januar jan uar y
2012
YAKUZA, JAPAN’S GREATEST EARTHQUAKE Firts in providing assistance to earthquaked populations, yakuza has been an undisputed player in Japan’s economy or years with a range o illegal activities that Japanese government is now bound to fght.
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INTRODUCTION
Massimiliano Aceti Jake Adelstein Scilla Alecci Editorial staf Lorenzo Bodrero Manuela Mareso Matteo Zola Design InAdv Nicoletta Occella Photo credits bosbouwbeleggingen.nl TWB Photo Greenpeace Translation
Yakuza’s members like to call themselves a “chivalrous organisation”, whereas Japanese police and media use the terms “violence group”. Despite the terminology, the Japanese underworld has all characteristics to be considered as d angerous and as inancially powerul as any other org anised crime group, divided into a large number o syndicates. This peculiar phenomenon has ancient origins and dates back to the era o the samurai. Yet, little is let o the amous Japanese knights’ values. Today, the yakuza has large control over the traicking o drugs, the gambling business, the sex trade, they provide “protection” through extortion, they create ront companies, they iniltrate the construction business and, only until ew years ago, its members had business cards and their oices would show their own boards along the streets. Moreover, similar to Italian organised crime syndicates, yakuza can count on social consensus. An extremely powerul tool, now even greater ater the earthquake that shocked the world on 11 March 2011 and put Japan on its knees. Yakuza was the irst one to send irst aid assistance to the populations most hit by the quake, outrunning the authorities. The p rese nt doss ier s eeks to o er an overv iew o yakuza ’s history, values, recent illegal businesses and the countermeasures in place by Japanese police to counter-ight a phenomenon that, willing or not, is a piece o Japan’s cultural puzzle. The d ossie r was irs t publ ished in Ita lian by the m onthly m agazin e Nar coma ie.
Orsetta Spinola Lorenzo Bodrero Contact
Lorenzo Bodrero
FLARE Network 91/b, Corso Trapani 10154 Turin, Italy
[email protected] www.brightmag.org Thanks to Narcomafe
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The earth quaked and maa charit y arrived by Scilla Alecci
10
The way o the old samurai by Massimiliano Aceti
The social power wi thin yakuza by Jake Adelstein
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Reactors explode and yakuza pockets our money by Scilla Alecci
Families today, rom ritualistic to erce by Massimiliano Aceti
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Shinogi, the businesses o the japanese maa by Massimilano Aceti
HOME PAGE
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The earth quaked and maa charit y arrived by Scilla Alecci
10
The way o the old samurai by Massimiliano Aceti
The social power wi thin yakuza by Jake Adelstein
F L A R E
18 22
Reactors explode and yakuza pockets our money by Scilla Alecci
Families today, rom ritualistic to erce by Massimiliano Aceti
26 30
Shinogi, the businesses o the japanese maa by Massimilano Aceti
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THE EARTH QUAKED AND MAFIA CHARITY ARRIVED by Scilla Alecci
On March 11, just hours ater the magnitude 9
That day, more than 600,000 buildings were
and the Inagawa-kai, the third most infuential
earthquake and tsunami leveled miles o the
partially or completely destroyed, orcing
clan in the country and most rooted in the
northeastern coast o Japan, along with the state’s
the evacuation o about 83 thousand people.
northeastern region o Tohoku, sent truckloads
rescue machine, another was set in motion, driven
The ury o the waves and the violence o the
o supplies soon ater the rst shock. Blankets,
by the local maa clans.
quake destroyed the running water pipes and
noodles, batteries and other items were collected
Because o its widespread distribution over all
electrical systems in the coastal towns o three
and then sorted in disaster areas oten made
regions o the country, organized crime was
preectures. To deal with the emergency, the
inaccessible by blocked roads.
able to reach the disaster areas as quickly as the
Japanese government deployed its sel-deense
The member s o th e yakuza were able to move
authorities.
orces and asked the U.S. Army or help. But while
among villages swept away by the waves through
“We gathered the basic necessities in each region
the Japanese and American military orces were
the network o tekiya, street vendors, who have
and had them shipped to the north,” a member o
involved in seeking the lost and bringing the
expert knowledge o the terrain and are also
one o the “violent groups,” as the m aa is offi cially
basic necessities to the evacuation centers, some
one o the Japanese maa’s traditional income
called, revealed to the magazine Asahi Geino.
members o the yakuza groups traveled to the
sources.
“In the Kanto region (where Tokyo is located)
emergency sites to administer rst aid.
“We had to wait or the right moment to ship the
several offi ce managers coll ected used c lothes
According to Jake Adelstein , an American expert
supplies,” a clan member told Asahi Geino. “And
and blankets and organized a plan to send them,”
on Japanese organized crime, the “antisocial
since they would not have accepted help rom the
he said.
orces” were perhaps aster than the authorities,
clan, we decided to send them in the name o our
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THE EARTH QUAKED AND MAFIA CHARITY ARRIVED by Scilla Alecci
On March 11, just hours ater the magnitude 9
That day, more than 600,000 buildings were
and the Inagawa-kai, the third most infuential
earthquake and tsunami leveled miles o the
partially or completely destroyed, orcing
clan in the country and most rooted in the
northeastern coast o Japan, along with the state’s
the evacuation o about 83 thousand people.
northeastern region o Tohoku, sent truckloads
rescue machine, another was set in motion, driven
The ury o the waves and the violence o the
o supplies soon ater the rst shock. Blankets,
by the local maa clans.
quake destroyed the running water pipes and
noodles, batteries and other items were collected
Because o its widespread distribution over all
electrical systems in the coastal towns o three
regions o the country, organized crime was
preectures. To deal with the emergency, the
inaccessible by blocked roads.
able to reach the disaster areas as quickly as the
Japanese government deployed its sel-deense
The member s o th e yakuza were able to move
authorities.
orces and asked the U.S. Army or help. But while
among villages swept away by the waves through
“We gathered the basic necessities in each region
the Japanese and American military orces were
the network o tekiya, street vendors, who have
and had them shipped to the north,” a member o
involved in seeking the lost and bringing the
expert knowledge o the terrain and are also
one o the “violent groups,” as the m aa is offi cially
basic necessities to the evacuation centers, some
one o the Japanese maa’s traditional income
called, revealed to the magazine Asahi Geino.
members o the yakuza groups traveled to the
sources.
“In the Kanto region (where Tokyo is located)
emergency sites to administer rst aid.
“We had to wait or the right moment to ship the
several offi ce managers coll ected used c lothes
According to Jake Adelstein , an American expert
supplies,” a clan member told Asahi Geino. “And
and blankets and organized a plan to send them,”
on Japanese organized crime, the “antisocial
since they would not have accepted help rom the
he said.
orces” were perhaps aster than the authorities,
clan, we decided to send them in the name o our
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and then sorted in disaster areas oten made
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“Association o small retailers in western Japan” and “voluntary association o western Japan.” Similar incidents were repeated in several villages along the coast. In Minamisanriku, or example, an unidentied group would leave a bunch o envelopes containing the same amount at the city disaster prevention center. The total anonymous gits amounted to more than 10 million yen, about 95,000 Euros.
company.” According to offi cial police estimates, yakuza member s, offi cials, an d other “part-time employees” now number 78,600. As Adelstein observes, these “have thousands o ront companies, industries and other activities, practically orming a second army.” Their criminal a ctivities range rom drug an d arms traffi cking to managin g prostitution, money laundering, and stock market raud. However, although it may seem a contradiction, even rescuing disaster victims is within the local maa’s “tasks” and is certainly not new. In 1995, or example, ater the earthquake in Kansai (the region o Osaka and Kobe), many maa members tried to impress the local population by distributing money and ood. According to journalist Kenji Ino, Japan’s most infuential clan, Yamaguchi , which has its headquarters in Kobe, was a victim o the earthquake. “On January 17, shortly ater the earthquake, the Yamaguchi-kumi asked the subordinate clans to send ood,” says Ino. “From the clans around the country, cruiser trucks and helicopters arrived daily, carrying 10,000 meals and a large amount o basic necessities.” The Yamaguchi-gumi has 40,000 member s a nd under it ar e a number o smaller affi liated clans distributed through out the various areas o the nation. “When the news spread that ood and other supplies were being distributed twice a day, a two kilometer long line ormed in ront o the headquarters,” said Ino. “Even the affiliated organizations wer e busy and were responsibl e or cooking rice in parks or evacuation centers.” Although at that time boss Yoshinori Watanabe himsel seemed to be present several times to lend a hand “in a sweatshirt and baseball cap,” this time the violent groups decided to intervene with a lower prole. With the tightening o laws against organized crime and the introduction o an ordinance that punishes those who receive assistance rom maa associations, they had to seek an alternative tactic to ensure their presence in the affected areas. As the Sankei Shimbun newspaper reported, in ve evacuation centers in the city o Ishinomaki, envelopes containing bank notes amounting to $300 were distributed to victims by associations with suspicious names such as
air and ground orces distributed over all the
deemed at risk or dangerous is still ongoing.
may have led to a crisis o values even within
Although no one knows the origin o the money, according to police there
aected areas.
“The work on reconstruction o earthquake-
the Japanese maa, much more interested in its
might be a point in common between the two “beneactors.” Both, in act,
The offi cers w ere b usy se arching or the missing,
affected areas will continue or years. By
own economic interests rather than keeping aith
are made up o members belonging to the Kodokai group, which has about
disposing o the bodies ound, distributing
distributing money, they (groups related to
with the ideals o the ancient honest protector
4000 member s and is one o the Yamaguchi-gumi clan affi liates.
ood and other basic necessities and promoting
organized crime) can make their presence elt
o the oppressed. According to an infuential
The yakuza ’s prompt intervention in the regions affected by the disaster
inrastructure repairs to allow continued relie.
in the region and thus try to inltrate the work
clan member quoted in an interview in Shukan
to secure a slice o the business o debris removal and reconstruction o
To these were added a numb er o Japanese and
procurem ent,” a local police offi cial said to the
Jitsuwa, a weekly specializing in topics relating
roads and buildings was predicted by the National Police, which drew up
international organizations with the collaboration
Sankei Shimbun. “At the beginning, they show a
to the yakuza , the new Japanese oot-soldiers
guidelines immediately ater the earthquake. These included measures to
o approximately 400,000 volunteers, according to
strong spirit o chivalry, and then their pretensions
have become much pettier and more attached to
prevent inltratio n o criminal organizations in the relie effort and post-
the survey conducted by the Association Rescue
and infuence slowly creep in. This is the yakuza ’s
money than their superiors.
emergency phases. The report stated that “In view o the act that ollowing
Now. This number, well below the estimated
typical way o doing things.”
“The Maa leaders were the ones to think o
the earthquake in the north-east region there were criminal activities
900,000 in the months ater the 1995 earthquake,
Ninkyo, the so-called spirit o chivalry that the
sending volunteers to the affected areas and
related to reconstruction,” the authorities “want to proceed appropriately
appears to be due to the radiation threat caused
yakuza have used or decades to legitimize their
sending donations while their underlings only
with measures against organized crime.”
by the reactor explosion at the Fukushima Daiichi
criminal activit ies, provides or a sense o respect
think about the opportunities or their business,”
The rs t preventi ve measur es imple mented by the police included reezing
Nuclear Power Station.
or the common citizens, the “katagi ”, who the
he explained. “In the past, our code prevented
accounts used or criminal purposes and supporting local police in the
However, the tasks or which the Japanese
maa has always boasted o not wanting to
stealing rom the poor because it was contrary to
affected areas, in addition to intensication o relations with local institutions
authorities prepared themselves also included
involve in their business.
the ideals o ninkyo. But now times have changed
in order to collect any inormation about suspicious movements.
problems related to organized crime in the case
The economic crisis o recent years, however,
and we are in a diffi cult period.”
Although experts agree in considering the yakuza relie a calculated move
o natural disaster. During the yearly exercises
to expand its presence and prots, there are still those who believe in the
held on disaster pr evention day, in act, offi cers
good intentions o the maa clans, whose work has oten been idealized.
are trained to detect and thwart possible crimes
“There is a difference between the yakuza, which bases its values on ninkyo
committed by “violent groups” in emergency
(the spirit o chivalry), and the real ‘Maa’ that just wants the money,” said
situations.
Yasu, a civil engineer who works or a construction company. “Those who
According to an oicial o the Prosecutor’s oice
helped the victims in the north belong to the yakuza ,” he explains, “The idea
in the Miyagi preecture, one o the regions most
o helping their ellow citizens is something that dates back to the spirit o
aected by the tsunami, “ater the Second World
ancientwarriors.”
War, when Japan was reduced to scorched earth,
To contribute to the myth o the Japan ese maa, spe cialized magaz ines have
the security level dropped dramatically.” “This,”
been created with the use o national popular media such as comics. In the
he explained, “could happen in the Tohoku
late March editions o Jitsuwa Jidai, a magazine specializing in articles and
region (ater the triple disaster), enabling the
biographies on the Japanese godathers, the episodes o “The chivalrous
maia organizations to extend their inluence in
spirit o the Fire Country” tells the exploits o a mysterious clan catapulted to
the area.”
the north rom a region o southern Japan to help the victims.
More than six months ater the earthquake, there
“There are things that only we can do so quickly, that the authorities will
are still many areas that need to be rebuilt, and only
never be able to imitate,” says one o the protagonists o the story. “The truth
a small percentage o the 25 million [missing word]
is that ater the disaster, relie work began immediately, and the people o
o debris have been removed and disposed o. In
our proession were aster than the volunteers,” he continues.
many areas, moreover, demolition o buildings
According to the latest oicial estimates, during the irst ive months that ollowed the most violent earthquake in Japanese history, the government deployed about eleven million people, rom police oicers to military
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“Association o small retailers in western Japan” and “voluntary association o western Japan.” Similar incidents were repeated in several villages along the coast. In Minamisanriku, or example, an unidentied group would leave a bunch o envelopes containing the same amount at the city disaster prevention center. The total anonymous gits amounted to more than 10
company.” According to offi cial police estimates, yakuza member s, offi cials, an d other “part-time employees” now number 78,600. As Adelstein observes, these “have thousands o ront companies, industries and other activities, practically orming a second army.” Their criminal a ctivities range rom drug an d arms traffi cking to managin g prostitution, money laundering, and stock market raud. However, although it may seem a contradiction, even rescuing disaster victims is within the local maa’s “tasks” and is certainly not new. In 1995, or example, ater the earthquake in Kansai (the region o Osaka and Kobe), many maa members tried to impress the local population by distributing money and ood. According to journalist Kenji Ino, Japan’s most infuential clan, Yamaguchi , which has its headquarters in Kobe, was a victim o the earthquake. “On January 17, shortly ater the earthquake, the Yamaguchi-kumi asked the subordinate clans to send ood,” says Ino. “From the clans around the country, cruiser trucks and helicopters arrived daily, carrying 10,000 meals and a large amount o basic necessities.” The Yamaguchi-gumi has 40,000 member s a nd under it ar e a number o smaller affi liated clans distributed through out the various areas o the nation. “When the news spread that ood and other supplies were being distributed twice a day, a two kilometer long line ormed in ront o the headquarters,” said Ino. “Even the affiliated organizations wer e busy and were responsibl e or cooking rice in parks or evacuation centers.” Although at that time boss Yoshinori Watanabe himsel seemed to be present several times to lend a hand “in a sweatshirt and baseball cap,” this time the violent groups decided to intervene with a lower prole. With the tightening o laws against organized crime and the introduction o an ordinance that punishes those who receive assistance rom maa associations, they had to seek an alternative tactic to ensure their presence in the affected areas. As the Sankei Shimbun newspaper reported, in ve evacuation centers in the city o Ishinomaki, envelopes containing bank notes amounting to $300 were distributed to victims by associations with suspicious names such as
million yen, about 95,000 Euros.
air and ground orces distributed over all the
deemed at risk or dangerous is still ongoing.
may have led to a crisis o values even within
Although no one knows the origin o the money, according to police there
aected areas.
“The work on reconstruction o earthquake-
the Japanese maa, much more interested in its
might be a point in common between the two “beneactors.” Both, in act,
The offi cers w ere b usy se arching or the missing,
affected areas will continue or years. By
own economic interests rather than keeping aith
are made up o members belonging to the Kodokai group, which has about
disposing o the bodies ound, distributing
distributing money, they (groups related to
with the ideals o the ancient honest protector
4000 member s and is one o the Yamaguchi-gumi clan affi liates.
ood and other basic necessities and promoting
organized crime) can make their presence elt
o the oppressed. According to an infuential
The yakuza ’s prompt intervention in the regions affected by the disaster
inrastructure repairs to allow continued relie.
in the region and thus try to inltrate the work
clan member quoted in an interview in Shukan
to secure a slice o the business o debris removal and reconstruction o
To these were added a numb er o Japanese and
procurem ent,” a local police offi cial said to the
Jitsuwa, a weekly specializing in topics relating
roads and buildings was predicted by the National Police, which drew up
international organizations with the collaboration
Sankei Shimbun. “At the beginning, they show a
to the yakuza , the new Japanese oot-soldiers
guidelines immediately ater the earthquake. These included measures to
o approximately 400,000 volunteers, according to
strong spirit o chivalry, and then their pretensions
have become much pettier and more attached to
prevent inltratio n o criminal organizations in the relie effort and post-
the survey conducted by the Association Rescue
and infuence slowly creep in. This is the yakuza ’s
money than their superiors.
emergency phases. The report stated that “In view o the act that ollowing
Now. This number, well below the estimated
typical way o doing things.”
“The Maa leaders were the ones to think o
the earthquake in the north-east region there were criminal activities
900,000 in the months ater the 1995 earthquake,
Ninkyo, the so-called spirit o chivalry that the
sending volunteers to the affected areas and
related to reconstruction,” the authorities “want to proceed appropriately
appears to be due to the radiation threat caused
yakuza have used or decades to legitimize their
sending donations while their underlings only
with measures against organized crime.”
by the reactor explosion at the Fukushima Daiichi
criminal activit ies, provides or a sense o respect
think about the opportunities or their business,”
The rs t preventi ve measur es imple mented by the police included reezing
Nuclear Power Station.
or the common citizens, the “katagi ”, who the
he explained. “In the past, our code prevented
accounts used or criminal purposes and supporting local police in the
However, the tasks or which the Japanese
maa has always boasted o not wanting to
stealing rom the poor because it was contrary to
affected areas, in addition to intensication o relations with local institutions
authorities prepared themselves also included
involve in their business.
the ideals o ninkyo. But now times have changed
in order to collect any inormation about suspicious movements.
problems related to organized crime in the case
The economic crisis o recent years, however,
and we are in a diffi cult period.”
Although experts agree in considering the yakuza relie a calculated move
o natural disaster. During the yearly exercises
to expand its presence and prots, there are still those who believe in the
held on disaster pr evention day, in act, offi cers
good intentions o the maa clans, whose work has oten been idealized.
are trained to detect and thwart possible crimes
“There is a difference between the yakuza, which bases its values on ninkyo
committed by “violent groups” in emergency
(the spirit o chivalry), and the real ‘Maa’ that just wants the money,” said
situations.
Yasu, a civil engineer who works or a construction company. “Those who
According to an oicial o the Prosecutor’s oice
helped the victims in the north belong to the yakuza ,” he explains, “The idea
in the Miyagi preecture, one o the regions most
o helping their ellow citizens is something that dates back to the spirit o
aected by the tsunami, “ater the Second World
ancientwarriors.”
War, when Japan was reduced to scorched earth,
To contribute to the myth o the Japan ese maa, spe cialized magaz ines have
the security level dropped dramatically.” “This,”
been created with the use o national popular media such as comics. In the
he explained, “could happen in the Tohoku
late March editions o Jitsuwa Jidai, a magazine specializing in articles and
region (ater the triple disaster), enabling the
biographies on the Japanese godathers, the episodes o “The chivalrous
maia organizations to extend their inluence in
spirit o the Fire Country” tells the exploits o a mysterious clan catapulted to
the area.”
the north rom a region o southern Japan to help the victims.
More than six months ater the earthquake, there
“There are things that only we can do so quickly, that the authorities will
are still many areas that need to be rebuilt, and only
never be able to imitate,” says one o the protagonists o the story. “The truth
a small percentage o the 25 million [missing word]
is that ater the disaster, relie work began immediately, and the people o
o debris have been removed and disposed o. In
our proession were aster than the volunteers,” he continues.
many areas, moreover, demolition o buildings
According to the latest oicial estimates, during the irst ive months that ollowed the most violent earthquake in Japanese history, the government deployed about eleven million people, rom police oicers to military
1 1
THE WAY OF THE OLD SAMURAI by Massimiliano Aceti
|
F L A R E
With tattoos, cut ingers, sharp swords and martial arts, the Japanese yakuza are better known internationally or their olklore than or the criminal aspect, orgetting that these are associations dedicated to illegal activities. The Western world has long declined to recognize the power o these organizations; however,
surprisingly, is part o administrative rather than
empirical evidence shows that the latter have
criminal law.
been active in the European, American and
It is very common to hear that the yakuza are
Australian markets since the ‘60s, in addition to
undamentally dierent rom the Sicilian mafa.
being very active in Asian countries and Central
This cliché is based on the perce ption that the
and Eastern Europe since the beginning o the
maia is a shadowy predatory entity, engaged
twentieth century.
in bloody battles against the State, and this
through legal and illegal intimidation methods
One o the main problems encountered in
contrasts with the traditional “no conlict”
(violent or not), organizing and protecting the
ighting the yakuza now is that or all eects
practice o the institutions o the Japanese
markets o prostitution, gambling, drugs, the
they are registered companies and thus legal
yakuza . The Italian maia is there but not seen,
real estate market, and today also new inancial
rom the perspective o Japanese criminal and
while the various clans o the yakuza had
markets. The hierarchical structure, rituals,
administrative law. The historic evolution o the
oices, until 1991, explicitly identiying them
and code o honor, albeit somewhat dierent
Japanese maia is rooted in the social banditry
by showing the name and symbol (daimon) o
rom those o the Italian Maia, do not dier
o the Middle Ages, through the conversion
their group at their oices (many o these still
completely; in act, we can ind great similarities.
o these “traditionalist revolutionaries” into
maintain this custom, even though the law now
In both organizations there is the igure o a
organized associations, to co-operation with the
orbids it).
godather who perorms the same unctions,
allied orces ater the war. The irst law against
The yakuza , however, is quite similar to the ma ia,
amily ties are ictitious, and there are rituals o
the yakuza is the Botaiho law o 1991 which,
providing protection services to businesses
membership linked to a strict code o honor.
1 1
THE WAY OF THE OLD SAMURAI by Massimiliano Aceti
|
F L A R E
With tattoos, cut ingers, sharp swords and martial arts, the Japanese yakuza are better known internationally or their olklore than or the criminal aspect, orgetting that these are associations dedicated to illegal activities. The Western world has long declined to recognize the power o these organizations; however,
surprisingly, is part o administrative rather than
empirical evidence shows that the latter have
criminal law.
been active in the European, American and
It is very common to hear that the yakuza are
Australian markets since the ‘60s, in addition to
undamentally dierent rom the Sicilian mafa.
being very active in Asian countries and Central
This cliché is based on the perce ption that the
and Eastern Europe since the beginning o the
maia is a shadowy predatory entity, engaged
twentieth century.
in bloody battles against the State, and this
through legal and illegal intimidation methods
One o the main problems encountered in
contrasts with the traditional “no conlict”
(violent or not), organizing and protecting the
ighting the yakuza now is that or all eects
practice o the institutions o the Japanese
markets o prostitution, gambling, drugs, the
they are registered companies and thus legal
yakuza . The Italian maia is there but not seen,
real estate market, and today also new inancial
rom the perspective o Japanese criminal and
while the various clans o the yakuza had
markets. The hierarchical structure, rituals,
administrative law. The historic evolution o the
oices, until 1991, explicitly identiying them
and code o honor, albeit somewhat dierent
Japanese maia is rooted in the social banditry
by showing the name and symbol (daimon) o
rom those o the Italian Maia, do not dier
o the Middle Ages, through the conversion
their group at their oices (many o these still
completely; in act, we can ind great similarities.
o these “traditionalist revolutionaries” into
maintain this custom, even though the law now
In both organizations there is the igure o a
organized associations, to co-operation with the
orbids it).
godather who perorms the same unctions,
allied orces ater the war. The irst law against
The yakuza , however, is quite similar to the ma ia,
amily ties are ictitious, and there are rituals o
the yakuza is the Botaiho law o 1991 which,
providing protection services to businesses
membership linked to a strict code o honor.
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Gentlemenbandits. The his torical evolutio n o the yakuza has its origins
The tekiya and bakuto groups began to organize themselves in amilies,
integrated some bakuto and tekiya members into
eudal times and was catapulted into the
In addition, they controlled the new means o
in the years o Japanese social banditry where the bandits o the era, the
in turn organized through a hierarchical system at the head o which we
their ranks, using them as inormants or spies.
industrial age. At the end o 1800, it boasted a
transport, the rickshaws that in 1900 numbered
kabuki-mono, were mostly nothing but unemployed samurai. The Japan
can identiy the role o godather or oyabun. The subordinate members
The bakuto could then be developed so that
population o about 45 million people. Between
over 50,000 in Tokyo alone. Gambling was a
o the Tokugawa period originated rom centuries o civil wars marked by
can be deined as older brothers , younger brothers, and sons. The current
some o the gambling bosses became important
1890 and 1914, total industrial production
central activity or bakuto groups, although
countless armies, each consisting o hundreds o samurai. The uniication
yakuza adopt a structure unique in the maia known as oyabun-kobun,
political igures in the economic and legal
doubled and new business startups tripled.
stricter control by the police relegated this
o Japan and the consequent peace, however, showed the utility o the
literally “ather-son,” a structure that derives rom these old associations.
world. Some o these prominent bakuto also
Politically, Japan saw the establishment o the
activity to the city suburbs and into private
proessional warrior, and the samurai in this p eriod lost their social status,
The oyabun gives advice, protection and help, and in exchange receives
operated as labor brokers or construction work,
irst parliament and political parties, parallel to
buildings. To keep police investigation at bay,
dropping rom one o the highest ranks o society to one o the lowest.
unconditional loyalty and services rom his kobun whenever he needs
always one o the complementary activities o
the emergence o a powerul army that would
many mob bosses undertook legal activities
The s amurai no long er un der a patron becam e ronin, a “maverick.” These
them.
the bakuto. There is a happy synergy between
soon invade China, annex Korea, and in 1905,
as a cover. The tekiya grew territorially much
“traditional revolutionaries” are known as kabuki-mono, but this name
The tekiya operated in the markets and airs; the oyabun o a tekiya
these two industries: gambling attracts workers
deeat Russia in war. The yakuza groups took
more easily than the bakuto groups because
has at least two sub-groups: hatamoto-yakko and machi-yakko. The rural
group decided on the allocation o stalls and the availability o certain
who, ater work, lose the money they just earned
advantage o this modernization and economic
their associations had legal status. The two
population in many cases supported them, so that some o these bandits
merchandise, collected the rents and protection money, and also
directly rom the bakuto at the gaming tables,
development to increase their activities. The
groups continued to be involved in politics and
became olk heroes. Even today among the members o the yakuza ,
pocketed the dierence in the rent requested by the authorities o
converting it into debt to be repaid by working
groups organized workers or construction work
gradually developed increasingly close ties with
the image o being honorable outlaws prospers, encouraged by novels,
the temples and shrines. It was a kind o extortion that has survived to
at the construction sites.
in large cities and as stevedores in the ports.
leading oicials o the time.
periodicals, magazines, movies and manga. Among the Japanese, there is a
this day: the tekiya still claim a payment rom vendors or the privilege
Bakuto also attracted people rom the lower
very common sentiment o considering the yakuza as romantic gangsters.
o opening their stalls. Unlike bakuto, which is mainly devoted to the
strata o society, such as bandits and criminals,
Even many police oicers eel the same way. The yakuza claim that their
organization o gambling, the tekiya also organized legal work, so that
as well as members o the buraku class. This
origins stem rom these legendary bandits, but the real ancestors o these
the eudal authorities granted great power to the leaders o these groups,
class has always been discriminated against
organizations are the seventeenth century bakuto tekiya groups. In this
and in the year 1740 they received oicial recognition o their s tatus. The
not because o ethnicity but rather due to
period, the normalization o society and repression by the authorities
government, to reduce tekiya raud and to prevent unrest and conlict
the work its members perormed. They were
allowed the elimination o groups o b andits in the previous century, but
between various groups, appointed a number o oyabun as supervisors
mostly butchers, leather sellers, and those who
to groups dedicated to the organization o gambling, the regulation o
o the activities, to whom was guaranteed the dignity o having “one
executed criminals and disposed o corpses, all
local markets, and the company’s management began to spread.
surname and two swords,” symbols o a status very close to that o the
activities considered impure. Discrimination
samurai. Thanks to this recognition, tekiya groups began to lourish and
against these people has survived until today
Bakuto and tekiya. In the mid-eighteenth century, in a society still
expand throughout Japan. Despite the legitimacy obtained, these groups
and continues to lead a substantial number o
marked by the laws o the eudal shogunate, new associations made
included a large number o criminals and ugitives in their ranks. Tekiya
burakumin into the hands o the yakuza groups.
their appearance. These can be considered the most direct ancestors o
organizations, in act, provided opportunities o redemption or the
modern yakuza : the bakuto, or traditional organizers o gambling, and
Japanese outcasts (burakumin). Working as street vendors oered an
The Meiji Restoration. The year 1867 was very
tekiya, or street vendors. The name o yakuza was long used to deine only
opportunity or members o the burakumin amilies to escape rom their
important in Japanese history. It was, in act, the
bakuto groups, but gradually their use spread to deine the tekiya groups
poverty and their dishonored social origin.
inal year o the Tokugawa shogunate and the
and Japanese other criminal organizations. The two groups controlled
The bakuto, as was stated, organized gambling. The reaction o the
irst year o the new empire and the subsequent
dierent sectors o society and operated in the same area without
authorities against these groups was initially tough. Later, however, the
Meiji Meiji Restoration. Japan emerged rom
conlict: the bakuto along the main streets and cities o ancient Japan, the
central government developed a more pragmatic policy o secret aid
tekiya in growing markets and local airs. These distinctions still survive
to the most powerul bakuto leaders, attempting to exert inluence on
to some extent.
them and then obtain avors. During this period, the police authorities
1 3
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F L A R E
Gentlemenbandits. The his torical evolutio n o the yakuza has its origins
The tekiya and bakuto groups began to organize themselves in amilies,
integrated some bakuto and tekiya members into
eudal times and was catapulted into the
In addition, they controlled the new means o
in the years o Japanese social banditry where the bandits o the era, the
in turn organized through a hierarchical system at the head o which we
their ranks, using them as inormants or spies.
industrial age. At the end o 1800, it boasted a
transport, the rickshaws that in 1900 numbered
kabuki-mono, were mostly nothing but unemployed samurai. The Japan
can identiy the role o godather or oyabun. The subordinate members
The bakuto could then be developed so that
population o about 45 million people. Between
over 50,000 in Tokyo alone. Gambling was a
o the Tokugawa period originated rom centuries o civil wars marked by
can be deined as older brothers , younger brothers, and sons. The current
some o the gambling bosses became important
1890 and 1914, total industrial production
central activity or bakuto groups, although
countless armies, each consisting o hundreds o samurai. The uniication
yakuza adopt a structure unique in the maia known as oyabun-kobun,
political igures in the economic and legal
doubled and new business startups tripled.
stricter control by the police relegated this
o Japan and the consequent peace, however, showed the utility o the
literally “ather-son,” a structure that derives rom these old associations.
world. Some o these prominent bakuto also
Politically, Japan saw the establishment o the
activity to the city suburbs and into private
proessional warrior, and the samurai in this p eriod lost their social status,
The oyabun gives advice, protection and help, and in exchange receives
operated as labor brokers or construction work,
irst parliament and political parties, parallel to
buildings. To keep police investigation at bay,
dropping rom one o the highest ranks o society to one o the lowest.
unconditional loyalty and services rom his kobun whenever he needs
always one o the complementary activities o
the emergence o a powerul army that would
many mob bosses undertook legal activities
The s amurai no long er un der a patron becam e ronin, a “maverick.” These
them.
the bakuto. There is a happy synergy between
soon invade China, annex Korea, and in 1905,
as a cover. The tekiya grew territorially much
“traditional revolutionaries” are known as kabuki-mono, but this name
The tekiya operated in the markets and airs; the oyabun o a tekiya
these two industries: gambling attracts workers
deeat Russia in war. The yakuza groups took
more easily than the bakuto groups because
has at least two sub-groups: hatamoto-yakko and machi-yakko. The rural
group decided on the allocation o stalls and the availability o certain
who, ater work, lose the money they just earned
advantage o this modernization and economic
their associations had legal status. The two
population in many cases supported them, so that some o these bandits
merchandise, collected the rents and protection money, and also
directly rom the bakuto at the gaming tables,
development to increase their activities. The
groups continued to be involved in politics and
became olk heroes. Even today among the members o the yakuza ,
pocketed the dierence in the rent requested by the authorities o
converting it into debt to be repaid by working
groups organized workers or construction work
gradually developed increasingly close ties with
the image o being honorable outlaws prospers, encouraged by novels,
the temples and shrines. It was a kind o extortion that has survived to
at the construction sites.
in large cities and as stevedores in the ports.
leading oicials o the time.
periodicals, magazines, movies and manga. Among the Japanese, there is a
this day: the tekiya still claim a payment rom vendors or the privilege
Bakuto also attracted people rom the lower
very common sentiment o considering the yakuza as romantic gangsters.
o opening their stalls. Unlike bakuto, which is mainly devoted to the
strata o society, such as bandits and criminals,
Even many police oicers eel the same way. The yakuza claim that their
organization o gambling, the tekiya also organized legal work, so that
as well as members o the buraku class. This
origins stem rom these legendary bandits, but the real ancestors o these
the eudal authorities granted great power to the leaders o these groups,
class has always been discriminated against
organizations are the seventeenth century bakuto tekiya groups. In this
and in the year 1740 they received oicial recognition o their s tatus. The
not because o ethnicity but rather due to
period, the normalization o society and repression by the authorities
government, to reduce tekiya raud and to prevent unrest and conlict
the work its members perormed. They were
allowed the elimination o groups o b andits in the previous century, but
between various groups, appointed a number o oyabun as supervisors
mostly butchers, leather sellers, and those who
to groups dedicated to the organization o gambling, the regulation o
o the activities, to whom was guaranteed the dignity o having “one
executed criminals and disposed o corpses, all
local markets, and the company’s management began to spread.
surname and two swords,” symbols o a status very close to that o the
activities considered impure. Discrimination
samurai. Thanks to this recognition, tekiya groups began to lourish and
against these people has survived until today
Bakuto and tekiya. In the mid-eighteenth century, in a society still
expand throughout Japan. Despite the legitimacy obtained, these groups
and continues to lead a substantial number o
marked by the laws o the eudal shogunate, new associations made
included a large number o criminals and ugitives in their ranks. Tekiya
burakumin into the hands o the yakuza groups.
their appearance. These can be considered the most direct ancestors o
organizations, in act, provided opportunities o redemption or the
modern yakuza : the bakuto, or traditional organizers o gambling, and
Japanese outcasts (burakumin). Working as street vendors oered an
The Meiji Restoration. The year 1867 was very
tekiya, or street vendors. The name o yakuza was long used to deine only
opportunity or members o the burakumin amilies to escape rom their
important in Japanese history. It was, in act, the
bakuto groups, but gradually their use spread to deine the tekiya groups
poverty and their dishonored social origin.
inal year o the Tokugawa shogunate and the
and Japanese other criminal organizations. The two groups controlled
The bakuto, as was stated, organized gambling. The reaction o the
irst year o the new empire and the subsequent
dierent sectors o society and operated in the same area without
authorities against these groups was initially tough. Later, however, the
Meiji Meiji Restoration. Japan emerged rom
conlict: the bakuto along the main streets and cities o ancient Japan, the
central government developed a more pragmatic policy o secret aid
tekiya in growing markets and local airs. These distinctions still survive
to the most powerul bakuto leaders, attempting to exert inluence on
to some extent.
them and then obtain avors. During this period, the police authorities
1 4
|
F L A R E
1 5
|
F L A R E
o violence against the liberal movements, ordering attacks that killed, among others, Foreign
Minister
Shigenobu
Okuma
and
Toshimich i Okubo, probab ly the most brilli ant statesman o the Meiji era. In 1905 Japan invaded Korea, thanks to the agents the Genyosha had sent. From this moment many associations similar to Genyosha began to lourish throughout Japan. Initially, the traditional yakuza organizations distanced themselves rom these groups, but then ainities began to blossom: the unilateral vision
The black market and amphetamines. At the end o World War II, Japan
development, the yakuza also launched entertainment businesses,
o power, an extreme aversion to oreigners
ound itsel devastated. To prevent a new militaristic uprising, the police
rom pachink o, legal and illegal gambling, to the management o the
and oreign ideas (liberalism and socialism), the
had been disarmed, purged and discredited, and thus were temporarily
industry known as mizushobai , closely related to the management o bars,
romantic past, compliance with Shinto dictates,
unable to maintain public order. For U.S. authorities who occupied the
restaurants and prostitution. This period saw a considerable increase in
and the deiication o the emperor were
country, the control o illegal activities was not a priority. The black market
the number o members o the yakuza , reaching a historic peak o 184,091
common eatures, as well as the Kobun-oyabun
lourished and became the only source capable o p roviding goods to the
members in 1963, distributed in 5,216 gangs.
structure and membership rituals.
civilian population. The State was unable to control these markets and
Among the thousands o groups that existed, a ew became dominant.
In 1919, a year beore universal surage was
the population, thereore, had to use the services o the yakuza . In 1948,
In the Kanto region near Tokyo, names like Kinsei-kai , Tose-kai and
introduced in Japan, Toyama organized a new
the yakuza bosses were oicially invested with the authority to collect
Sumiyoshi-kai
band, the Dai Nippon Kokusui-kai (Japanese
taxes rom businesses in Tokyo. Obviously there was no control to prevent
region around Osaka, the Yamaguchi-gumi and the Honda-kai started
National Association o Greater Essence), an
the money collected by the yakuza rom actually being poured into the
to dominate the territory. The sale o military supplies o amphetamines
association o more than 60,000 gangsters,
state coers. Similarly, the police were orced to accept the reality that
during the occupation had created a market that was now only necessar y
began monopolizing the newspapers. In the Kansai
Toyama , yakuza and ascism. The city o
a group o extreme nationalists dedicated to
workers, and ultra-nationalists dedicated to
the yakuza controlled the local markets. This was oicially ormalized by
to eed. The yakuza monopolized this market, making it one o the keys
Fukuoka and the igure o Mitsuru Toyama
the repression o let-wing movements, along
the violent repression o workers’ and liberals’
a 1946 ordinance that gave the tekiya bosses complete control over the
to the development o their inancial empire. Prostitution also became
are very important or understanding these
with murder and blackmail. The members o
demonstrations.
They
were
the
Japanese
open-air markets in Tokyo.
a business o the yakuza . Traditionally, some orms o prostitution were considered respectable in Japan and were not controlled by the yakuza ,
connections. Fukuoka was the birthplace o the
this association also worked as bodyguards or
equivalent to Italian Blackshirts.
The black market not o nly provid ed basic neces sities , b ut al so d rugs. In
ar-right movements o the time and Mitsuru
government oicials and, unlike the bakuto and
The Seiyu-kai Party (one o the two major
this period, drug consumption reached extremely high levels. The cause
but at the end o the war every thing changed. Many women were sold by
Toyama developed his ultra-nationalist ideas
tekiya groups, these new yakuza considered
parties o the time) assimilated the militarized
o this spread could be ound in the period o conlict: during the war, the
their own amilies to the yakuza , who used them as prostitutes in the city,
here. Toyama was born into a samurai amily in
themselves the best expression o Japanese
part o the Kokusui-kai as its armed group. The
government had produced large amounts o amphetamines to increase
oten to satisy an American clientele. Public opinion moved to ight this
ruins; he spent his youth in the streets o Fukuoka
society. The association sent secret agents
opposing Minso party organized its own band
the productivity o workers and the resistance o the troops. Following
business and prostitution was oicially declared illegal in 1958. At that
peeling potatoes until the age o twenty, when
to China, Korea and Manchuria to organize
o gangsters: the Yamato Minro-kai , also ormed
the Japanese deeat, huge quantities o amphetamines remained in the
time, the complete control o the sex market ell into the hands o the
he was arrested and sentenced to three years
bases or a uture Japanese invasion. Toyama
o yakuza groups. The Japanese Parliament was
military warehouses. It was not diicult or the yakuza to get their hands
yakuza .
in prison or having participated in the last
organized schools where martial arts, espionage
inested with crime bosses and ultra-nationalists
on these proitable products. The use o drugs, urthermore, had never
The gr owth o market o ppor tunities then s aw the si multane ous gro wth o
samurai rebellion. Ater his release, he began his
techniques, and oreign languages were studied
who shared power.
been criminalized, and the population was already accustomed and
competing groups or control o these new income sources. The violent
Japan, like Italy and Germany, entered a period o
dedicated to their use, so that in the absence o an oicial supplier, they
nature o these conlicts is demonstrated by the ac t that during the peak o 1963, 48.4% o total arrests related to criminal organizations were
political activities, joining the irst nationalist
and where the notions o nationalism were
group at that time, the Kyoshisha (Pride and
taught. The people who came rom these schools
ultra-nationalism. In that context, some yakuza
had to rely on the black market. The irst law that monitored and restricted
Patriotism Association). He organized meetings
were the creators o the repressive Japanese
groups opened political and oreign business
the use o amphetamines was not passed until 1951.
and conerences and surrounded himsel with
system in the years immediately preceding the
and other groups controlled the domestic
men who were disciplined and ready to ight.
Second World War.
construction market. The group that emerged
The economic boom. The year 1952 marked the ormal end to the U.S.
reach national expansion through a process o assimilation o the weaker
in the port o Kobe deserves attention because
military occupation.
groups through military alliances, or directly with their destruction during
Toyama earned a reputation as a Robin Hood
violent in nature: assault, injury or homicide. This pe riod o con lict de termin ed that a grou p o a ew ass ociations would
by handing out money to anyone who would
From the Genyosha to Yamaguchi Gumi. The
it is still the largest and most dangerous yakuza
During the ‘50s, the Japanese economy began to soar. This process
the conlict. Seven groups in particular were identiied by police as being
ollow him through the streets o the city and
Genyosha, the association that Toyama ounded
organization in Japan. The group is known as
received a great stimulus when the Korean War created a huge demand
the major criminal organizations: Yamaguchi-gumi , Honda-kai (which
was labeled “Emperor o the Slums.” He quickly
in 1881, committed heinous crimes in the bloody
the Yamaguchi-gumi ; the leader and ounder o
or military equipment. The Jinmu boom in 1955-56 and the Iwato boom
would become Dai Nippon Heiwa-kai ), Sumiyoshi-kai (Sumiyoshi Rengo),
this group was Kazuo Taoka, still known in Japan
o 1959-60 led to the development o major projects or the construction
Kinsei-kai (Inagawa-kai ), Nippon Kokosui-kai , kai and Kyoko Aio-Matsubakai . To prevent urther expansion o the criminal organizations, new laws
gained respect rom local politicians who
suppression o the workers’ movement. In 1892,
eared him because o his constant recourse to
when the irst national elections were held in
as the “ather o all athers.” Certainly, he more
o roads, residential buildings and inrastructure o all kinds. During
violence. In 1881 he ounded a new association,
Japan, Toyama and his retinue, with the help
than any leader let his mark in the history o the
this period, almost the entire demand or construction labor and port
were introduced. In 1958, the criminal law was modiied by introducing
the Genyosha (Association o the Dark Ocean),
o right-wing politicians, began a campaign
modern yakuza .
management was met by yakuza groups. Taking advantage o this rapid
the crime o intimidation o witnesses, and protections were also
1 4
|
F L A R E
1 5
|
F L A R E
o violence against the liberal movements, ordering attacks that killed, among others, Foreign
Minister
Shigenobu
Okuma
and
Toshimich i Okubo, probab ly the most brilli ant statesman o the Meiji era. In 1905 Japan invaded Korea, thanks to the agents the Genyosha had sent. From this moment many associations similar to Genyosha began to lourish throughout Japan. Initially, the traditional yakuza organizations distanced themselves rom these groups, but then ainities began to blossom: the unilateral vision
The black market and amphetamines. At the end o World War II, Japan
development, the yakuza also launched entertainment businesses,
o power, an extreme aversion to oreigners
ound itsel devastated. To prevent a new militaristic uprising, the police
rom pachink o, legal and illegal gambling, to the management o the
and oreign ideas (liberalism and socialism), the
had been disarmed, purged and discredited, and thus were temporarily
industry known as mizushobai , closely related to the management o bars,
romantic past, compliance with Shinto dictates,
unable to maintain public order. For U.S. authorities who occupied the
restaurants and prostitution. This period saw a considerable increase in
and the deiication o the emperor were
country, the control o illegal activities was not a priority. The black market
the number o members o the yakuza , reaching a historic peak o 184,091
common eatures, as well as the Kobun-oyabun
lourished and became the only source capable o p roviding goods to the
members in 1963, distributed in 5,216 gangs.
structure and membership rituals.
civilian population. The State was unable to control these markets and
Among the thousands o groups that existed, a ew became dominant.
In 1919, a year beore universal surage was
the population, thereore, had to use the services o the yakuza . In 1948,
In the Kanto region near Tokyo, names like Kinsei-kai , Tose-kai and
introduced in Japan, Toyama organized a new
the yakuza bosses were oicially invested with the authority to collect
Sumiyoshi-kai
band, the Dai Nippon Kokusui-kai (Japanese
taxes rom businesses in Tokyo. Obviously there was no control to prevent
region around Osaka, the Yamaguchi-gumi and the Honda-kai started
National Association o Greater Essence), an
the money collected by the yakuza rom actually being poured into the
to dominate the territory. The sale o military supplies o amphetamines
association o more than 60,000 gangsters,
state coers. Similarly, the police were orced to accept the reality that
during the occupation had created a market that was now only necessar y
began monopolizing the newspapers. In the Kansai
Toyama , yakuza and ascism. The city o
a group o extreme nationalists dedicated to
workers, and ultra-nationalists dedicated to
the yakuza controlled the local markets. This was oicially ormalized by
to eed. The yakuza monopolized this market, making it one o the keys
Fukuoka and the igure o Mitsuru Toyama
the repression o let-wing movements, along
the violent repression o workers’ and liberals’
a 1946 ordinance that gave the tekiya bosses complete control over the
to the development o their inancial empire. Prostitution also became
are very important or understanding these
with murder and blackmail. The members o
demonstrations.
open-air markets in Tokyo.
a business o the yakuza . Traditionally, some orms o prostitution were
connections. Fukuoka was the birthplace o the
this association also worked as bodyguards or
equivalent to Italian Blackshirts.
The black market not o nly provid ed basic neces sities , b ut al so d rugs. In
considered respectable in Japan and were not controlled by the yakuza ,
ar-right movements o the time and Mitsuru
government oicials and, unlike the bakuto and
The Seiyu-kai Party (one o the two major
this period, drug consumption reached extremely high levels. The cause
but at the end o the war every thing changed. Many women were sold by
parties o the time) assimilated the militarized
o this spread could be ound in the period o conlict: during the war, the
their own amilies to the yakuza , who used them as prostitutes in the city, oten to satisy an American clientele. Public opinion moved to ight this business and prostitution was oicially declared illegal in 1958. At that
Toyama developed his ultra-nationalist ideas
tekiya groups, these new yakuza considered
They
were
the
Japanese
here. Toyama was born into a samurai amily in
themselves the best expression o Japanese
part o the Kokusui-kai as its armed group. The
government had produced large amounts o amphetamines to increase
ruins; he spent his youth in the streets o Fukuoka
society. The association sent secret agents
opposing Minso party organized its own band
the productivity o workers and the resistance o the troops. Following
peeling potatoes until the age o twenty, when
to China, Korea and Manchuria to organize
o gangsters: the Yamato Minro-kai , also ormed
the Japanese deeat, huge quantities o amphetamines remained in the
time, the complete control o the sex market ell into the hands o the
he was arrested and sentenced to three years
bases or a uture Japanese invasion. Toyama
o yakuza groups. The Japanese Parliament was
military warehouses. It was not diicult or the yakuza to get their hands
yakuza .
in prison or having participated in the last
organized schools where martial arts, espionage
inested with crime bosses and ultra-nationalists
on these proitable products. The use o drugs, urthermore, had never
The gr owth o market o ppor tunities then s aw the si multane ous gro wth o
samurai rebellion. Ater his release, he began his
techniques, and oreign languages were studied
who shared power.
been criminalized, and the population was already accustomed and
competing groups or control o these new income sources. The violent
political activities, joining the irst nationalist
and where the notions o nationalism were
Japan, like Italy and Germany, entered a period o
dedicated to their use, so that in the absence o an oicial supplier, they
nature o these conlicts is demonstrated by the ac t that during the peak
group at that time, the Kyoshisha (Pride and
taught. The people who came rom these schools
ultra-nationalism. In that context, some yakuza
had to rely on the black market. The irst law that monitored and restricted
groups opened political and oreign business
the use o amphetamines was not passed until 1951.
Patriotism Association). He organized meetings
were the creators o the repressive Japanese
o 1963, 48.4% o total arrests related to criminal organizations were violent in nature: assault, injury or homicide. This pe riod o con lict de termin ed that a grou p o a ew ass ociations would
and conerences and surrounded himsel with
system in the years immediately preceding the
and other groups controlled the domestic
men who were disciplined and ready to ight.
Second World War.
construction market. The group that emerged
The economic boom. The year 1952 marked the ormal end to the U.S.
reach national expansion through a process o assimilation o the weaker
in the port o Kobe deserves attention because
military occupation.
groups through military alliances, or directly with their destruction during
Toyama earned a reputation as a Robin Hood by handing out money to anyone who would
From the Genyosha to Yamaguchi Gumi. The
it is still the largest and most dangerous yakuza
During the ‘50s, the Japanese economy began to soar. This process
the conlict. Seven groups in particular were identiied by police as being
ollow him through the streets o the city and
Genyosha, the association that Toyama ounded
organization in Japan. The group is known as
received a great stimulus when the Korean War created a huge demand
the major criminal organizations: Yamaguchi-gumi , Honda-kai (which
was labeled “Emperor o the Slums.” He quickly
in 1881, committed heinous crimes in the bloody
the Yamaguchi-gumi ; the leader and ounder o
or military equipment. The Jinmu boom in 1955-56 and the Iwato boom
would become Dai Nippon Heiwa-kai ), Sumiyoshi-kai (Sumiyoshi Rengo),
gained respect rom local politicians who
suppression o the workers’ movement. In 1892,
this group was Kazuo Taoka, still known in Japan
o 1959-60 led to the development o major projects or the construction
Kinsei-kai (Inagawa-kai ), Nippon Kokosui-kai , kai and Kyoko Aio-Matsuba-
eared him because o his constant recourse to
when the irst national elections were held in
as the “ather o all athers.” Certainly, he more
o roads, residential buildings and inrastructure o all kinds. During
kai . To prevent urther expansion o the criminal organizations, new laws
than any leader let his mark in the history o the
this period, almost the entire demand or construction labor and port
were introduced. In 1958, the criminal law was modiied by introducing
modern yakuza .
management was met by yakuza groups. Taking advantage o this rapid
the crime o intimidation o witnesses, and protections were also
violence. In 1881 he ounded a new association, the Genyosha (Association o the Dark Ocean),
1 6
|
Japan, Toyama and his retinue, with the help o right-wing politicians, began a campaign
F L A R E
1 7
|
F L A R E
implemented to deend witnesses. At the same time, more severe penalties were introduced against the use o lethal weapons such as pistols and swords and a law was made that prohibited meetings with weapons present.
Tokyo Olympics, the irst prosecution. In
developed is known by the term jonokin ; this
the early sixties, widespread public discontent,
consisted o a membership ee to be paid to the
the anti-violence campaign o the periodical
boss by subordinates, meaning that the heads
“Mainichi Shinbun,” and the high level o clashes
o the organizations received a substantial
between gangs brought pressure on the police
income without being directly involved in their
to develop more stringent measures against
subordinates’ illegal activities. The biggest
organized crime. The upcoming Olympic Games
maia syndicates obviously beneited most rom
in Tokyo in 1964 orced the authorities to
this new situation. The Yamaguchi Brotherhood
“cleanse” the capital. The police strategy was to
was once again in a dominant position, where it
make coordinated arrests o members o various
remains today.
groups, particularly aiming at the highest levels
emerging political scandals and intimidation
o organizations (kanbu) up to the oyabun. In
Yakuza and Politics . As we saw in the post-
particular, the police made eorts to control
war period, relations between the political
explicit expression o these links inappropriate.
inancial
The conn ectio n betwe en the yakuza and politics
sources
and
irearms.
spread beginning in the late ‘70s, making the
Important
parties, particularly those on the right, and
associations such as Sumiyoshi-kai, Kinsei-kai
the yakuza have always been cordial and
did not disappear but became more discreet.
and Honda-kai were practically dismantled, but
mutually beneicial. These relationships had
Today, the relatio nship betwe en right wing
in most cases, the subgroups o which they were
been openly declared or a long time. In some
political parties and the yakuza are still active,
composed continued their own existence and
cases, the bonds were so strong that it was
although structural changes and the more
they re-established themselves very quickly,
virtually impossible to dierentiate between the
extreme activities o the yakuza have seriously
so that today they are still active. The police
authorities and gangsters. We have examples
undermined cooperation. The Botaiho law o
action was directed primarily toward traditional
o local bosses who occupied positions in
1991 seems to have written the last chapter
crimes such as gambling and extortion. This
government and even in law enorcement
o this close collaboration. In 1992 the most
disproportionately targeted small and medium
commissions. Beginning in 1954, the situation
powerul politician in Japan, Shin Kanemaru,
sized groups that depended entirely on the
normalized and this type o cases gradually
was arrested ollowing an investigation that
inancial resources rom these activities. The
began
revealed
biggest groups, specialized in various legal
considered relations with the yakuza necessary
violations. Kanemaru had allegedly received
and illegal economic activities, were able to
and useul. Japanese politicians sent loral
illegal unds or his party (LDP) rom a transport
dilute the eects o government repression.
tributes to the succession ceremonies, weddings
company, Kiubin Sagawa, known to have close
The leader ships
associ ations
and unerals o the yakuza, welcomed them as
ties to the yakuza groups. To date, Japanese
quickly developed a system that could protect
guests o honor at celebrations, and undertook
politics, though it appears to have been cleaned
them rom the requent attacks. The system
the release o arrested members. However, the
up, continues this inormal collaboration.
o the major
to
disappear.
But
politicians
still
election
campaign
contribution
1 6
|
F L A R E
1 7
|
F L A R E
implemented to deend witnesses. At the same time, more severe penalties were introduced against the use o lethal weapons such as pistols and swords and a law was made that prohibited meetings with weapons present.
Tokyo Olympics, the irst prosecution. In
developed is known by the term jonokin ; this
the early sixties, widespread public discontent,
consisted o a membership ee to be paid to the
the anti-violence campaign o the periodical
boss by subordinates, meaning that the heads
“Mainichi Shinbun,” and the high level o clashes
o the organizations received a substantial
between gangs brought pressure on the police
income without being directly involved in their
to develop more stringent measures against
subordinates’ illegal activities. The biggest
organized crime. The upcoming Olympic Games
maia syndicates obviously beneited most rom
in Tokyo in 1964 orced the authorities to
this new situation. The Yamaguchi Brotherhood
“cleanse” the capital. The police strategy was to
was once again in a dominant position, where it
make coordinated arrests o members o various
remains today.
groups, particularly aiming at the highest levels
emerging political scandals and intimidation
o organizations (kanbu) up to the oyabun. In
Yakuza and Politics . As we saw in the post-
particular, the police made eorts to control
war period, relations between the political
explicit expression o these links inappropriate.
inancial
Important
parties, particularly those on the right, and
The conn ectio n betwe en the yakuza and politics
associations such as Sumiyoshi-kai, Kinsei-kai
the yakuza have always been cordial and
did not disappear but became more discreet.
and Honda-kai were practically dismantled, but
mutually beneicial. These relationships had
Today, the relatio nship betwe en right wing
in most cases, the subgroups o which they were
been openly declared or a long time. In some
political parties and the yakuza are still active,
composed continued their own existence and
cases, the bonds were so strong that it was
although structural changes and the more
they re-established themselves very quickly,
virtually impossible to dierentiate between the
extreme activities o the yakuza have seriously
so that today they are still active. The police
authorities and gangsters. We have examples
undermined cooperation. The Botaiho law o
action was directed primarily toward traditional
o local bosses who occupied positions in
1991 seems to have written the last chapter
crimes such as gambling and extortion. This
government and even in law enorcement
o this close collaboration. In 1992 the most
disproportionately targeted small and medium
commissions. Beginning in 1954, the situation
powerul politician in Japan, Shin Kanemaru,
sized groups that depended entirely on the
normalized and this type o cases gradually
was arrested ollowing an investigation that
inancial resources rom these activities. The
began
revealed
biggest groups, specialized in various legal
considered relations with the yakuza necessary
violations. Kanemaru had allegedly received
and illegal economic activities, were able to
and useul. Japanese politicians sent loral
illegal unds or his party (LDP) rom a transport
dilute the eects o government repression.
tributes to the succession ceremonies, weddings
company, Kiubin Sagawa, known to have close
The leader ships
associ ations
and unerals o the yakuza, welcomed them as
ties to the yakuza groups. To date, Japanese
quickly developed a system that could protect
guests o honor at celebrations, and undertook
politics, though it appears to have been cleaned
them rom the requent attacks. The system
the release o arrested members. However, the
up, continues this inormal collaboration.
sources
and
irearms.
o the major
to
disappear.
But
politicians
still
spread beginning in the late ‘70s, making the
election
campaign
1 9
THE SOCIAL POWER WITHIN YAKUZA
by Jake Adelstein
*Names of the victim and details of her business
order one drink and they’d sit at the counter,
were altered for the protection of the source.
talking loudly, glaring at every customer that came in.”
It was in January o 2008 that the yakuza (the
She called the police who came but the yakuza
Japanese maia) irst started showing up at her
insisted that they had a right to order drinks
nabe (Japanese stew) restaurant. They were
wherever they liked and they weren’t causing
members o the Yamaguchi-gumi Goto-gumi , at
any trouble. There was nothing the local police
the time, the most eared organized crime group
could do. No threats were made. It isn’t illegal to
in Japan. Suruga Corporation, a major real estate
be a member o the yakuza , the Japanese maia,
developer, listed on the second sector o the
there are close to 79,000 o them in Japan. They
Tokyo s tock e xchange had a sked her to give up
exist as legally recognized entities in Japan,
her lease and move out o a building they wanted
regulated, but not outlawed. They have oice
to acquire. Tomoko Akiyama* did not want to
buildings, business cards, and corporate logos.
leave. The building was in a good location, she
There are six anzin es publicl y s old devoted to
had a steady customer base - the lease was solid.
their exploits. You can look up the address o
“One or two yakuza would show up, wearing
each group’s headquarters on the Japan National
suits, but with their shirt sleeves slightly rolled
Police Agency website.
up so you could see their tattoos. One o them,
The yakuza
the at one, he only had seven ingers. They’d
organizations. They claim to be humanitarian
do not claim to be criminal
contribution
|
F L A R E
THE SOCIAL POWER WITHIN YAKUZA
1 9
|
F L A R E
2 1
|
F L A R E
by Jake Adelstein
*Names of the victim and details of her business
order one drink and they’d sit at the counter,
were altered for the protection of the source.
talking loudly, glaring at every customer that came in.”
It was in January o 2008 that the yakuza (the
She called the police who came but the yakuza
Japanese maia) irst started showing up at her
insisted that they had a right to order drinks
nabe (Japanese stew) restaurant. They were
wherever they liked and they weren’t causing
members o the Yamaguchi-gumi Goto-gumi , at
any trouble. There was nothing the local police
the time, the most eared organized crime group
could do. No threats were made. It isn’t illegal to
in Japan. Suruga Corporation, a major real estate
be a member o the yakuza , the Japanese maia,
developer, listed on the second sector o the
there are close to 79,000 o them in Japan. They
Tokyo s tock e xchange had a sked her to give up
exist as legally recognized entities in Japan,
her lease and move out o a building they wanted
regulated, but not outlawed. They have oice
to acquire. Tomoko Akiyama* did not want to
buildings, business cards, and corporate logos.
leave. The building was in a good location, she
There are six anzin es publicl y s old devoted to
had a steady customer base - the lease was solid.
their exploits. You can look up the address o
“One or two yakuza would show up, wearing
each group’s headquarters on the Japan National
suits, but with their shirt sleeves slightly rolled
Police Agency website.
up so you could see their tattoos. One o them,
The yakuza
the at one, he only had seven ingers. They’d
organizations. They claim to be humanitarian
do not claim to be criminal
organizations, even though most o their revenue is derived rom extortion, racketeering, raud, inancial crimes, prostitution, and real estate dealings, However, most groups also have internal rules which prohibit 1) thet 2) robbery 3) sexual assault and 4) dealing in or using drugs. In this way, they do not contribute to street crime and many Japanese believe that a yakuza oice
organized crime group, the Yamaguchi-gumi
in the neighborhood actually discourages purse
Kodo-kai, which had 4,000 members at the time.
snatching, vandalism and petty crime. Many
He directed all police departments in Japan
groups do enorce “the rules” and members
to devote their energies to arresting Kodo-kai
caught violating them are banished rom their
members, dismantling their businesses, and
organization. Increasingly the yakuza hide their
destroying their revenue sources by any means
identities and use ront companies to earn their
possible under the law. The declaration came
money.
rom the Kodo-kai’s attempts to intimidate
The two men who menaced Ms. Akiyama were
police oicers and their reusal to honor the
employees o Koyo Jitsugyo, a ront company
unwritten agreements o cooperation between
o the organization. Under police guidance,
members. Any statements the member makes to the police are sent back
substantial losses. Lehman Brothers Japan was swindled out o USD
or the Goto-gumi. Their irm had been hired by
law enorcement and organized crime that had
almost all banks now have inserted organized
to the organization. I he talks, he doesn’t get a lighter sentence and is
450,000,000 ater doing a business venture with an organized crime ront
Suruga Corporation to aid in evicting tenants
existed or decades.
crime exclusionary clauses into their contracts.
very likely to suer retaliation beore or ater going to jail. I they keep
company, weeks beore the entire company collapsed. Foreign irms also
The NPA b egan working to g et n ew o rdinance s
What that means in practical terms is that when
their mouth shut, they are rewarded with a promotion and a cash bonus
lost huge amounts o money with the collapse o SFCG, a consumer loan
“It wasn’t just that they’d disturb the business.
on the books preecture by preecture, ater
a yakuza opens a bank account, he has to sign a
upon release. While they are in prison, the yakuza take care o their amily.
irm that was heavily connected to the Yamaguchi-gumi,
They starte d posting signs on the building
realizing that the current ruling party, the
orm that pledges that he is not a member o an
The Or ganize d Crime Control law s have b een re vised to make thos e bonus
Citibank has been severely punished by the Japanese government twice
saying:
CONDEMNED.
Democratic Party o Japan, would never enact
organized crime group. I the p olice ind out, and
payments illegal but have had little eect.
or doing business with the yakuza (2004) (2009) and i happens again, they
Even oicial looking notices that would say
pending legislation to create a national Criminal
can prove the association, the yakuza can then
On October 1st, Tokyo’s organized crime exclusionary ordinance goes
will get one warning and the police will arrest members o the company
“This building does not meet the earthquake
Conspiracy Law. The ormer ruling chie o
immediately be arrested or raud. And there
into eect that will make paying o the yakuza or doing business with
and release the irm’s name. The 2004 problems in which Citibank
resistance standards or Tokyo.”
the party, Ichiro Ozawa, had been very vocal
have been case ater case o such arrests.
them a crime. Individuals and irms will get one warning, and then arrests
laundered money or Yamaguchi-gumi crime boss, Takeshita Saburo, an
Regular customers stopped coming. Business
about his opposition to the proposed laws. So
The Japanes e police are not incompe tent or
will ollow. The police will also release the names o companies that do
associate o Goto Tadamasa (see UCLA liver transplant scandal) orced the
dried up. She was saved by the Tokyo
the NPA essentially out-smarted the Japanese
corrupt. They are hampered by a legal system
business with the yakuza .
irm to abandon it’s lucrative private banking business in Japan. The irm
government and worked to get done on a local
which does not allow plea bargaining, makes
Almost all o Japan now has similar laws on the books. Since January
allegedly suered billions o dollars worth o losses. President Obama in
they arrested the CEO o Koyojitsugyo, Hiroshi
government level what they could not do on
wire-tapping nearly impossible, and they do not
2010, under the guidance o the National Police Agency, the construction
an executive order recently declared the yakuza a threat to the national
Asaji, and nine associates or violations o the
a national level. Meanwhile, the police began
a have witness protection/witness relocation
industry began taking great steps to remove yakuza (boryokudan) and
security o United States and the world, and authorized seizure and
lawyer laws. In Japan, only lawyers are allowed
to aggressively target the Yamaguchi-gumi,
program. There is no incentive or a yakuza
other anti-social orces rom public works projects and all aspects o the
reezing o any related assets in the US.
to negotiate evictions. The Tokyo Metropolitan
arresting hundreds o members on every
underling to rat out his bosses and a hundred
construction industry. Apparently, the yakuza were not happy with this
Both at home and abroad, times are getting tough or the yakuza . They
Police Department leaked to the press that
possible charge, and within the last year were
reasons to keep quiet. The yakuza head oice
new impetus. On the morning o October 12th,2010, in Tokyo Shinjuku-ku
are unlikely to quietly walk away with a whimper but leave with a bang. It
Suruga Corporation had hired them. It spelled
able to arrest the two most powerul members
usually pays or the deense lawyer o their
Kami Ochiai 4-chome, a gun was ound near the entrance o a demolition
remains to be seen how ready Japan is or that recoil.
rom the building.
THIS
PROPERTY
IS
Metropolitan Police Department. In March,
the end or Suruga Corporation. Banks cut their
and construction site or S eibo University. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police
unding; the company was delisted rom the
Totsuka PD w ere noti ied an d ound th at a shot had been ired thr ough the
stock market and went bankrupt.
steel ence surrounding the construction site. The gun ound at the scene
However, no one rom Suruga Corporation was
was an automatic with several rounds still intact.
arrested or charged with a crime. At the time it
Police sources believe that the case was a clear warning by an organized
was not illegal to use the services o the yakuza
crime group, hungry or construction projects, that they will not be easily
or contract with their ront companies. Suruga
dismissed. Similar incidents contin ue across Japan.
Corporation executives had committed no crime.
The new laws w ill ma ke the price o pa ying o the yakuza , in loss o ace
And what was even more embarrassing was that
and in penalties, much more expensive than the actual cash payments
on the irm’s board o directors were a ormer
to the yakuza . It highly incentives irms not to cooperate or collude with
National Police Agency Organized Crime Control
organized crime, much as the revisions to the commerce law in December
Division bureaucrat and a retired prosecutor.
1997, made it unacceptable or large listed companies to pay o sokaiya (
Both avowed that they had no idea the irm
���) aka racketeers. Ater a ew major company executives were arrested
had been paying millions to yakuza groups to
or “giving proits to racketeers” the pay o s drastically declined, as did the
expedite lucrative land deals.
number o sokaiya.
In September o 2009, Takaharu Ando, the
Foreign irms that do business with organized crime oten end up suering
head o the National Police Agency (NPA) o Japan declared war on organized, deliberately targeting the leading action o Japan’s largest
Joshua “Jake” Adelstein is an American journalist and writer who has spent much o his career in Japan covering vice and organised crime. For 12 years, Adelstein was a crime reporter or the Yomiuri Shinbun and was the rst American to work or a Japanese newspaper as a Japanese language reporter. He let the newspaper ater receiving threats against his lie and amily and was subsequently an investigative reporter or a US State Department investigation into organised crime in Japan. He has written the book Tokyo Vice about his years in Japan and its underworld. Source: Wikipedia
2 1
|
F L A R E
organizations, even though most o their revenue is derived rom extortion, racketeering, raud, inancial crimes, prostitution, and real estate dealings, However, most groups also have internal rules which prohibit 1) thet 2) robbery 3) sexual assault and 4) dealing in or using drugs. In this way, they do not contribute to street crime and many Japanese believe that a yakuza oice
organized crime group, the Yamaguchi-gumi
in the neighborhood actually discourages purse
Kodo-kai, which had 4,000 members at the time.
snatching, vandalism and petty crime. Many
He directed all police departments in Japan
groups do enorce “the rules” and members
to devote their energies to arresting Kodo-kai
caught violating them are banished rom their
members, dismantling their businesses, and
organization. Increasingly the yakuza hide their
destroying their revenue sources by any means
identities and use ront companies to earn their
possible under the law. The declaration came
money.
rom the Kodo-kai’s attempts to intimidate
The two men who menaced Ms. Akiyama were
police oicers and their reusal to honor the
employees o Koyo Jitsugyo, a ront company
unwritten agreements o cooperation between
o the organization. Under police guidance,
members. Any statements the member makes to the police are sent back
substantial losses. Lehman Brothers Japan was swindled out o USD
or the Goto-gumi. Their irm had been hired by
law enorcement and organized crime that had
almost all banks now have inserted organized
to the organization. I he talks, he doesn’t get a lighter sentence and is
450,000,000 ater doing a business venture with an organized crime ront
Suruga Corporation to aid in evicting tenants
existed or decades.
crime exclusionary clauses into their contracts.
very likely to suer retaliation beore or ater going to jail. I they keep
company, weeks beore the entire company collapsed. Foreign irms also
rom the building.
The NPA b egan working to g et n ew o rdinance s
What that means in practical terms is that when
their mouth shut, they are rewarded with a promotion and a cash bonus
lost huge amounts o money with the collapse o SFCG, a consumer loan
“It wasn’t just that they’d disturb the business.
on the books preecture by preecture, ater
a yakuza opens a bank account, he has to sign a
upon release. While they are in prison, the yakuza take care o their amily.
irm that was heavily connected to the Yamaguchi-gumi,
realizing that the current ruling party, the
orm that pledges that he is not a member o an
The Or ganize d Crime Control law s have b een re vised to make thos e bonus
Citibank has been severely punished by the Japanese government twice
CONDEMNED.
Democratic Party o Japan, would never enact
organized crime group. I the p olice ind out, and
payments illegal but have had little eect.
or doing business with the yakuza (2004) (2009) and i happens again, they
Even oicial looking notices that would say
pending legislation to create a national Criminal
can prove the association, the yakuza can then
On October 1st, Tokyo’s organized crime exclusionary ordinance goes
will get one warning and the police will arrest members o the company
“This building does not meet the earthquake
Conspiracy Law. The ormer ruling chie o
immediately be arrested or raud. And there
into eect that will make paying o the yakuza or doing business with
and release the irm’s name. The 2004 problems in which Citibank
resistance standards or Tokyo.”
the party, Ichiro Ozawa, had been very vocal
have been case ater case o such arrests.
them a crime. Individuals and irms will get one warning, and then arrests
laundered money or Yamaguchi-gumi crime boss, Takeshita Saburo, an
Regular customers stopped coming. Business
about his opposition to the proposed laws. So
The Japanes e police are not incompe tent or
will ollow. The police will also release the names o companies that do
associate o Goto Tadamasa (see UCLA liver transplant scandal) orced the
dried up. She was saved by the Tokyo
the NPA essentially out-smarted the Japanese
corrupt. They are hampered by a legal system
business with the yakuza .
irm to abandon it’s lucrative private banking business in Japan. The irm
Metropolitan Police Department. In March,
government and worked to get done on a local
which does not allow plea bargaining, makes
Almost all o Japan now has similar laws on the books. Since January
allegedly suered billions o dollars worth o losses. President Obama in
they arrested the CEO o Koyojitsugyo, Hiroshi
government level what they could not do on
wire-tapping nearly impossible, and they do not
2010, under the guidance o the National Police Agency, the construction
an executive order recently declared the yakuza a threat to the national
a national level. Meanwhile, the police began
a have witness protection/witness relocation
industry began taking great steps to remove yakuza (boryokudan) and
security o United States and the world, and authorized seizure and
lawyer laws. In Japan, only lawyers are allowed
to aggressively target the Yamaguchi-gumi,
program. There is no incentive or a yakuza
other anti-social orces rom public works projects and all aspects o the
reezing o any related assets in the US.
to negotiate evictions. The Tokyo Metropolitan
arresting hundreds o members on every
underling to rat out his bosses and a hundred
construction industry. Apparently, the yakuza were not happy with this
Both at home and abroad, times are getting tough or the yakuza . They
Police Department leaked to the press that
possible charge, and within the last year were
reasons to keep quiet. The yakuza head oice
new impetus. On the morning o October 12th,2010, in Tokyo Shinjuku-ku
are unlikely to quietly walk away with a whimper but leave with a bang. It
Suruga Corporation had hired them. It spelled
able to arrest the two most powerul members
usually pays or the deense lawyer o their
Kami Ochiai 4-chome, a gun was ound near the entrance o a demolition
remains to be seen how ready Japan is or that recoil.
They starte d posting signs on the building saying:
THIS
PROPERTY
IS
Asaji, and nine associates or violations o the
the end or Suruga Corporation. Banks cut their
and construction site or S eibo University. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police
unding; the company was delisted rom the
Totsuka PD w ere noti ied an d ound th at a shot had been ired thr ough the
stock market and went bankrupt.
steel ence surrounding the construction site. The gun ound at the scene
However, no one rom Suruga Corporation was
was an automatic with several rounds still intact.
arrested or charged with a crime. At the time it
Police sources believe that the case was a clear warning by an organized
was not illegal to use the services o the yakuza
crime group, hungry or construction projects, that they will not be easily
or contract with their ront companies. Suruga
dismissed. Similar incidents contin ue across Japan.
Corporation executives had committed no crime.
The new laws w ill ma ke the price o pa ying o the yakuza , in loss o ace
And what was even more embarrassing was that
and in penalties, much more expensive than the actual cash payments
on the irm’s board o directors were a ormer
to the yakuza . It highly incentives irms not to cooperate or collude with
National Police Agency Organized Crime Control
organized crime, much as the revisions to the commerce law in December
Division bureaucrat and a retired prosecutor.
1997, made it unacceptable or large listed companies to pay o sokaiya (
Both avowed that they had no idea the irm
���) aka racketeers. Ater a ew major company executives were arrested
had been paying millions to yakuza groups to
or “giving proits to racketeers” the pay o s drastically declined, as did the
expedite lucrative land deals.
number o sokaiya.
In September o 2009, Takaharu Ando, the
Foreign irms that do business with organized crime oten end up suering
head o the National Police Agency (NPA) o Japan declared war on organized, deliberately targeting the leading action o Japan’s largest
Joshua “Jake” Adelstein is an American journalist and writer who has spent much o his career in Japan covering vice and organised crime. For 12 years, Adelstein was a crime reporter or the Yomiuri Shinbun and was the rst American to work or a Japanese newspaper as a Japanese language reporter. He let the newspaper ater receiving threats against his lie and amily and was subsequently an investigative reporter or a US State Department investigation into organised crime in Japan. He has written the book Tokyo Vice about his years in Japan and its underworld. Source: Wikipedia
2 3
REACTORS EXPLODE AND YAKUZA POCKETS OUR MONEY How the yakuza manages the recruitment of workers in nuclear power plants by Scilla Alecci
|
F L A R E
2 3
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F L A R E
2 5
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F L A R E
REACTORS EXPLODE AND YAKUZA POCKETS OUR MONEY How the yakuza manages the recruitment of workers in nuclear power plants by Scilla Alecci
“I I may jump to conclusions,” said journalist Tomohik o Suzuki, “the nuclear
contract in many plants o the country without ever having been recruited
industry is one o the yakuza businesses.”
by the maa, “the power companies are used to p aying 50,000 yen per day
Immediately ater the tsunami o March 11 damaged the central part o
or each worker but a part o the salary they earn is then deducted by this
or contract workers in the nuclear industry do
the Fukushima Daiichi, causing one o the most serious nuclear accidents
or that company and eventually the gure that comes into the hands o the
not seem to have improved.
in history, equal to Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, Suzuki, an expert
individual worker is no more than 8 or 9000 a day.”
“Even today, the reality o the nuclear industry is
in organized crime, decided to explore the world o the nuclear power
Pinhane is the Japanese term that is used to indicate speculation by the
that both serious workers and thugs are hired,”
industry rom the inside.
contractors on the salaries o temporary workers. In the case o employees
Kawakami says in his book “Chronicles o a Gypsy
According to his investigation published in the weekly Shukan Post in
o the plants, pinhane reaches up to 93%, as reported by Hiroyuki
atom.” “In both cases, temporary work agencies
June, the Japanese industry was ound to be complex and layered, a maze
Watanabe, a council member in the city o Iwaki, where many o the workers
use them and squeeze part o their salary out or
o small contractors who, to protect their economic interests, rely on
were transerred rom the Fukushima plant, having lived in the area now
themselves.”
organized crime and underpaid workers who oten come rom the lower
evacuated because o high levels o radiation.
According to a report by the Japan Atomic
and marginalized classes o society. The work distribution structure at the
“Many o those who came to consult with me had borrowed money rom
Industrial Forum, the nuclear industry employed
sites provides a hierarchy made up o medium and small companies that
the Maa at high interest rates,” Watanabe said at a recent conerence.
more than 47,000 people (with no distinction
seem to escape the control o a central authority.
“They were ‘offered’ work to repay the debt.”
between regular and contract employees) in 2007
At the rst level there is the power company that outsources the reactor
The situ ation se ems to b e the s ame in all twenty-two plants in Japan, but
alone, and annual turnover exceeded several
maintenance work to large companies (such as Hitachi and Toshiba, or
in Fukushima Daiichi, ater the explosion o the three reactors, the salary or
billions o yen, or about 9.6 billion Euros. To keep
example), which, in turn, subcontracts the work to specialized subsidiary
the workers in charge o containing the emergency - about ten thousand
sales growing, at least in past years, the nuclear
companies. To recruit the manpower, they rely on temporary agencies,
in the last six months - increased in proportion to the danger o working in
industry has had a constant need o manpower.
which are oten supported by other even smaller companies.
an environment where the radioactivity rate remains higher than normal.
But the ramications o the relationships
”Small companies at lower levels (o the structure) are usually headed by
“Ater the accident, in addition to wages or work repairing the plant,
between the various sub-contractors means that
maa members,” says B., a worker originally rom Futaba, the town where
workers were given a hazard pay allowance,” said Watanabe. “Between
the Daiichi station is located, told the journalist Hiroichi Hasegawa. “I you
March and April, or a day o work, the TEPCO paid, just in compensation,
For many the only way to escape a poorly paid
control over the workers they do not hire directly.
are employed by them, the danger o the work and withholding rom wages
about 100,000 yen per worker.” However, only a raction o that money
job in whi ch they ris k their he alth is fig ht. In ac t,
In the specic case o TEPCO, “the company has
increase dramatically.” ”Among the workers o the Fukushima plant,” added
would come into the hands o the workers and the overall gure would be
there are more than a ew stories o workers who
long attempted exclusion o the yakuza ,” claried
new ordinance may not ensure the removal o the
B., “there are many who could not reuse the job because they had been
reduced by two zeros. This, according to Councilor Iwaki, caused a drastic
disappear without a trace overnight.
