Summary
Hidden away in an abandoned multistory parking garage in Tochigi Prefecture lies one of the most dangerous yet intriguing locations in the world ofJujutsu Kaisen: the Gachinko Fight Club. Run by the enigmatic third-yearJujutsu High student Kinji Hakari, the Gachinko Fight Club has become an underground hotspot where sorcerers can engage in no-holds-barred hand-to-hand combat matches while spectators eagerly watch and place bets on the outcomes.
Despite operating illegally outside the rules of the Jujutsu Association, Hakari has managed to build a profitable fighting enterprise by showcasing thrilling spectacles between some ofthe most skilled jujutsu usersaround. Let’s take a deeper look inside this infamous underground fight club.
What is the Gachinko Fight Club?
Hakari’s Underground Arena
Gachinko Fight Club is an underground fight clubrun by Kinji Hakari, a third-year student at Tokyo Jujutsu High who was suspended from the school. Hakari opens the club as a way to make money by operating as a fight promoter and bookie. The club is located within an abandoned multistory parking garage in Tochigi Prefecture. Hakari converted one of the parking areas into a fighting arena, removing part of the floor above so spectators could stand and look at fights unfolding below.
Hakari ensures tight security around the building using both physical guards stationed at the entrance and an extensive closed-circuit camera system to monitor all activity inside and outside the facility. Where cameras' views are obstructed, lookouts patrol to spot potential issues. Further protection is provided by Kirara Hoshi using their “Love Rendezvous” cursed technique to prevent unauthorized individuals from approaching areas like the monitor room where Hakari oversees fights.
Rules of Participation at the Gachinko Fight Club
How Fights Unfold Behind Closed Doors
There are a few basic rules that fighters and spectators must follow to participate at Gachinko Fight Club. For competitors, the first rule isthat no jujutsu techniquesare allowed during matches. This provides a more visceral fighting experience for the non-sorcerer spectators who cannot perceive such abilities. Fighters also cannot retreat from battles and must engage each other constantly to keep action exciting for the crowd.
Spectators gathering above the arena are predominantly non-sorcerers, participating as gamblers betting on the outcome of fights. Though unsanctioned, hostingcombats between Jujutsu usersin front of unaware civilians breaks Regulation 8 of the Tokyo Jujutsu Technical School Committee regarding maintaining secrecy in the sorcery world from the general public. As the mastermind behind the illicit operation, Hakari skirts this rule for-profit and hopes future revisions will allow his fight club business.
Gachinko Fight Club serves as the stage for different match types arranged by Hakari. Some are scripted contests where he determines the winners to further gambling profits or entertain the crowd in a particular fashion. Other fights unfold without Hakari rigging the results, allowing true competency or flashy combat styles to shine through. Standout performances in the unscripted “exhibition matches” can earn a fighter an invite to the club’s more lucrative staged bouts or even a private meeting with Hakari if they particularly impress him.
Infiltrating the Gachinko Fight Club
Megumi and Yuji infiltrate to seek Hakari’s aid
Gachinko Fight Club takes center stage as the primary setting during the manga’s “Perfect Preparation Arc.” It is here that new characters Megumi Fushiguro and Yuji Itadori covertly infiltrate the facility, seeking aid from Hakari against the looming threat of the next Culling Game. Having disguised themselves and left identifying school uniforms behind, the pair embarked on their journey to Tochigi by getting information fromthe enigmatic advisor Tengenat Jujutsu High.
Upon arriving, Megumi and Yuji must first pass the scrutiny of Hakari’s security posted outside the entrance. After some intimidation, the guardallows Yuji to fightas a means of gaining entry instead of the more confrontational Megumi. Serendipitously, Yuji’s first opponent inside turns out to be his ally Panda, allowing both to impress spectators with their coordinated display and exchange intel privately.
Meanwhile, Megumi evades the ever-watching cameras,using his techniques to stealthilyknock out lone lookouts. With Panda’s insider knowledge of the building, they gradually make their way towards Hakari’s control room on the roof. However, Kirara catches the duo before they can breach the monitoring area, marking objects on the roof with barriers using their Love Rendezvous technique. Despite Megumi restraining Kirara and forcing them to stand down, Hakari still emerges to physically confront Yuji inside the monitoring room, though the resolute fighter’s drive ultimately persuades Hakari to hear their proposition.
Security, Surveillance, and Controls at Gachinko Fight Club
Maintaining order through cameras and guards
To operate his fight club business, Hakari maintains rigorous security and surveillance protocols throughout the Gachinko Fight Club facility. Cameras monitor all floors and outdoor areas, with additional lookouts patrolling blind spots. The outer entrance is monitored, as a guard and manager screen all newcomers at the door. Fighters interested in participating seem sanctioned for entry.
Hakari personally oversees the interior from his monitor room on the roof, which gives him a live view of the fights below. Kirara Hoshi assists in the monitor room,using their cursed techniqueto prevent unauthorized access to the door. All precautions ensure discretion for Gachinko Fight Club’s unsanctioned fighting tournaments while putting on a show for spectators and protecting participating fighters under Hakari’s charge.
Kinji Hakari and Gachinko Fight Club’s Enduring Legacy
Establishing a Legacy of Clashes
Though initially established through subversive means, Kinji Hakari has transformed his unlicensed Gachinko Fight Club into one of the premier underground combat spectacles within the jujutsu community. Employing both scripted and unscripted match formats in addition to stringent security, Hakari cultivates a theater of battles, drawing in risk-loving bettors and mercenary talent alike. For suspended fighters and outcasts seeking to hone skills outside of regulation, Gachinko Fight Club offers a covert arena to showcase might and earn prestige, gaining favor with its ambitious and fleet-footed leader.
Even after resolving conflicts and cutting a deal with Hakari, Megumi and Yuji’s bold infiltration illustrates Gachinko Fight Club’s reputation as the destination for extraordinary clashes between exceptionalusers of jujutsu techniques. So long as rules stagnate or sorcerers require opportunities to test limits away from bureaucracy, Hakari’s facility in Tochigi will survive to host those who thrive in the shadows away from officially sanctioned jujutsu. For underground aficionados, no venue surpasses the experience and thrill of the Gachinko Fight Club.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Cast
Based on Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen manga, Mappa’s battle shonen anime envisions a world where Jujutsu Sorcerers battle against entities born out of Cursed Energy. One day, a teenager named Yuji Itadori is dragged into this conflict when he eats a possessed finger.
