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hooligan journalists in Japan, 1950s
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2009/3/18 08:08
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I've been trying to find information on them but I haven't been able to find anything on the internet. Does anyone know of any websites or any books about them? Or if you can give me the names of any famous ''hooligans'' that would be great too.
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by youlooklikearabbit
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The poster is referring to a group that was based in a izakiya (still open) in Osaka in the 1950's who were famous poets and called their group "The Hooligans". Other than this, I don't know much more. I saw it on a TV show.
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by . (guest)
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The only thing that comes to my mind is the word "gurentai" which means hooligans or hoodlums; groups of punks roaming the streets. There were many right after WW2, which would be in the 1950s. They're hooligans, alright, but they weren't journalist nor poets.
And when you Google the keyword "gurentai" the sites that appear are mostly of the biographical and comical novel/movie series titled "Kishiwada Shonen Gurentai" literally meaning "Kishiwada gurentai boys." Kishiwada is a city in Osaka.
If "Izakiya" is a name, I couldn't find anything close to it.
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by Uco (guest)
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I probably spelled it wrong, Izakiya like a bar with drinks and food. And these guys weren't a gang, just writers.
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by . (guest)
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yeahhhhh!
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2009/3/19 08:13
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I saw it briefly on a TV show. Yep, they were based in Osaka, I completely forgot about that part. I also remember something about Izakayas. Thanks so much for your help.
The only other thing I remember from the show is that their journalism was considered somewhat radical for the time but that's all. Can't seem to find any more info on them. *siiiiiiigh* Thanks again.
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by youlooklikearabbit
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Well, the English word "hooligan" means "a young person who behaves in an extremely noisy and violent way in public, usually in a group," (from Oxford Dictionary) right? So does "gurentai." And the Japanese word "izakaya" just means "Japanese style pub."
Japan was filled with gurentai (hooligans) in the 1950s, many journalists in Japan were into left-wing activities in the 50s, and there still are izakayas all over the country, so I wouldn't be surprized if there was a group of gurentai in a certain pub in Osaka in the 50s, and I wouldn't be surprized if they were writers.
What attracted you to them anyway? Maybe that would give us a clue.
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by Uco (guest)
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hooligan journalists?
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2009/3/21 15:24
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I doubt anyone like Hunter Thompson existed, no such drugs such as Thompson experimented with existed in Japan at that time for what I heard.
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by cc (guest)
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Ramo-san?
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2009/3/21 20:29
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Thinking of Hunter S. Thompson, the first Japanese journalist that came to my mind was Akiyuki Nosaka who said to have had alcoholic problems. Then as I was double-checking Nosaka, I realised there was someone closer: His aquaintance, Ramo Nakajima. Ramo Nakajima was a hippy in the early 70s and said to have done everything from alcohol to pot to drugs. In the 80s, he became very popular for his laid-back comical columns and TV appearances. In the 90s he formed punk bands called Piss and then Ramo & Mother's Boys. As mentioned, Japan was never generous about drug-usage. In 2003 he was arrested for marijuana, but kept on writing to justify it. His essay "Rogoku De Yaseru Diet" means "Diet, by loosing weight in jail." He fell off some stairs and died in 2004 at the age of 52. Won awards in 1992 and 1994 for novels both based on alcoholism. http://www.ramo-nakajima.com/
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by Uco (guest)
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