Ruffians, Yakuza, Nationalists

The Violent Politics of Modern Japan, 1860–1960

Nonfiction, History, Asian, Japan, Social & Cultural Studies, True Crime
Cover of the book Ruffians, Yakuza, Nationalists by Eiko Maruko Siniawer, Cornell University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Eiko Maruko Siniawer ISBN: 9780801454363
Publisher: Cornell University Press Publication: March 19, 2015
Imprint: Cornell University Press Language: English
Author: Eiko Maruko Siniawer
ISBN: 9780801454363
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Publication: March 19, 2015
Imprint: Cornell University Press
Language: English

Violence and democracy may seem fundamentally incompatible, but the two have often been intimately and inextricably linked. In Ruffians, Yakuza, Nationalists, Eiko Maruko Siniawer argues that violence has been embedded in the practice of modern Japanese politics from the very inception of the country's experiment with democracy.

As soon as the parliament opened its doors in 1890, brawls, fistfights, vandalism, threats, and intimidation quickly became a fixture in Japanese politics, from campaigns and elections to legislative debates. Most of this physical force was wielded by what Siniawer calls "violence specialists": ruffians and yakuza. Their systemic and enduring political violence-in the streets, in the halls of parliament, during popular protests, and amid labor strife-ultimately compromised party politics in Japan and contributed to the rise of militarism in the 1930s.

For the post-World War II years, Siniawer illustrates how the Japanese developed a preference for money over violence as a political tool of choice. This change in tactics signaled a political shift, but not necessarily an evolution, as corruption and bribery were in some ways more insidious, exclusionary, and undemocratic than violence. Siniawer demonstrates that the practice of politics in Japan has been dangerous, chaotic, and far more violent than previously thought. Additionally, crime has been more political.

Throughout the book, Siniawer makes clear that certain yakuza groups were ideological in nature, contrary to the common understanding of organized crime as nonideological. Ruffians, Yakuza, Nationalists is essential reading for anyone wanting to comprehend the role of violence in the formation of modern nation-states and its place in both democratic and fascist movements.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Violence and democracy may seem fundamentally incompatible, but the two have often been intimately and inextricably linked. In Ruffians, Yakuza, Nationalists, Eiko Maruko Siniawer argues that violence has been embedded in the practice of modern Japanese politics from the very inception of the country's experiment with democracy.

As soon as the parliament opened its doors in 1890, brawls, fistfights, vandalism, threats, and intimidation quickly became a fixture in Japanese politics, from campaigns and elections to legislative debates. Most of this physical force was wielded by what Siniawer calls "violence specialists": ruffians and yakuza. Their systemic and enduring political violence-in the streets, in the halls of parliament, during popular protests, and amid labor strife-ultimately compromised party politics in Japan and contributed to the rise of militarism in the 1930s.

For the post-World War II years, Siniawer illustrates how the Japanese developed a preference for money over violence as a political tool of choice. This change in tactics signaled a political shift, but not necessarily an evolution, as corruption and bribery were in some ways more insidious, exclusionary, and undemocratic than violence. Siniawer demonstrates that the practice of politics in Japan has been dangerous, chaotic, and far more violent than previously thought. Additionally, crime has been more political.

Throughout the book, Siniawer makes clear that certain yakuza groups were ideological in nature, contrary to the common understanding of organized crime as nonideological. Ruffians, Yakuza, Nationalists is essential reading for anyone wanting to comprehend the role of violence in the formation of modern nation-states and its place in both democratic and fascist movements.

More books from Cornell University Press

Cover of the book The Age of Reformation by Eiko Maruko Siniawer
Cover of the book The Populist Persuasion by Eiko Maruko Siniawer
Cover of the book A World of Regions by Eiko Maruko Siniawer
Cover of the book In the Words of E. B. White by Eiko Maruko Siniawer
Cover of the book The Triangle Fire by Eiko Maruko Siniawer
Cover of the book The Invisible Camorra by Eiko Maruko Siniawer
Cover of the book Queen of Vaudeville by Eiko Maruko Siniawer
Cover of the book Divining without Seeds by Eiko Maruko Siniawer
Cover of the book Memorabilia by Eiko Maruko Siniawer
Cover of the book A New Moral Vision by Eiko Maruko Siniawer
Cover of the book Capitalist Diversity on Europe's Periphery by Eiko Maruko Siniawer
Cover of the book Formative Fictions by Eiko Maruko Siniawer
Cover of the book Doctors at War by Eiko Maruko Siniawer
Cover of the book Race against Empire by Eiko Maruko Siniawer
Cover of the book The Transmission of Affect by Eiko Maruko Siniawer
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy