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KUROSAWA-KAI is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. This project is work of various writers.

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HISTORY OF KUROSAWA-KAI

In the 19th century, in a remote village on the outskirts of Edo (now Tokyo), there lived a low-ranking samurai named Kurosawa Takeshi. His family had lost their honor after their lord was killed in battle. Without a master and land, the Kurosawa family lived in poverty. To survive, Takeshi had to forget the samurai code and find other ways to make a living.

One night, while walking through the Edo market, Takeshi met a mysterious old man named Fujimoto. Fujimoto was a wealthy merchant who controlled much of the underground economy in the city. He was not just a trader; he was a shadowy figure manipulating high officials, nobles, and big merchants in Edo. Through threats, bribes, and dark connections, Fujimoto pressured the government and made some officials his puppets.

Fujimoto controlled everything from rice trade to the illegal gambling houses thriving under his protection. He wasn't afraid to use violence and intimidation to keep his power secure. Officials feared him because of his immense wealth and his ability to ruin their reputations. Most people in Edo knew that, although the shogunate officially ruled Japan, it was Fujimoto who truly controlled Edo from the shadows.

Fujimoto offered Takeshi a job to collect debts from merchants who refused to pay him. Reluctantly, Takeshi accepted, thinking of his starving family and the lack of options.

For his first task, Takeshi successfully collected the debts without spilling blood, using threats and determination instead. His skills began to earn him a reputation among the market traders, and Fujimoto gave him more work. Soon, Takeshi became the leader of a small group of former samurai, ronin, and street fighters who protected Fujimoto's territory.

However, Takeshi was not content to be a henchman for a greedy merchant. He saw that the underground world of Edo was filled with people needing protection from powerful figures like Fujimoto. Takeshi began to develop his own vision of power: an organization that relied not only on violence but also on building a network of protection and solidarity among the marginalized.

Once strong enough, Takeshi and his followers decided to break away from Fujimoto. In a fierce battle, Takeshi defeated Fujimoto and took over his illegal businesses and much of his territory. With this new wealth and power, Takeshi established the Kurosawa-kai, an organization that combined military strength with a code of ethics and respect for old samurai traditions.

With Fujimoto's downfall, the Edo government felt relieved. They knew that without Kurosawa Takeshi, they would struggle to break free from Fujimoto's oppressive influence. Though they couldn’t openly acknowledge the Kurosawa family's role, they remembered the great services they had provided.

Under Takeshi’s leadership, the Kurosawa family not only grew in the criminal world but also ventured into legitimate businesses like paper trading and managing gambling houses. They protected small traders and offered solutions for those trapped in debt. In Edo society, the family became an undeniable force, both in the underground and above ground.

As a reward for Kurosawa Takeshi’s help, the government quietly supported the Kurosawa paper trading business. They preferred Kurosawa for supplying paper for administrative and official documents, ensuring the family business thrived.

However, like many dynasties, the Kurosawa family faced challenges from both within and outside. The next generation, led by Takeshi’s son Hiroto, had to maintain their power amidst changing times and political shifts.

After Takeshi built the Kurosawa family with an iron fist, Hiroto inherited a kingdom that combined legal and illegal businesses. The family was known not only as protectors of the small community but also as an organization that upheld honor and old traditions. However, when Hiroto took over, the family's direction began to change.

Hiroto grew up in luxury his father never knew. Takeshi, who had come from poverty, made sure his family lived well from the wealth generated by the legitimate paper business. Yet, Hiroto was also exposed to the dark side of the world built by his father: gambling, extortion, and control over the black market. Since childhood, Hiroto had seen people bowing respectfully to his father and was used to a life where power and money could buy anything. Unlike his father, who balanced legal and illegal businesses carefully, Hiroto was fascinated by the quick wealth that came from dark operations. The family’s gambling houses became a center of his interest.

As Hiroto grew older and took a larger role in the family, his focus shifted further from his father's ideals. For Hiroto, gambling was not just a source of wealth but a symbol of real power. Traders, officials, and nobles who visited the Kurosawa gambling houses brought with them influence and immense sums of money. Hiroto saw gambling as a fast track to dominate all of Edo.

Although Takeshi began to notice changes in his son, it was too late for him to understand how deeply Hiroto was lost in his ambitions. With the wealth and power inherited from his father, Hiroto expanded the family’s gambling operations. From just a couple of houses, he opened many more, turning every corner of Edo into a base for a massive gambling network.

However, with this rapid growth in gambling came new problems. Hiroto started clashing with other Yakuza clans vying for the same business. Instead of seeking balance and diplomacy like his father, Hiroto preferred violence as a solution. He used the Kurosawa family's power to crush anyone who dared disrupt his operations, regardless of the consequences. Blood flowed in the streets of Edo, and other Yakuza families began to see the Kurosawa family as a major threat.

With each victory in this illegal business war, Hiroto drifted further from his father’s principles. To him, legal business was a waste of time; the real money lay in the black market, at gambling tables where people risked their wealth in hopes of luck.

(NIKUMURA under KUROSAWA-KAI, 2024)

‘INYOKAME’ (陰陽亀), the daimon of the Kurosawa-kai

KUROSAWA-KAI HIERARCHY

KUROSAWA-KAI MEMBERS

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KUROSAWA-KAI BUSINESS

AJI PAPER AND PULP

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