showy paintjobs and/or decals.
* Customised exhaust pipes, namely by removing the mufflers to amplify the motorcycle's noise (aka 爆音マフラー / ''Bakuon muffler''), or ''Devil-kan'' (デビル管, lit. "Devil tubes", named after French company ''[[https://web.archive.org/web/20170711203914/http://www.devil-exhaust.com/ Devil]]'') bass amplifiers. Some bikes have ridiculously tall mufflers installed known as ''takeyari muffler'' (竹槍マフラー, lit. "bamboo spear muffler"), but they're more commonly seen on the ''buchiage'' variation or on cars.

* ''Sandan'' seats (三段シート, lit. "three-stage seat"), tall backrests named after the three possible ways to use it: as a common motorcyle seat, as a laid-back seat and as the seat for the backrider. Variants include the much shorter ''chobisan'' (チョビ三) and the ''wakaishi sandan'' (墓石三段, lit. "three-stage tombstone"), named after its square shape and commonly more angled than the usual ''sandan''. The dorsal of the ''sandan'' can also be custom-painted to write or draw something.

* Custom tailfins, such as the elongated and curved ''tsuppari tail'' (ツッパリテール, lit. "delinquent tail"), the twin-pointed ''ebi tail'' (エビテール, lit. "shrimp tail") or the Kawasaki Z750 "Z2" tail (Z2テール).
* Custom frontal fairings, such as the famous aerodynamic ''Rocket cowl'' (ロケットカウル), although some of them prefer to place them in extravagant non-aerodynamic positions. A less flashy alternative is to install a fabric windshield (布たれ風防).
* Customised front wheel, with accesories such as flag rods (集合 / ''hata bō'', more popular during the more nationalistic paraphernalia period), or other decorations such as an ''aero shark'' (エアロシャーク) front wheel fairing.
* Air horns. A particularily popular fanfare is the first twelve notes of the ''Love Theme from Film/TheGodfather''.
* Particularly flashy ''bōsōzoku'' aim to drive an exaggeratedly tall vehicle: this trend is known as ''buchiage'' (ブチ上げ), where parts as the ''sandan'', ''rocket cowl'', tail, (pipes) and/or (flags) are made as tall as possible, along with an additional set of decorative lights.

That said, the lesser-common four-wheeled vehicles weren't exempt of gaudy customization: the most common features include a lowered ''shakotan'' profile (シャコタン, commonly known as a stanced car), lower tire size, ''bakuon mufflers'', a ''long nose'' (protruding bonnets), a ''deppa'' (デッパ, protruding sharp chin spoilers), the ostentatious and elongated ''takeyari'' mufflers seen in all kinds of shapes, and/or overfenders.

For a long time, their choice of costume was almost undistinguishable from the British ''Ton-Up Boys'' / ''Rockers'' in the 60s, or the American ''[[GreaserDelinquents Greasers]]'' in the 70s. However, it wasn't until the early 80s, during the peak of their craze, that the ''bōsōzoku'''s highly pseudo-nationalistic IconicOutfit (inspired after some ''uyoku dantai'' uniforms) was made widespread between the gangs. This costume usually consisted of jumpsuits or ''tokkō-fuku'' (longcoats named after the ''tokkōtai'' kamikaze pilots, and originally an honourable item worn only by the leader, especially for important gatherings), and sometimes a scarf / gauze mask to conceal their identity and/or ''hachimaki'' headbands, both the traditional festival type and the WWII-style ''[[WearingAFlagOnYourHead hinomaru]]'' style. Other stereotypical clothing accesories may include the ''tasuki'' sash or ''jika-tabi'' boots. Their clothing was usually embroided with slogans written in [[DelusionsOfEloquence needlessly complicated]] ''kanji'', whether vaguely patriotic or simply cool-sounding English catchphrases, plus all sorts of far-right imagery such as the Emperor's Chrysanthemum Seal, [[UsefulNotes/ImperialJapan Rising Sun flags]] or ''[[ThoseWackyNazis swastikas]]''. ''Ladies'' gangs are usually portrayed in similar clothing, but with a penchant for [[HighHeelPower high heels]] and open ''tokkō-fuku'' jackets showing their ''{{sarashi}}''.

It's commonly thought that their use of far-right paraphernalia was appropiated purely for shock value, although an alleged alternative reason is to justify that their gatherings were a form of political expression, in the case of [[ChewbaccaDefense being caught by police]]. Of course, the ''uyoku dantai'', who where legitimate ultranationalist far-right groups, tried to take profit of this to recruit new members to their organizations, to mixed success. Since the 90s, the pseudo-nationalistic look has been usually heavily toned down to be less conspicuous, if not outright abandoned.

A particularly ironic offshoot is that of the ''toho bōsōzoku'' ("Walking bōsōzoku") from northernmost Japan, who can't take their motorcycles in frozen highways and keep making the same rowdy behaviour, but on-foot. They've also been seen making noises in festivals and other places who don't let vehicles in. Some of them are simply amateur gangs who could buy bosozoku clothes but can't afford a vehicle yet. Another similar phenomenon is that of preadolescent kids who modify their bicycles with typical ''bōsōzoku'' modifications -- even those have received small fines, probably to [[AndThatsTerrible warn them of]] their idols' wrong behaviour.

RockAndRoll was an important inspiration for Japan's rebellious youth in the seventies, and became a staple of ''bōsōzoku'' and ''yankii'' culture: once thought as old-fashioned during the 60s, Japanese bands like ''Carol'', ''Cools'' or ''Yokohama Ginbae'' made leather jackets, pompadours and rock popular again overnight. However, some of the rising rock superstars, like ''Carol'''s Eikichi Yazawa, took the decision to alienate a big part of their audience and ban any ''bōsōzoku'' from their audience to stop possible fights and other turmoil.

Japanese police technically classifies the ''bōsōzoku'' into two subsets: the ''kyōdō kiken'' (associative hazard), and the ''ihō kyōsō'' (illegal racing) types. The former subset is the well-known gang type; the latter is the more obscure offshoot of the ''kaminari zoku'' dedicated to street racing. These racers are more known as the ''hashiriya'', and [[DoNotCallMePaul don't like to be associated]] with the standard ''kyōdō kiken''-type ''bōsōzoku'', because their profile is much more discreet than their cousins, since they're on the average more likely to be individualistic, and their vehicle modifications tend to be purely functional. Unlike the ''kyōdō kiken''-type ''bōsōzoku'', the number of ''hashiriya'' bikers has managed to stay afloat, peaking in the 10s -- in fact, since their downfall in the 90s, the former ''kyōdō kiken''-type ''bōsōzoku'' have borrowed traits from the ''hashiriya'', such as being grouped on small individualistic and easily dispersable gangs, or having a bigger emphasis on racing.

The ''bōsōzoku'' didn't become a staple of Japanese popular culture until somewhere between the late 70s and early 80s, during their real-life peak. The media form where they were most popular was in ''{{manga}}'', where the ''bōsōzoku'' genre was a brief but highly productive genre (along with its close cousin, the ''[[JapaneseDelinquents yankii]]'' genre), and probably gave them a reasonable boost of romanticization. In contrast, other media were less friendly: television mostly used them for cheap sensationalism (or the butt of the jokes in [[VarietyShow variety shows]]), their controversy made them a big no-no for contemporary ''{{anime}}'' other than [[AllBikersAreHellsAngels inspiration for generic villains]] (at least until the [[OriginalVideoAnimation OVA]] made short-lived adaptations of some ''manga''), the nascent VideoGame medium was more concerned with fantastical and/or [[UsefulNotes/TheBlockbusterAgeOfHollywood Hollywood]]-influenced settings, and films made by big studios were for a long time out-of-touch with contemporary trends, prefering to use western explotation films like ''Film/TheWildAngels'' for inspiration.

Nowadays, their longest-lasting legacy in japanese media is being a shorthand of a RetiredBadass, seen whenever a middle-aged character is revealed to be a former ''bōsōzoku'' / ''ladies''. This is especially useful for female characters, who rarely have any chance of being associated in a movement wholly composed of tough girls.

Since the nineties, their membership has been rapidly declining, with most of the biggest gangs being already disbanded -- a 2019 police report estimates 150 groups, in comparison to their 1981 peak of 835 groups. Some of the most noticeable reasons of their fall are a series of increasingly-harsh police penalties, Japan's population ageing and declining birthrate, motorcycle enthusiasts being more interested in the ''hashiriya'' subculture, increasingly expensive vehicle and gasoline prices, the shift to eco-friendly vehicles, and an increasing disinterest of vehicle purchases in younger generations worldwide.

