The Bizarre World Of Bosozoku Cars
The Bizarre World Of Bosozoku Cars
From the Lowriders of Southern California to the Raggare greasers in Sweden, the world is full of bizarre and unique car cultures.
But when it comes to custom mods and eye-catching decorations, the Bosozoku in Japan have got everyone beat.
Starting out as a gang of thrill-seeking, young bikers in the 1950s, Bosozoku has evolved into a fully-fledged subculture that’s making its mark on the world.
The Origins Of Bosozoku
Bosozoku was born during Japan’s post-war reconstruction era. As people rebuilt what was lost and industry picked up again, it seemed like the country was on the fast track to a bright future.
But nothing could be further from the truth for some ex-Kamikaze pilots.
The Kamikaze
Kamikaze were an elite unit of the Japanese army, made famous for their one, harrowing task:to die in the pursuit of victory. You see, kamikaze pilots would fly their specially designed, highly explosive planes into enemy Navy ships.
This form of attack was more accurate and damaging than traditional attacks, but victory came at a high price: Nearly 3,800 kamikaze perished during WWII.
Searching For Excitement
The kamikaze pilots who had never been deployed, or worse yet, who had failed their mission, felt like outsiders when they returned home.
Restless and unable to find their place in society, some of these young veterans started looking for an adrenaline rush.
And they found it in American greaser culture.
American Influence
Imported American movies were popular in post-war Japan and they introduced the restless young veterans to the greasers. Movies like The Wild One and Rebel Without A Cause, also gave them a taste of American biker culture.
Seeking to create a new identity, the veterans embraced the greaser lifestyle. And thus, Bosozoku was born.
