Cops vs. Thugs

Two rival yakuza factions—the Kawade family and the Ohara family—clash for control of Kurashima in 1963. The Kawade are allied with ex-boss Tomoyasu, while the Ohara faction enjoys an alliance with the local police. The city quickly descends into a tense power struggle.

Detective Kuno learns of an illegal land auction involving Kawade, Tomoyasu, and Nikko Oil. Hirotani leaks details of the deal to gain leverage and disrupt the competitive maneuvering. The auction is paused, allowing Hirotani to consolidate power.

Bar violence and a crew linked to Kawade explode into a citywide confrontation as Ohara men raid Tomoyasu’s hostess bar, blaming a rival Ohara member. A truck driver aligned with Kawade is beaten, giving Hirotani a pretext to escalate the war. The fighting spills into the streets and police involvement increases.

Police Commissioner Kikkuchi assigns Lieutenant Shoichi Kaida to crack down on the yakuza. Kaida orders officers to cut ties with the gangs and makes his stance clear by smashing Hirotani’s sake bottles. Yoshihura, a Tomoyasu loyalist, resigns from the force and joins Tomoyasu’s law office.

Boss Ohara is released from jail and, following Tomoyasu’s counsel, agrees to retire permanently and surrender his rackets. He disbands his family and hands power to Kawade, shifting the balance of influence in Kurashima. The arrangement signals a formal withdrawal of Ohara from the street war.

Kuno argues for a pragmatic approach to stabilize the city, while Kaida pushes for a hardline stance against any collusion with the gangs. Kubo believes cooperation with the gangs benefits the city, and his stance leads to a suspension after clashing with Kaida. The internal debate deepens the conflict’s complexity.

To settle scores, Hirotani and his remaining men kidnap Yoshihura and hide him in a hotel. Police mobilize and attempt to besiege the hotel to force a surrender. The standoff tests loyalties within both the police and the gang factions.

Kawamoto, a friend of Tsukahara, is killed while unsuccessfully asking Tsukahara to negotiate Hirotani’s terms. The loss escalates tensions and complicates the already fragile negotiations. The incident underscores how precarious the ceasefire attempts are.

Kuno is recalled to defuse the situation and infiltrates the hotel. He rescues Yoshihura and subdues Hirotani after the hotel is tear-gassed. The immediate crisis appears to be nearing an end as a deal is negotiated.

Kuno arranges a deal with Kaida: Kawade will be disbanded, Hirotani and Tsukahara will receive light prison sentences, and Kaida will admit that Kuno was correct about handling the gangs. If Kaida refuses, he will resign and threaten to expose corrupt officers. The agreement aims to restore a fragile order to the city.

As the deal is carried out, Hirotani attempts to force a hostage situation by targeting Kaida. Kuno intervenes and shoots Hirotani, ending the immediate threat and bringing the war to a close for the moment.

Two years after the climactic events, Kaida resigns from the police and takes a position with Nikko Oil. Kuno has been transferred to another city as a patrolman, marking the end of his active involvement in Kurashima’s battleground.

One night after the end of his shift, Kuno encounters a crashed car at the exit of a tunnel while being followed by a truck. The truck ignores signals and runs him over, killing him, casting a grim final note on the tale of Kurashima’s lawman.