However, the ''bōsōzoku'' aesthethic is getting a revival through the ''kyūshakai'', clubs composed of former ''bōsōzoku'', young people who appreciate their style, and adults who didn't get to experience them in their heyday. Unlike their inspiration, though, they steer clear of any violent act or hierarchical orgainzation, and drive vehicle parades on their free time such as weekends. However, they're still driving vehicles with illegal modifications, so they're closely monitored by the police (who usually receive complaints of their noise), in case one of them wants to emulate their inspiration further and drive recklessly on their own.

* ''Yankī Reppū-tai'' is another highly famous ''bōsōzoku'' ''manga'', adapted into a 1995 live-action film and six OVA. The author also did the succesful DistaffCounterpart ''Ladies'', who was adapted into four live-action films starring popular [[IdolSinger idols]] from the nineties.

* Creator/ToeiCompany's long-running ''Furyō Banchō'' ("Delinquent boss") film series was Japan's answer to ''Film/TheWildOne'' or ''Film/TheWildAngels'', who usually star anti-heroic outlaw bikers fighting against {{Yakuza}} organizations. The films can be seen as predecessors and/or influences to the still-developing [[JapaneseDelinquents japanese delinquent]] culture, whether ''tsuppari'' or ''bōsōzoku'', and similar explotation films such as Toei's own ''Onna Banchō'' series. In the seventies, the SpiritualSuccessor film ''Bakuhatsu! Boso yugi'' ("Detonation! Violent Riders") movie sparked a new film series, this time inspired by the [[RippedFromTheHeadlines real-life social phenomenon]].

Of course, the true ''bōsōzoku'''s defining trait is his close relation to a vehicle, save for notable exceptions. By far the most popular choice is a motorcycle, although cars are present to a lesser degree -- ''ladies'' are commonly associated with unmodified scooters riddled with stickers. Vehicle customization is one of the main traits of the subculture, and since their modifications are mostly illegal, they're an easy target for fines and arrests. To recognize them, expect to see at least one of the following features in a motorcycle:

-->-- '''"[[https://youtu.be/Hq73rPIDqx8?t=2632 Funky Monkey Baby]]"''', the 1973 BreakthroughHit of ''Carol''.[[note]]Footage taken from their farewell concert, featuring lots of shots of their ''bōsōzoku'' elite supporters / rock band ''Cools''. And yes, the stage [[TrashTheSet burned out at the end]] by accident.[[/note]]

Of course, the true ''bōsōzoku'''s defining trait is his close relation to a vehicle, save for notable exceptions. By far the most popular choice is a motorcycle, although cars are present to a lesser degree. Vehicle customization is one of the main traits of the subculture, and since their modifications are mostly illegal, they're an easy target for fines and arrests. To recognize them, expect to see at least one of the following features in a motorcycle:

For a long time, their choice of costume was almost undistinguishable from the British ''Ton-Up Boys'' / ''Rockers'' in the 60s, or the American ''[[GreaserDelinquents Greasers]]'' in the 70s. However, it wasn't until the early 80s, during the peak of their craze, that the ''bōsōzoku'''s highly pseudo-nationalistic IconicOutfit (inspired after some ''uyoku dantai'' uniforms) was made widespread between the gangs. This costume usually consisted of jumpsuits or ''tokkō-fuku'' (longcoats named after the ''tokkōtai'' kamikaze pilots, and originally an honourable item worn only by the leader, especially for important gatherings), and sometimes a scarf / gauze mask to conceal their identity and/or ''hachimaki'' headbands, both the traditional festival type and the WWII-style ''[[WearingAFlagOnYourHead hinomaru]]'' style. Other stereotypical clothing accesories may include the ''tasuki'' sash or ''jika-tabi'' boots. Their clothing was usually embroided with slogans written in [[DelusionsOfEloquence needlessly complicated]] ''kanji'', whether vaguely patriotic or simply cool-sounding English catchphrases, plus all sorts of far-right imagery such as the Emperor's Chrysanthemum Seal, [[UsefulNotes/ImperialJapan Rising Sun flags]] or ''[[ThoseWackyNazis swastikas]]''. It's commonly thought that the use of far-right paraphernalia was appropiated purely for shock value, although an alleged alternative reason is to justify that their gatherings were a form of political expression, in the case of [[ChewbaccaDefense being caught by police]]. Of course, the ''uyoku dantai'', who where legitimate ultranationalist far-right groups, tried to take profit of this to recruit new members to their organizations, to mixed success. Since the 90s, that look has been usually heavily toned down to be less conspicuous, if not outright abandoned.

