|
is a Japanese youth subculture associated with customized motorcycles. ==Traits and history== The word ''bōsōzoku'' is also applied to motorcycle subculture with an interest in motorcycle customizing, often illegal, and making noise by removing the mufflers on their vehicles so that more noise is produced. These ''bōsōzoku'' groups sometimes ride not wearing motorcycle helmets, also engage in dangerous or reckless driving, such as weaving in traffic, and running red lights. Another activity is speeding in city streets, not usually for street racing but more for thrills. With many bikes involved, the leading one is driven by the leader, who is responsible for the event and is not allowed to be overtaken. Japanese police call them ''Maru-Sō'' (police code マル走 or 丸走), and dispatch a police vehicle to trail any groups of bikes to prevent any possible incidents, which can include riding very slowly through suburbs at speeds of 5–10 mph, creating a loud disturbance and waving imperial Japanese flags, to start fights which can include weapons such as wooden swords, metal pipes, baseball bats and Molotov cocktails. These ''bōsōzoku'' gangs are generally composed of people under the legal adult age, which in Japan is 20 years old. They were first seen in the 1950s as the Japanese automobile industry expanded rapidly. The precursors to the ''bōsōzoku'' were known as , urban motorcyclist more akin to the British rockers. Many, if not most, ''bōsōzoku'' members came from a lower socioeconomic class and may have used the motorcycle gang activities as a way to express disaffection and dissatisfaction with Japanese mainstream society. In the 1980s and 1990s, ''bōsōzoku'' would often embark on massed rides, in which up to 100 bikers would cruise together slowly en masse down an expressway or major highway. The motorcyclists would run toll booths without stopping and would ignore police attempts to detain them. New Year's Eve was a popular occasion for the massed rides. The bikers would sometimes smash the cars and threaten or beat up any motorists or bystanders who got in the way or expressed disapproval with the bikers' behavior. Participation in the gangs peaked at 42,510 members in 1982.〔Kyodo News, "(Biker gang ranks fall below 10,000 )", ''The Japan Times'', 11 February 2011, p. 2.〕 In 2004, the Japanese government passed a revised road traffic law which gave the police more power to arrest bikers riding recklessly in groups. With increased arrests and prosecutions, ''bōsōzoku'' participation went into decline. As of 2010, police reported that the new trend among ''bōsōzoku'' was to ride together in much smaller groups and to ride scooters instead of heavily modified motorcycles. Aichi prefecture was reported to have the highest number of riders, followed by Tokyo, Osaka, Ibaraki, and Fukuoka.〔''Chunichi Shimbun'', "(Aichi biker gangs up but downsized )", ''The Japan Times'', July 17, 2010, p. 3.〕 In February 2011, the Japanese National Police announced that membership in the gangs had fallen to 9,064, the lowest number since the collection of data on the gangs began in 1975. The police put the total number of gangs nationwide at 507, down 76 from 2009.〔 Their number in the Tokyo area had fallen from 5,300 in 1980 to 119 in 2012.〔''Metropolis'', "The Small Print: Stats", #942, 13–26 April 2012, p. 4〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bōsōzoku」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|