1.
chivalry; gallantry; code of honor among outlaws
A code of conduct emphasizing loyalty, justice, and protecting the weak, historically associated with yakuza and itinerant gamblers in Japanese culture.
任侠映画が好きだ。
I like yakuza/chivalry films.
任侠の世界は義理と人情を重んじる。
The world of chivalry values duty and human compassion.
あの俳優は任侠映画で有名になり、昭和を代表するスターとなった。
That actor became famous through yakuza films and became a star who defined the Showa era.
Refers to a romanticized code of honor among Japan's underworld figures — standing up for the weak, keeping one's word, and valuing loyalty above all. While associated with the yakuza, 任侠 represents an idealized version of their ethics, much as chivalry romanticizes medieval knights. The concept was especially popular in Showa-era cinema.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 任侠映画: yakuza/chivalry film
- 任侠道: the way of chivalry
- 任侠の世界: the world of chivalry/the underworld
- 任侠物: yakuza genre (films, novels)
CULTURAL NOTE:
任侠映画 was a major Japanese film genre in the 1960s-70s, produced especially by Toei Studios. These films depicted yakuza heroes who followed the 任侠 code, often sacrificing themselves for honor and loyalty.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 義侠: heroic chivalry — emphasizes righteous action, less tied to the underworld
- ヤクザ: yakuza — the organized crime syndicates themselves, not the idealized code