Jumat, 13 Maret 2009

YAKUZA



yakuza_logo_preview.jpgSejarah panjang Yakuza dimulai kira-kira pada tahun 1612, saat Shogun Tokugawa berkuasa dan menyingkirkan shogun sebelumnya. Pergantian ini mengakibatkan kira-kira 500.000 orang samurai yang sebelumnya disebut hatomo-yakko (pelayan shogun) menjadi kehilangan tuan, atau disebut sebagai kaum ronin.

Seperti kata pepatah : “orang yang hanya punya martil cenderung melihat segala sesuatu bisa beres dengan dimartil..”, demikian juga dengan kaum ronin ini. Banyak dari mereka menjadi penjahat dan centeng. Mereka disebut sebagai kabuki-mono atau samurai nyentrik urakan yang ke mana-mana membawa pedang. Mereka berbicara satu sama lain dalam bahasa slang dan kode rahasia. Terdapat kesetiaan tingi di antara sesama ronin sehingga kelompok ini sulit dibasmi.

Apakah kaum ronin ini yang menjadi biang Yakuza…? Bukan.

Untuk melindungi kota dari para kabuki-mono, banyak kota-kota kecil di Jepang membentuk machi-yokko (satgas kampung). Satgas ini terdiri dari para pedagang, pegawai, dan orang biasa yang mau menyumbangkan tenaganya untuk menghadapi kaum kabuki-mono. Walaupun mereka kurang terlatih dan jumlahnya sedikit, tetapi ternyata para anggota machi-yokko ini sanggup menjaga daerah mereka dari serangan para kabuki mono. Di kalangan rakyat Jepang abad ke 17 – kaum machi-yokko ini dianggap seperti pahlawan.

Masalah jadi rumit, karena setelah berhasil menggulung para ronin, para anggota machi-yokko ini malah meninggalkan profesi awal mereka – dan memilih jadi preman. Hal ini diperparah lagi dengan turut campurnya Shogun dalam memelihara para machi-yokko ini. Ada dua kelas profesi para machi-yokko, yaitu kaum Bakuto (penjudi) dan Tekiya (pedagang). Namanya saja kaum pedagang – tetapi pada kenyataannya, kaum Tekiya ini suka menipu dan memeras sesama pedagang. Walau begitu, kaum ini punya sistem kekerabatan yang kuat. Ada hubungan kuat antara Oyabun (Boss-bapak) dan Kobun (bawahan-anak), serta Senpai-Kohai (Senior-Junior) yang kemudian menjadi kental di organisasi Yakuza.

PEJUDI SEWAAN

Kaum Bakuto (penjudi), punya sejarah yang unik. Awalnya mereka disewa oleh Shogun untuk berjudi melawan para pegawai konstruksi dan irigasi. Untuk apa…? Agar gaji para pegawai konstruksi dan irigasi habis di meja judi – dan tenaga mereka bisa disewa dengan harga murah!

Jenis judi yang biasa dilakukan adalah menggunakan kartu Hanafuda dengan sistem permainan mirip Black Jack. Tiga kartu dibagikan dan bila angka kartu dijumlahkan – maka angka terakhir menunjukkan siapa pemenang. Nah diantara sekian banyak “kartu sial”, kartu berjumlah 20 adalah yang paling sering disumpahi orang, karena berakhiran nol. Salah satu konfigurasi kartu ini adalah kartu dengan nilai 8-9-3 – yang dalam bahasa Jepang menjadi Ya-Ku-Za – yang kemudian menjadi nama asal Yakuza.

Dari kaum Bakuto ini juga muncul tradisi menandai diri dengan tattoo sekujur badan (disebut irezumi) dan yubitsume (potong jari) sebagai bentuk penyesalan ataupun sebagai hukuman. Awalnya hukuman ini bersifat simbolik – karena ruas atas jari kelingking yang dipotong membuat si empunya tangan menjadi lebih sulit memegang pedang dengan mantap. Hal ini menjadi simbol ketaatan terhadap pimpinan.

YAKUZA MODERN

Waktu pun berlalu, kaum Bakuto dan Tekiya menjadi satu identitas sebagai Yakuza. Kaum yang asalnya bertugas melindungi masyarakat – menjadi ditakuti masyarakat. Para pimpinan Jepang memanfaatkan hal ini untuk mengendalikan masyarakat dan menggerakkan nasionalisme. Yakuza ikut direkrut oleh pemerintah Jepang dalam aksi pendudukan di Manchuria dan China oleh Jepang tahun 1930-an. Para Yakuza dikirim ke daerah tersebut untuk merebut tanah, dan memperoleh hak monopoli sebagai imbalan.

