The marginal groups that electrified popular consciousness came from three overlapping subcultures: the world of the panpan prostitute, whose embrace of the conqueror was disturbingly literal; the black market, with its formidable energy and seductively maverick code of behavior; and the well-lubricated “kasutori culture” demimonde, which celebrated self-indulgence and introduced such enduring attractions as pulp literature and commercialized sex. All three marginal worlds came to exemplify not merely the confusion and despair of the kyodatsu condition, but also the vital, visceral, even
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