!!''Bōsōzoku'' / ''ladies'' in popular media:

* ''Shonan Bakusouzoku'' and its SpiritualSuccessor ''Arakure KNIGHT'' are probably Japan's most successful ''bosozoku'' multimedia franchises, spawning dozens of [[OriginalVideoAnimation OVA]]s and live-action adaptations.

JapaneseDelinquents... [[RecycledINSPACE But]] [-WITH [[AllBikersAreHellsAngels BIKES!]]-] ...Or at least that's what it may look at first glance.

RockAndRoll was an important inspiration for Japan's rebellious youth in the seventies, and became a staple of ''bōsōzoku'' and ''yankii'' culture: once thought as old-fashioned during the 60s, Japanese bands like ''Carol'', ''Cools'' or ''Yokohama Ginbae'' made leather jackets, pompadours and rock popular again overnight. However, some of the rising rock superstars, like ''Carol'''s Eikichi Yazawa, took the decision to alienate a big part of their audience and ban any ''bōsōzoku'' from their audience to stop possible fights and other turmoil -- after all, they knew the legacy of [[Horrible/MusicFestivals mixing rock music and biker gangs]].

Their characteristic uniforms, worn during the peak of the craze (between the late 1970s and early 1980s), were highly pseudo-nationalistic, inspired after some ''uyoku dantai'' uniforms. Their costume usually consisted of jumpsuits or ''tokkō-fuku'' (longcoats named after the ''tokkōtai'' kamikaze pilots, and originally an honourable item worn only by the leader, especially for important gatherings), and sometimes a gauze mask to conceal their identity and/or ''hachimaki'' headbands, both the traditional festival type and the WWII-style ''[[WearingAFlagOnYourHead hinomaru]]'' style. Their clothing was usually embroided with slogans written in [[DelusionsOfEloquence needlessly complicated]] ''kanji'', whether vaguely patriotic or simply cool-sounding English catchphrases, plus all sorts of far-right imagery such as the Emperor's Chrysanthemum Seal, [[UsefulNotes/ImperialJapan Rising Sun flags]] or ''[[ThoseWackyNazis swastikas]]''. It's commonly thought that the use of far-right paraphernalia was appropiated purely for shock value, although an alleged alternative reason is to justify that their gatherings were a form of political expression, in the case of [[ChewbaccaDefense being caught by police]]. Of course, the ''uyoku dantai'', who where legitimate ultranationalist far-right groups, tried to take profit of this to recruit new members to their organizations, to mixed success.

The ''bōsōzoku'' didn't become a staple of popular culture until TheEighties, shortly after their real-life peak. The media form where they were most popular was in ''{{manga}}'', where the ''bōsōzoku'' genre was a brief but highly productive genre, and probably gave them a reasonable boost of romanticization. In contrast, other media were less friendly: television mostly used them for cheap sensationalism (or the butt of the jokes in [[VarietyShow variety shows]]), their controversy made them a big no-no for contemporary ''{{anime}}'' other than loose inspiration for generic villains, the nascent VideoGame medium was more concerned with fantastical settings (give or take a ''VideoGame/KunioKun'' game), and films made by big studios were for a long time out-of-step with the contemporary trends, prefering to use western inspiration like ''Film/TheWarriors''. Another controversial medium was music, especially RockAndRoll and derivatives, where the ''bōsōzoku'' were an important part of the fanbase, but many musicians banned them of their concerts out of fear of possible turmoil.

* Karl Taro Greenfeld's ''[[http://moorghen.com/stories/2015/2/1/speed-tribes-revisited-an-hour-with-karl-taro-greenfeld Speed Tribes]]'' is all about interviews with young Japanese people from the very early nineties and their subcultures. The chapter that involves the ''Bosozoku'' is specially famous.

* ''Bakuon Rettou'' is an autobiography on the author's youth in the ''Zero'' gang. It was successful enough to be published again in a monthly magazine three years after it ended.

* ''Manga/GreatTeacherOnizuka'''s eponymous character was a leader of a ''bosozoku'' gang.

* Karl Taro Greenfeld's ''[[http://moorghen.com/stories/2015/2/1/speed-tribes-revisited-an-hour-with-karl-taro-greenfeld Speed Tribes]]'' is all about interviews with young Japanese people from the very early nineties, and it logically includes these subcultures. The chapter that involves the ''Bosozoku'' is specially famous, and another chapter follows the last years of the Visual Kei band Zi:Kill.

