任侠(にんきょう)

にんきょう
noun
chivalry; gallantry; code of honor among outlaws
culturesociety
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(にんきょう)映画(えいが)が好(す)きだ。
I like yakuza/chivalry films.
任侠(にんきょう)の世界(せかい)は義理(ぎり)と人情(にんじょう)を重(おも)んじる。
The world of chivalry values duty and human compassion.
あの俳優(はいゆう)は任侠(にんきょう)映画(えいが)で有名(ゆうめい)になり、昭和(しょうわ)を代表(だいひょう)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(にんきょう) 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(にんきょう)映画(えいが): yakuza/chivalry film
  • 任侠(にんきょう)道(どう): the way of chivalry
  • 任侠(にんきょう)の世界(せかい): the world of chivalry/the underworld
  • 任侠(にんきょう)物(もの): yakuza genre (films, novels)

Cultural note

任侠(にんきょう)映画(えいが) 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(にんきょう) code, often sacrificing themselves for honor and loyalty.

Similar words

  • 義侠(ぎきょう): heroic chivalry — emphasizes righteous action, less tied to the underworld
  • ヤクザ: yakuza — the organized crime syndicates themselves, not the idealized code

Related Words

Compare: 義侠(ぎきょう) (heroic chivalry)
Compare: やくざ (yakuza)
Compare: 侠客(きょうかく) (chivalrous person)
Compare: 義侠心(ぎきょうしん) (chivalrous spirit)
general
Added 2026.4.18 2:43 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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