What is the sense of duty which drives Yakuza gangs to murder?

A successful new crime drama, starring Japanese actors, includes scenes set in London and Tokyo.

At one stage, there’s a violent confrontation in a famous hotel, with lots of fighting and dead bodies.

The drama draws on the powerful idea of giri 義理 – a sense of duty or obligation which drives the members of yakuza gangs to murder.

In this week’s Japan Story blog, we hear how giri is also a concept which guides a man’s relationship with his mother-in-law.

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Japan Story’s blog is written by former BBC Tokyo Correspondent Duncan Bartlett. Each week he analyses how Japan’s story is being told to the world through the international media.