In 1985, during the "Yamasei Conflict" in Kitami City, Hokkaido, Kazuharu Hashizume (Jiro Okazaki), leader of the Hashizume group under the Kamo faction of the Seiwa-kai, was gunned down by a member of the Tsuzuki faction, part of the Iwai group under the Inahara-kai. Despite this, the Seiwa-kai, the parent organization of the Hashizume group, pushed for a truce with the Tsuzuki faction, which had ties to their current rivals, the Yamaga group, to prevent further escalation. Unwilling to accept this decision, Kohei Nagamine (Yasukaze Motomiya), the Hashizume group’s lieutenant, leads his men in a defiant act of "truce-breaking," prepared to make enemies of yakuza across Japan.

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A weekly BBC Two magazine programme focusing on the best of the week's arts and culture news, covering books, art, film, architecture and more.

A weekly BBC Two magazine programme focusing on the best of the week's arts and culture news, covering books, art, film, architecture and more.

Once, there was a lone yakuza feared as the “One-Eyed Dragon.” His name was Seiji Moriya (Yasukaze Motomiya)—the man who would later become the first chairman of the Great Japan Kokusui Organization. This is the story of a young Moriya, still just a street thug, who lost his left eye yet never lost his will. Through encounters with mentors, family, and comrades who shared his ideals, he rose like a dragon through the turbulent world of the yakuza—staking everything on his conviction to revive the spirit of the Great Japan Kokusui Organization.

Chun Dalsoo, a scoundrel who has nothing better to do, makes his living by attending military exercises in place of his friends. One day, he goes to the bank with Eunji, a cashier in a cafe. To Dalsoo’s surprise, he finds ten billion won in his bank account.

After completing his journey of self-discovery through Osaka and Kyushu, Ryū Shimaoka (played by Yasukaze Motomiya) returns to his hometown of Awaji as a fully-fledged yakuza. With the backing of Hosono, a senior member of the Yamagami-gumi, Shimaoka and his youthful comrades form the Kyōkotsukai and align themselves with the powerful Okada-gumi, which controls the island. As Shimaoka rises rapidly through the ranks, tensions flare when the rival Kurosaki-gumi brings in a dangerous outsider from Kobe, shattering the fragile peace that once divided the island. This is the gripping story of a man born and raised in Awaji, who walks the path of the yakuza to protect his home, and the turbulent life he leads!

An action drama that depicts the history of the fierce gang conflicts of the Higashi-gumi—renowned nationwide as an ultra–combat-oriented syndicate—brought to life with a star-studded cast including Hakuryu and Hideo Nakano. In the brutal battleground of Osaka, the Higashi-gumi managed to remain independent and avoid submission to any larger syndicate. Their survival was owed entirely to the overwhelming charisma of the boss and his younger brother. Set in Nishinari—known as the “Mecca of Osaka’s yakuza”—this true-crime yakuza epic portrays the rise of the ultra-combat-oriented Higashi-gumi, a syndicate that maintained its independence without ever bowing to any major organization. With overwhelming charisma, the Higashi-gumi boss, Higashi Kiyoshi, and his younger brother Isamu carve out their own dominant presence in Osaka through their extreme, unapologetic brutality.

In July, Showa 33 (1958), Seiji Moriya finally succeeded in rebuilding the Great Japan Kokusui Organization. With the banner of “Anti-Communism and Patriotism,” he threw himself into various nationalist movements. At the same time, Moriya stood at the forefront of the yakuza world—stepping in to mediate a full-blown conflict between two powerful syndicates, the Tsuruhashi-gumi and the Kyokugo Yozakura Family. The legendary “One-Eyed Dragon” once feared by all—this is the story of his unwavering conviction.

How many did I kill? I remember about fourteen, but beyond that, I've no idea. Unbound by past or future, this man lived utterly in the present. His fierce, half-life is depicted here. The legendary hero most feared by Kyushu's yakuza—his spectacular life story is resurrected now!