Peruntungan kaum Yakuza berubah setelah Jepang menyerang Pearl Harbor. Militer mengambil alih kendali dari tangan Yakuza. Para anggota Yakuza akhirnya harus memilih apakah bergabung dalam birokrasi pemerintah, jadi tentara atau masuk penjara. Boleh dikata pamor Yakuza tenggelam.

Setelah Jepang menyerah, para anggota Yakuza kembali ke masyarakat. Muncul satu orang yang berhasil mempersatukan seluruh organisasi Yakuza. Orang itu adalah Yoshio Kodame, seorang ex-militer dengan pangkat terakhir Admiral Muda (yang dicapainya di usia 34 tahun). Yoshio Kodame berhasil mempersatukan dua fraksi besar Yakuza, yaitu Yamaguchi-gumi yang dipimpin Kazuo Taoka, dan Tosei-kai yang dipimpin Hisayuki Machii. Yakuza pun bertambah besar keanggotaannya terutama di periode 1958-1963 – saat organisasi Yakuza diperkirakan memiliki anggota 184.000 orang – atau lebih banyak daripada anggota tentara angkatan darat Jepang saat itu. Yoshio Kodame dinobatkan sebagai godfather-nya Yakuza.

ECSTASY, PACHINKO DAN PELUNCUR ROKET

Di masa kini, keanggotaan Yakuza diperkirakan telah menurun tajam – tetapi bukan berarti tidak berbahaya. Tulang punggung bisnis illegal mereka adalah pachinko, perdagangan ampethamine (termasuk ice dan ecstasy), prostitusi, pornografi, pemerasan, hingga penyelundupan senjata.

Di era 1980-an, Yakuza mengembangkan sayap mereka hingga ke Amerika, dan ikut masuk dalam bisnis legal untuk mencuci uang mereka. Dalam operasinya, Yakuza membeli asset di Amerika – dan salah satu yang pernah mencuat ke permukaan adalah keterlibatan Prescott Bush Jr., saudara dari presiden George Bush dan paman dari Presiden George W. Bush Jr., dalam transaksi penjualan perusahaan Asset Management International Financing & Settlements di awal 1990-an.

Berdasarkan perkiraan kasar dari sumber majalah Far Eastern Economic Review edisi 17 Januari 2002 – Yakuza diperkirakan telah menanamkan uang hingga USD 50 Milyar dalam investasi saham dan perusahaan di Amerika. Bandingkan dengan cadangan devisa Indonesia yang USD 36 Milyar.

Di dalam negeri, Yakuza juga ditengarai turut berperan dalam anjloknya ekonomi Jepang selama 10 tahun terakhir. Sebagai akibat amblasnya bisnis properti dan macetnya kredit bank di Jepang pasca 1990 – banyak debitor yang menyewa anggota Yakuza agar agunan mereka tidak disita oleh bank. Selain itu, banyak perusahaan yang memperoleh pinjaman bank – pada dasarnya adalah sebuah kigyo shatei atau perusahaan boneka miliki Yakuza. Perusahaan milik Yakuza ini diperkirakan memperoleh kredit antara USD 300-400 Milyar, dan sebagian dari jumlah itu dialirkan ke induk organisasi Yakuza. Menghadapi hal seperti ini - bank Jepang jelas tidak bisa berkutik.

Di sisi lain, anggota Yakuza juga kerap membeli asset properti dengan harga miring dari perusahaan yang butuh cash – untuk dijual kembali dengan harga tinggi – apapun itu mulai dari apartemen, perkantoran hingga rumah sakit. Bila sebuah bangunan telah dibeli oleh Yakuza – siapa sih yang berani jadi tetangga mereka? Alhasil harga properti langsung amblas, dan segera naik segera setelah Yakuza menjualnya.

Selain beroperasi secara di level bawah, Yakuza juga menggurita di kalangan politisi Jepang. Beberapa praktek suap telah terbongkar termasuk dalam program tender proyek umum senilai trilyunan yen. Program rekapitalisasi perbankan Jepang yang berlarut-larut tidak kunjung selesai – diperparah oleh keterlibatan Yakuza yang sangat berkepentingan dalam bisnis properti dan kredit perbankan. Saat ini perbankan Jepang masih menanggung beban kredit macet sebesar kira-kira USD 1,2 Trilyun – dan membuat ekonomi tidak bertumbuh selama 10 tahun terakhir....
(dikutip dari adekrawie)

Kamis, 19 Februari 2009

Eye Shield 21

Plot of Eyeshield 21


Plot of Eyeshield21 :
The plot of Eyeshield 21 revolves around a physically unassuming and non-assertive boy named Sena Kobayakawa who enters the high school of his choice, Deimon Private Senior High School, where his childhood friend Mamori Anezaki who attended the year before. His only remarkable physical abilities are his running speed, and intense agility; The result of a school life spent complying with the demands of bullies, it was revealed later a friend taught him how to run quickly as a base. His abilities quickly catches the eye of the high school's American football team captain Yoichi Hiruma who forces Sena to join the Deimon Devil Bats as its running back.

To protect his identity to prevent other teams in the school to recruit him for his speed, Sena is forced to publicly assume the role of team secretary, and enter the field wearing a helmet equipped with a green-tinted eyeshield in order to hide his features under the pseudonym of "Eyeshield 21". The makeshift team initially takes part in the Spring football tournament hoping to win with through the strength of their new "secret weapon." However, the extremely weak team is eliminated early on by the Ojo White Knights, a powerhouse football team that focuses on defense. It is in this game that Sena meets the man he will acknowledge as his ultimate rival, Seijuro Shin, a talented linebacker.

After Deimon's defeat, the Spring tournament is revealed as a secondary in importance to the Fall tournament, where the teams compete for the chance to play in the "Christmas Bowl", the high school football league championship. Hiruma, Kurita and Sena regroup and slowly build a real team from other misfits and students looking to define themselves, such as Tarou Raimon a baseball player who can only catch, The Three Ha-Ha Brothers. Other characters slowly join the team as the series follows the building and growth of the Deimon Devil Bats and its members as well as various rival teams as they all strive to achieve their goal of playing in the Christmas Bowl.
Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

SlamDunK

Plot of SlamDunk






The main character of this manga is Hanamichi Sakuragi, who started out as an outcast who fights as a method to gain power and publicity, becoming the leader of a gang. Hanamichi, being very unpopular with girls, has been rejected by them fifty times. Yet, he finds out that Haruko Akagi is the girl of his dreams, and is happy when she's not scared of him like all the other girls he has asked out.

Haruko Akagi, who recognizes Hanamichi's athleticism, introduces him to the Shohoku basketball team. Hanamichi was reluctant to join the team at first because he had no previous background in any sports and thought that basketball was a game for losers (also because the fiftieth girl rejected him for a basketball player). Sakuragi, despite his immaturity and hot temper, proves to be a natural athlete with potential and joins the team in order to impress Haruko and prove that he is worthy of her. Kaede Rukawa - Sakuragi's bitter rival (both on the basketball court and love, even when Rukawa doesn't acknowledge Haruko's crush on him), the star rookie and a "girl magnet" - joins the team at the same time. Hisashi Mitsui, an ex-junior high school MVP, and Ryota Miyagi , a short but fast player, both also rejoin the team and together these four struggle to complete team captain Takenori Akagi's dream of making Shohoku the national champion. Together, these misfits gain publicity and the once little known Shohoku basketball team becomes an all-star contender in Japan.

Source Article : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slam_Dunk_(manga)
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Minggu, 15 Februari 2009

Nama Jepang Kamu & Ramalan Nama Kamu

Gw pribadi anggap nie buat iseng-iseng doang, soalnya gw gak bisa jamin kepastiannya.
tapi lumayan seru koq...

nama jepang gw sendiri setelah di cek tuh Tsugahara Handa ... xixixi

langsung aja nie alamatnya : http://www.rumandmonkey.com/widgets/toys/namegen/721/

cobain dech sob!!!


Ada satu tambahan nie buat yg suka sama ramal meramal ... loe bisa punya sedikit gambaran tentang diri loe dari Ramalan Nama ini ... Seru juga coY,, Dicoba aja ya langsung nie gw kasi alamatnya : http://www.hongsui.net/r_nama.php

Sabtu, 07 Februari 2009

Getting the bosozoku style



Getting the bosozoku style

In anime and manga, typical bosozoku member often wear a uniform that mixes 1950s soldier, 1950s rocker and a sense of dystopian, apocalyptic futurism:


Japanese Biker Gangs

Japanese biker gangs - Get the bosozoku style

Bosozoku ("violent running gang") is a Japanese subculture associated with motorcycle gangs. At their worst they start weapons with sword and molotov cocktails, but mostly they're about style, noise and speed. We give you the bosozoku history and how-to fashion style.




History of the bosozoku gangs

Bosozoku were first seen in the 1950s as the Japanese automobile industry expanded rapidly. The first bosozoku were known as kaminari-zoku ("Lightning Tribes"). They'd hand around city centres listening 'The Roosters' and 'The Street Sliders' at full volume.