* Some of the ''VideoGame/KunioKun'' series' games feature ''bōsōzoku'' enemies. Most of them are the DarkerAndEdgier, such as the first game, ''VideoGame/ShodaiNekketsuKohaKuniokun'', ''VideoGame/KunioTachiNoBanka'' and ''Tokyo Rumble'', but some lighter entries such as ''Soccer Hen'' and the mobile port of ''Nekketsu Kakutō Densetsu'' feature them. It helps that series creator Yoshihisa Kishimoto was a former ''yankii'' and ''bōsōzoku''.

* The villains of ''VideoGame/RoadBlaster'' are highly organized ''bōsōzoku'' (in America) who've been terrorizing the population. To apprehend them, the police has developed cars to beat theirs with and

The ''bōsōzoku'' (暴走族, lit. "running-out-of-control tribe") is a Japanese youth subculture associated with customized motorcycles. Their DistaffCounterpart is called ''ladies'' (レディース).
It's also important to note that ''bōsōzoku'' is the to-go term in Japan for any outlaw biker gang, i. e. [[AllBikersAreHellsAngels Hells Angels]] count as ''bōsōzoku''.

Although they can be seen as a subset of JapaneseDelinquents, the ''bōsōzoku'' have noticeable distinctive features. The longest-standing media portrayal of japanese delinquent is usually the late 70s-early 90s' ''yankii'' or their earlier 70s ''tsuppari'', who typically belong to a very specific school setting; while the average ''bōsōzoku'' is more concerned with gang matters than with school issues, in case they haven't already dropped out of it. However, due to their close average age, there was a noticeable trend exchange between the two subcultures.

Of course, the true ''bōsōzoku'''s defining trait is his close relation to a vehicle, save for notable exceptions. By far the most popular choice is a motorcycle, although cars are present to a lesser degree. Vehicle customization is one of the main traits of the subculture. To recognize them, expect to see at least one of the following features in a motorcycle:

They didn't become a staple of popular culture until TheEighties, shortly after their real-life peak. The media form where they were most popular was in ''{{manga}}'', where the ''bōsōzoku'' genre was a brief but highly productive genre, and probably gave them a reasonable boost of romanticization. In contrast, other media were less friendly: television mostly used them for cheap sensationalism (or the butt of the jokes in [[VarietyShow variety shows]]), their controversy made them a big no-no for contemporary ''{{anime}}'' other than loose inspiration for generic villains, the nascent VideoGame medium was more concerned with fantastical settings (give or take a ''VideoGame/KunioKun'' game), and films made by big studios were for a long time out-of-step with the contemporary trends, prefering to use western inspiration like ''Film/TheWarriors''. Another controversial medium was music, especially RockAndRoll and derivatives, where the ''bōsōzoku'' were an important part of the fanbase, but many musicians banned them of their concerts out of fear of possible turmoil.

Since the nineties, their membership has been rapidly declining, with most of the biggest gangs being already disbanded. Some of the most noticeable reasons of their fall are a series of increasingly-harsh police penalties, Japan's population ageing and declining birthrate, motorcycle enthusiasts being more interested in the ''hashiriya'' subculture, increasingly expensive vehicle and gasoline prices, the shift to eco-friendly vehicles, and an increasing disinterest of vehicle purchases in younger generations worldwide.

However, the ''bōsōzoku'' aesthethic is getting a revival through the ''kyūshakai'', clubs composed of former ''bōsōzoku'', young people who appreciate their style, and adults who didn't get to experience them in their heyday. Unlike their inspiration, though, they steer clear of any violent act or hierarchical orgainzation, and drive vehicle parades on their free time such as weekends. However, they're still driving vehicles with illegal modifications, so they're closely monitored by the police (who usually receive complaints of their noise), in case one of them wants to emulate their inspiration further and drive recklessly on their own.

Although they can be seen as a subset of JapaneseDelinquents, the ''bōsōzoku'' have noticeable distinctive features, as explained on this page. The longest-standing media portrayal of japanese delinquent is usually the late 70s-early 90s' ''yankii'' or their earlier 70s ''tsuppari'', who typically belong to a very specific school setting; while the average ''bōsōzoku'' is more concerned with gang matters than with school issues, in case they haven't already dropped out of it. However, due to their close average age, there was a noticeable trend exchange between the two subcultures.