In the early 1990s, Tai “Steelhead” (Jackie Chan) is a tractor mechanic who enters Japan illegally from China in search of his fiancée, Xiu-Xiu (Xu Jinglei). Accompanied by his friend Jie (Daniel Wu), Steelhead navigates the perilous underworld of Japan, learning the trades necessary to survive.
Steelhead and his comrades, while working illegally as part of a clean-up crew in the sewers, are spotted by the police and forced to flee. During this chaos, Steelhead saves Detective Kitano (Naoto Takenaka) from drowning, earning Kitano's gratitude and a promise to cease pursuing him.
While working in a restaurant, Steelhead encounters Xiu-Xiu, who is now living with yakuza leader Eguchi (Masaya Kato). Heartbroken, Steelhead drowns his sorrows in alcohol but soon decides to become a legal citizen of Japan. With the help of his Chinese friends, he begins a money laundering operation, leaving out Jie due to his gentle nature.
Conflict arises when Taiwanese triad leader Gao (Jack Kao) discovers that his pachinko machines have been tampered with by Steelhead's group. Jie is caught and brutally punished by Gao. In retaliation, Steelhead infiltrates Gao's establishment, intending to take revenge but instead learns of a plot to kill Eguchi. He rescues Eguchi, and they enter into a partnership that gets him a job in the yakuza, so long as he keeps a hold on Gao’s territories and becomes a legal citizen.
Steelhead then rises up through the yakuza ranks where gang wars inflate into violence and war for control of Gao's territories, which Steelhead ultimately acquires for himself. His comrades become corrupted despite his attempts to live an honest life. Detective Kitano alerts Steelhead of upcoming arrests. Steelhead brokers a deal with Kitano to collect evidence regarding Eguchi in return for the freedom of his cohorts.
However, in a climactic showdown, Steelhead attempts to persuade his brothers to get out of their illegal schemes; he gets stabbed in the commotion. The story concludes in tragedy, and this tragic ending serves as a testament to the ruthlessness of living life in the underworld.
Character Details:
Tai “Steelhead” (Jackie Chan): A former tractor mechanic from China, Steelhead enters Japan illegally in search of his fiancée. He is resourceful, desperate, determined and, at first, motivated by love. Steelhead grows from an oyster worker to a major force in the yakuza, gradually realizing the nature of the skills he has acquired and become a (symbolic) road for redemption and release for himself and his friend.
Xiu-Xiu/Yuko (Xu Jinglei): Steelhead’s fiancée, who relocated to Japan and fell in with yakuza chief Eguchi. She shares a daughter, Ayako, with Eguchi. The name Yuko reveals her adaptation to her new life in Japan at the dislocation of Steelhead, indicating a significant change from Xiu-Xiu who was all about life and vitality and who had roots in a different place.
Jie (Daniel Wu): Steelhead’s ally who guides him through the underbelly of Japan. Jie is well-intentioned and can be seen as a victim of the violent world in which they all become unwitting participants.
Detective Kitano (Naoto Takenaka): A Japanese police officer rescued by Steelhead. Kitano becomes a key ally of Steelhead, displaying an ingrained sense of justice and humanity by stopping his pursuit of Steelhead, before joining him in taking down the yakuza.
Eguchi (Masaya Kato): When Steelhead saves the yakuza leader Eguchi from dying in an assassination attempt, he becomes an unlikely ally in the criminal underworld. Ambitious and ruthless himself, Eguchi is also someone who feels gratitude and a complicated sense of honor.
Gao (Jack Kao): The Taiwanese triad leader whose conflict with Steelhead sets off a chain of violent events. Gao is a brutal enforcer in the criminal underworld, embodying the dangers that Steelhead and his friends face.
Lily (Fan Bingbing): A compassionate woman who helps Steelhead when he is at his lowest, offering him money and later becoming involved in his life. Her character represents a glimpse of kindness in the harsh world Steelhead inhabits.
This synopsis provides a detailed look at the main events and characters of "Shinjuku Incident," highlighting the complexities and tragic elements of the story.
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