There were no Yakuza during the edo period, although the groups that would one day become the Yakuza were around. Both merchants (fencing stolen goods) and gamblers (illegal at the time) were on the lowest of social ranks. I forget the names of the two groups but the merchant class was eventually allowed titles and single sword carry (only samurai were allowed to carry a daisho). So in a way they existed but they certainly weren't the image one normally thinks of when talking Yakuza. The whole samurai image is somewhat romanticized in the crime world. Sure, many current Yakuza may have come from a samurai lineage but the average gangster would have been executed by an actual samurai had they pulled that shit back then.

I still like the idea of a tattoo covered NZombi wearing fundoshi, maybe with a blade accessory.

I have been schooled! Curse you movies and video games for lying to me in my FACE!

Yeah, pretty much petty low-life sword-carrying Nzombie thug. With Tattoos. That's all I want.

Tekiya were the 'merchants', smugglers et cetera
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tekiya
and Bakuto the gamblers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakuto

Thanks RudeB! Bakuto! That's what I'm thinking of and talking about! Gambling gangsters!

One of my favorite scenes from Kitanos Zatoichi...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UqJgV10 ... ure=relmfu

^ ^ Ha, yes! This is the Kitano I love!!

I should have known wikipedia would have the answers! My batto-do Sensei used to talk about this stuff. He was none too amused with the romanticizing of the Yakuza or ninja. He felt like it was a huge slap in the face to traditional samurai ethics.

I've always wondered if the Yakuza has any hands in the Japanese toy community? It's insane how much power that they have, for instance, after WW2 some of the heads of the Yakuza in Japan, had insurmountable supplies of Efedrin, that was being tested on soldiers as a stimulant for battle. They made a deal with the Japanese government, that they would keep cocaine and heroin out of the country, if they were allowed to sell the Efedrin, even today, heroin, and cocaine abuse, is almost unheard of in Japan, but Efedrin remains a staple of modern society there.

Also during the Tsunami the Yakuza were the first people to help with relief supplies, the Sumiyoshi-kai which is the second largest crime family, even offered refuge to foreigners, which is apparently a huge deal, considering the right-wing mafia is largely known to be xenophobic.

With their hands so entrenched in Japanese Society, is it crazy to think they might play a hand in toy production?

Seems like there wouldn't be enough money in it to be worth their while. But who knows? I posted a link to this article a while back elsewhere - touches on possible Yakuza ties going all the way to the top of Olympus (think cameras, not mountains):
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/20 ... us-scandal

I was thinking, have we seen all 10 of the white/light/ white/heat painted 1 offs? I've found pics of 7 of them but I'm not sure I've seen the other 3? Anybody got pics ?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lawrencech ... 587808809/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lawrencech ... 587808809/

Is this one of them?


Edit: Here's another I think

whoa, nice, I'm guessing that's one of them. So, 2 more?

I think that second one is in the pic showing 5, in the far back?

Hahaha, yes, that's one my Warhol ones. It isn't pictured in the lottery pic, but was from COOPs Art Show release when you bought a painting.

That Warhol release was strange and cool. A couple were a mystery, as seen above (I've never seen that blue one!), then there were some that have never seen the light of day after the lottery (the half-painted one), and of course the unpainted Ghost of Warhol with wigs.
And these were the only GID release of the Genjins, and all one-offs.
The fact that they were mostly given out at COOPs art show brings the confusion on what they all looked like. Plus the picture Shigeru posted up for the lottery was very desaturated, and throwing off the comparisons to the actually "in-hand" pictures.

Great release. One of my favorites.

Oops, yeah. I guess the trade was successful...


edit: I wonder if any are displayed at Mishka stores?

edit 2: another one of the 5 in the lottery photo;

I saw a pic somewhere of a mixed parts one that looks like it came from that run, but isn't one of the 5 from the lotto pic.

I believe it was a pic from Mishka Japan...

Probably made for the store as a gift from shig.

Here's what I was referencing earlier. I had saved this on my phone at some point, but don't really know who to credit for the shot.



The brightly colored vinyl on these mixed parts versions really does something special for me.

Maybe, some day, I can secure one of my own

Took a picture of my suave, pasty Nag last night (@thefourthwalter - instagram!). Always smelling good.

I think this one was sold via the bay..

^ Nice shots boys.

I'm still waiting for those wolf killing secrets Severn, but in the meantime here are my thoughts on the mystery of the mixed-part B.G. There are 8 parts on a B.G. Since each of the mixed parts is a different colour it is plausible that 8 B.G. were made. But at least nine colours were used to make them ( black, dark blue (?), pink yellow, orange, light blue, lime green, forest green and glow). So there were maybe a total of 9 made then, 5 for the lottery and 4 for personal use, one of which shows up in that picture from the store display.

No secrets.

Put this...


In this...




I'll bring the thread back Z, I know you've been waiting for more

Life without thumbs

what does your painting look like?

Didn't get a painting. Someone else did, and didn't want the toy.
Though, I was REALLY tempted to get the original sketch of the header.