The word bosozoku is also applied to motorcycle gangs, who share an interest in modifications (often illegal) for motorcycles, such as removing the mufflers so that more noise is produced. These bosozoku groups also engage in dangerous or reckless driving, such as weaving in traffic, not wearing motorcycle helmets, and running red lights. Another activity is shinai boso speeding in city streets, not usually for street racing but more for thrills. With many bikes involved, the leading one is driven by the sentosha, the leader, who is responsible for the event and is not allowed to be overtaken. Japanese police call them Maru-So, and dispatch a police vehicle to trail any groups of bikes to prevent any possible incidents, which can include riding through suburbs at speeds of 5–10 miles an hour, creating a loud disturbance and waving imperial Japanese flags, to starting fights which can include weapons such as swords and Molotov cocktails. These bosozoku gangs are generally composed of people under the legal adult age, which in Japan is 20 years old, and are subject to increasing state and police pressure

Jumat, 06 Februari 2009

"HaRaJuKu FasHioN"


Anyone who makes it to Harajuku (in Tokyo) is in for a treat because the fashions are unbelievable




JaPaNeZe Streets Fashion!!!

Supposedly, street fashion has become the most popular trend in Japan today. Great deals of young Japanese wear the outlandish clothes in large urban fashion districts such as Harajuku, Ginza, Odaiba, Shinjuku and Shibuya.

Lolita

GothicLolita
Main article: Lolita Fashion

The Lolita styles have many different "subcultures", such as: Punk Lolita, Gothic Lolita, Sweet Lolita, etc. They are always expressed as "GothLoli", "SweetLoli", "PunkLoli".

  • Gothic Lolita styles focus more on Edwardian pieces and darker colors. Big brooches, bonnets, and umbrellas are popular accessories. A popular style now is "Alice in Wonderland", with skirts, tops, accessories, bags all with playing cards on them.
  • Punk Lolita styles have a lot of plaid in the clothing. Chains, pearls, big bows patterned with plaid , lace, and lots of wristbands are popular accessories. The biggest model of PunkLoli fashions is Nana Kitade, a very popular singer/songwriter.
  • Sweet Lolita styles are inspired by baby doll clothing. A lot of pinks and whites and blues are used. Bows, lace collars, and stuffed animals are common accessories. Aprons are worn over dresses as to give the appearance as if someone had been baking. Hello Kitty is very popular with SweetLolis.

Kogal

Main article: Kogal

The Kogal subculture is characterized by young women, who display their disposable incomes through tastes in fashion, music and other forms of social activity. Most Ko-gals are in their last years of high school, or the beginning years of college. Kogals are very flashy-type women and the style is very similar to that of Ganguro.


Ganguro

Main article: Ganguro

The Ganguro subculture peaked popularity in the year 2000. The looks of Ganguro fashion consists of bleached hair, a deep or extremely pale tan, fake eyelashes, platform shoes and brightly coloured make-up and outfits. They wear mini-skirts, platform boots and ample amounts of bracelets, rings and necklaces. The Ganguro girls are usually accompanied by a small group and it is typical of a "Ganguro Gal" to show-off her cell phone covered with purikura, pictures from photo booths. [3].


Bōsōzoku

Main article: Bōsōzoku

The stereotypical bōsōzoku look is often portrayed, and even caricatured, in many forms of Japanese media such as anime, manga and films. The typical bōsōzoku member is often depicted in a uniform consisting of a jumpsuit like those worn by manual laborers or a tokko-fuku (特攻服), a type of military issued over-coat with kanji slogans usually worn open with no shirt underneath showing off their bandaged torsos and matching baggy pants tucked inside tall boots. Leather jackets, often embroidered with club/gang logos, and even full leather suits, are also seen as common elements of the bōsōzoku look. Items in the bōsōzoku attire consist of sunglasses, usually round or wrap-around, long hachimaki headbands, also with battle slogans, and a pompadour hairstyle, most likely akin to the greaser/rocker look, or perhaps because of the hairstyle's association with yakuza thugs. The punch perm is considered a common bōsōzoku hairstyle as well.


Elegant Gothic Aristocrat/Lolita

The style of Elegant Gothic Aristocrat/Lolita is based on the concept of androgyny and often has identical outfits for both men and women. The typical colors of the clothes are black, white and other dark colors, but sometimes may include light blue or light pink with black detailing. The main image is founded on elegance and simplicity where the clothing lines are usually simple and tight, with pants or long skirts that stand in contrast to the Lolita style. Dark, heavy makeup may be worn by both sexes.