Yakuza
Yakuza (ヤクザ, [jaꜜkuza]), also known as gokudō (極道), are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan (暴力団, "violent groups"), while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" (任侠団体 or 仁侠団体, "chivalrous organizations"). The yakuza are notorious for their strict codes of conduct and organized nature. They have a large presence in the Japanese media and operate internationally with an estimated 102,000 members.
Divisions of origin
Despite uncertainty about the single origin of yakuza organizations, most modern yakuza derive from two classifications which emerged in the mid-Edo Period (1603–1868): tekiya, those who primarily peddled illicit, stolen or shoddy goods; and bakuto, those who were involved in or participated in gambling.
"Tekiya" (peddlers) were considered one of the lowest social groups in Edo. As they began to form organizations of their own, they took over some administrative duties relating to commerce, such as stall allocation and protection of their commercial activities. During Shinto festivals, these peddlers opened stalls and some members were hired to act as security. Each peddler paid rent in exchange for a stall assignment and protection during the fair.
Yakuza (series)
Yakuza, known in Japan as Ryū ga Gotoku (龍が如く, lit. Like a Dragon), is an action-adventure video game franchise created, owned and published by Sega. The series primarily focus on the yakuza Kazuma Kiryu from the Tojo clan. While Kazuma often assists the Tojo clan, the series has also featured him searching for another way of life in the form of raising orphans. The gameplay of Yakuza has the player controlling Kazuma (or another character depending on the title) in an open world where he can encounter an enemy or perform an activity in the city to obtain experience.
The series originated from Toshihiro Nagoshi's desire to create a new game that would tell the yakuzas' way of life. Nagoshi initially struggled to find a platform for the project, until Sony showed interest in the prospect. The series became a commercial success, selling 7.8 million copies as of November 2014. Strong sales of the games in its original Japanese market has led to the franchise's expansion to other mediums, including film adaptations.
Yakuza (video game)
Yakuza, originally released in Japan as Like a Dragon (龍が如く Ryū ga Gotoku), is an action-adventure game developed and published by Sega for the PlayStation 2. Yakuza was released in Japan in 2005, and outside Japan the following year. The story follows a yakuza named Kazuma Kiryu, who, after spending ten years in jail for a crime he did not commit, learns that 10 billion yen has been stolen from the Tojo clan, which the criminal underworld is searching for. He finds an orphaned girl Haruka who is being targeted by the clan, as she is believed to have the key for their lost money, and he resolves to protect her. The game takes place in Kamurocho, which is a realistic recreation of Tokyo's Kabukicho.
Yakuza is an open world action-adventure game with RPG elements: the player gains experience from combat, which can be used to level up Kazuma's stats and increase his fighting capabilities. In order to finance the game's expensive production, Sega contracted a tie-in campaign with famous Japanese companies. A remake of this game, titled Ryū ga Gotoku: Kiwami (龍が如く極, lit. "Like a Dragon: Extreme") has been released in Japanese on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 on January 21, 2016.
Exterminator!
Exterminator! is a short story collection written by William S. Burroughs and first published in 1973. Early editions label the book a novel.
It is not to be confused with The Exterminator, another collection of stories Burroughs published in 1960 in collaboration with Brion Gysin.
The collection contains a number of Burroughs' most popular short pieces, such as "Twilight's Last Gleamings", "The Discipline of DE", "Wind Die, You Die, We Die", "Ali's Smile", and "The Coming of the Purple Better One". Some of the stories, such as "Ali's Smile", had previously been published in other books and magazines such as Rolling Stone, Village Voice, Evergreen Review, and Esquire Magazine.
The title story is about an insect exterminator, a job Burroughs himself once held. Certain aspects of this story were used in the film version of Naked Lunch, with the main character William Lee (a portrayal of Burroughs) holding the same job at the film's beginning.
In the 1980s, actor Ed Asner recorded a spoken word adaptation of "Wind Die. You Die. We Die", while Burroughs and Kurt Cobain recorded a musical version of one of the stories as The "Priest" They Called Him.
Exterminator
Exterminator may refer to:
Competition
Fiction
People
Other uses
See also
Exterminator (horse)
Exterminator (May 30, 1915 – September 26, 1945) was an American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse the winner of the 1918 Kentucky Derby, and in 1922 won Horse of the Year honors.
Background
The lanky chestnut colt was bred by F. D. "Dixie" Knight (Mrs. M.J. Mizner, Knight's mother, was said to be the actual breeder) and foaled at Almahurst Farm near Lexington, Kentucky. Exterminator was sired by McGee, who also produced Donerail, the winner of the 1913 Kentucky Derby. At the Saratoga Paddock sale of 1916, he was bought as a yearling for $1,500 by J. Cal Milam who trained his own horses. The big colt grew fast, reaching 16.3 hands (67 inches, 170 cm) at two but he was awkward and coarse looking. For this reason, Milam had him gelded.
Racing career
1917: two-year-old season
On June 30, 1917 at Latonia Race Track in Covington, Kentucky, Exterminator made his debut in a six-furlong maiden race that he won by three lengths. Sent to race in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, he suffered a muscle sprain and Milam gave him time off to grow into his size, which by now was 17 hands. Still, he had earned $1,500 and a potential nomination to the Kentucky Derby.