Watanabe, “but, because the temporary work
yakuza rom the nuclear industry.
companies that operate power plants are not directly responsible or the intererence o maa clans in the recruitment o their workers and the
directly ordered by their ‘boss.’ They are araid.”
reduction in the number o people willing to work or the plant.
“Even beore the accident, those who could not pay
structure is very complex, it was not possible to
The structur e that has de veloped over the yea rs
The pr oblem o yakuza inltration in the atomic industry has existed since
“Lack o personnel meant that the intervention o organized crime was
their debts to the yakuza were orced to work in
completely prevent inltration.” In recent years
has meant that large companies can justiy their
the beginning o the introduction o nuclear power in Japan in the late 50s
accepted and, as they lack skilled workers, beginners were made to work
the plants, but immediately aterward the central
there have been several published accounts o
helplessness by citing privacy issues and other
o the last century, and the cause seems to lie in the layered structure o
in their place.”
role o the maa became even stronger,” said
ormer plant employees denouncing the abuse
bureaucratic chicanery. So ar no one see ms to be
subcontracting.
Unpaid debt is always us ed as blackmail by maa netw orks that traffi c
Watanabe. The complexly layered contract system
by their employers and the indifference o the
responsible or veriying the status o temporary
According to Takeshi Kawakami, who has worked or thirty years under
workers to be sent to the various plants in Japan.
means that the power companies have no direct
electric companies, but employment conditions
workers or protecting them.
2 5
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F L A R E
“I I may jump to conclusions,” said journalist Tomohik o Suzuki, “the nuclear
contract in many plants o the country without ever having been recruited
industry is one o the yakuza businesses.”
by the maa, “the power companies are used to p aying 50,000 yen per day
Immediately ater the tsunami o March 11 damaged the central part o
or each worker but a part o the salary they earn is then deducted by this
or contract workers in the nuclear industry do
the Fukushima Daiichi, causing one o the most serious nuclear accidents
or that company and eventually the gure that comes into the hands o the
not seem to have improved.
in history, equal to Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, Suzuki, an expert
individual worker is no more than 8 or 9000 a day.”
“Even today, the reality o the nuclear industry is
in organized crime, decided to explore the world o the nuclear power
Pinhane is the Japanese term that is used to indicate speculation by the
that both serious workers and thugs are hired,”
industry rom the inside.
contractors on the salaries o temporary workers. In the case o employees
Kawakami says in his book “Chronicles o a Gypsy
According to his investigation published in the weekly Shukan Post in
o the plants, pinhane reaches up to 93%, as reported by Hiroyuki
atom.” “In both cases, temporary work agencies
June, the Japanese industry was ound to be complex and layered, a maze
Watanabe, a council member in the city o Iwaki, where many o the workers
use them and squeeze part o their salary out or
o small contractors who, to protect their economic interests, rely on
were transerred rom the Fukushima plant, having lived in the area now
themselves.”
organized crime and underpaid workers who oten come rom the lower
evacuated because o high levels o radiation.
According to a report by the Japan Atomic
and marginalized classes o society. The work distribution structure at the
“Many o those who came to consult with me had borrowed money rom
Industrial Forum, the nuclear industry employed
sites provides a hierarchy made up o medium and small companies that
the Maa at high interest rates,” Watanabe said at a recent conerence.
more than 47,000 people (with no distinction
seem to escape the control o a central authority.
“They were ‘offered’ work to repay the debt.”
between regular and contract employees) in 2007
At the rst level there is the power company that outsources the reactor
The situ ation se ems to b e the s ame in all twenty-two plants in Japan, but
alone, and annual turnover exceeded several
maintenance work to large companies (such as Hitachi and Toshiba, or
in Fukushima Daiichi, ater the explosion o the three reactors, the salary or
billions o yen, or about 9.6 billion Euros. To keep
example), which, in turn, subcontracts the work to specialized subsidiary
the workers in charge o containing the emergency - about ten thousand
sales growing, at least in past years, the nuclear
companies. To recruit the manpower, they rely on temporary agencies,
in the last six months - increased in proportion to the danger o working in
industry has had a constant need o manpower.
which are oten supported by other even smaller companies.
an environment where the radioactivity rate remains higher than normal.
But the ramications o the relationships
”Small companies at lower levels (o the structure) are usually headed by
“Ater the accident, in addition to wages or work repairing the plant,
between the various sub-contractors means that
maa members,” says B., a worker originally rom Futaba, the town where
workers were given a hazard pay allowance,” said Watanabe. “Between
the Daiichi station is located, told the journalist Hiroichi Hasegawa. “I you
March and April, or a day o work, the TEPCO paid, just in compensation,
For many the only way to escape a poorly paid
control over the workers they do not hire directly.
directly responsible or the intererence o maa
are employed by them, the danger o the work and withholding rom wages
about 100,000 yen per worker.” However, only a raction o that money
job in whi ch they ris k their he alth is fig ht. In ac t,
In the specic case o TEPCO, “the company has
clans in the recruitment o their workers and the
increase dramatically.” ”Among the workers o the Fukushima plant,” added
would come into the hands o the workers and the overall gure would be
there are more than a ew stories o workers who
long attempted exclusion o the yakuza ,” claried
new ordinance may not ensure the removal o the
B., “there are many who could not reuse the job because they had been
reduced by two zeros. This, according to Councilor Iwaki, caused a drastic
disappear without a trace overnight.
Watanabe, “but, because the temporary work
yakuza rom the nuclear industry.
directly ordered by their ‘boss.’ They are araid.”
reduction in the number o people willing to work or the plant.
“Even beore the accident, those who could not pay
structure is very complex, it was not possible to
The structur e that has de veloped over the yea rs
The pr oblem o yakuza inltration in the atomic industry has existed since
“Lack o personnel meant that the intervention o organized crime was
their debts to the yakuza were orced to work in
completely prevent inltration.” In recent years
has meant that large companies can justiy their
the beginning o the introduction o nuclear power in Japan in the late 50s
accepted and, as they lack skilled workers, beginners were made to work
the plants, but immediately aterward the central
there have been several published accounts o
helplessness by citing privacy issues and other
o the last century, and the cause seems to lie in the layered structure o
in their place.”
role o the maa became even stronger,” said
ormer plant employees denouncing the abuse
bureaucratic chicanery. So ar no one see ms to be
subcontracting.
Unpaid debt is always us ed as blackmail by maa netw orks that traffi c
Watanabe. The complexly layered contract system
by their employers and the indifference o the
responsible or veriying the status o temporary
According to Takeshi Kawakami, who has worked or thirty years under
workers to be sent to the various plants in Japan.
means that the power companies have no direct
electric companies, but employment conditions
workers or protecting them.
2 6
|
companies that operate power plants are not
F L A R E
FAMILIES TODAY, FROM RITUALISTIC TO FIERCE by Massimiliano Aceti
2 7
|
F L A R E
kosei-in are in charge o security and other small daily tasks such as answering telephone calls, acting as drivers, serving guests and overseeing apprentices. Criminal
groups
are
actually
bureaucratic
occupying the highest position in the hierarchy
organizations, but the internal bonds are o
and managing the association. It is ollowed by
distinct nature. The bonds within an ikka are
waka-gashira, a term literally meaning “son o
amilial (though ctitious), creating the oyabun-
kumi-cho” who addresses the Godather with the
kobun (ather-son)
term oyaji , which means “ather.” Normally there
brother) relationship. It is important to note
The structure o the yakuza . The Japanese
is more than one waka-gashira in an association.
that these relationships link several individuals
criminal organizations are structured in a complex
The ollowing rol e is occupied by the so honbucho,
together rather than unite them in a group. This
network o relationships with strong internal
literally the “chie o the headquarters,” the
relationship is crucial to maintain the ctitious
ties, both horizontal and vertical. The yakuza
general managers o the various yakuza offi ces.
group cohesion vertically (oyabun-kobun) and
and kyodaibun (brother-
are composed o ikka, or ctitious amilies.
Alongside the main structure is a amily o roles
also horizontally or vertically ( kyodaibun). These
The ikka (sometimes also reerred to by the
bureaucratically called komon (group o advisers).
relationships are established by a ritual exchange
term kumi or gumi ) are the basic undamental
This gro up include s shatei gashira, shatei gashira
o sake in a sakazuki ceremony.
units o the yakuza . These structures create
hosa and shatei.
cohesion and strong ties within a group and
Within an ikka, individual members then occupy
The sakazumi ; how to become brothers. The
ght internal divisions. We can then dene a
two different positions, one inside the ikka
ritual affi liation typ ical o yakuza amilies is the
our-layered pyramid: the saiko kanbu (supreme
understood as a single group and that within the
ritual o sakazuki (literally exchange o sake).
leaders), kanbu (managers), waka-chu (young
inner group. Most o the internal groups tend to
Denitely one o the aspects that most appeals
organizers) and the layer composed o jun k osei-
be composed o ewer than ten members. Thanks
to would-be yakuza is their amily actor. In act,
in (apprentices). The category o the jun-kos ei-in
to their small size, and due to the act that they
most new recruits live alone and 43% have lost
also includes such peripheral gures (shuhensha)
share daily business, these internal groups are
one or both parents. In these cases, membership
as the kigyo shatei (brother / business partner).
the most cohesive and “intimate” units o the
in a yakuza group represents the end o a search
These gures are no t direc tly relate d to the ikka,
yakuza universe. With regard to the practical
or a replacement or a missing amily. They sign
but collaborate protably while maintaining
tasks that each role perorms, we can say that
a ather-son pact (oyak sakazuki ) beore gang
inormal connections. The hierarchical structure is
the nal decisions on the nancial strategies
members. The sakazuki ceremony is normally
very similar to the structure o a legal corporation
o an ikka depend exclusively on the will o the
held in ront o a Shinto altar and perormed
or a Japanese military organization. The roles are
oyabun, while the strategies may be suggested
in absolute silence. Banners with the names o
many, with the most important being the role o
by his advisors (komon), senior managers and by
the sun goddess Amateras u and the patron god
kumi-cho or oyabun (parent, boss, godather),
those acting as vice-chie (waka-gashira). The jun
o warriors Hachiman are on display behind
2 6
|
F L A R E
2 7
FAMILIES TODAY, FROM RITUALISTIC TO FIERCE by Massimiliano Aceti
2 8
|
daily tasks such as answering telephone calls, acting as drivers, serving guests and overseeing apprentices. Criminal
groups
are
actually
bureaucratic
occupying the highest position in the hierarchy
organizations, but the internal bonds are o
and managing the association. It is ollowed by
distinct nature. The bonds within an ikka are
waka-gashira, a term literally meaning “son o
amilial (though ctitious), creating the oyabun-
kumi-cho” who addresses the Godather with the
kobun (ather-son)
term oyaji , which means “ather.” Normally there
brother) relationship. It is important to note
The structure o the yakuza . The Japanese
is more than one waka-gashira in an association.
that these relationships link several individuals
criminal organizations are structured in a complex
The ollowing rol e is occupied by the so honbucho,
together rather than unite them in a group. This
network o relationships with strong internal
literally the “chie o the headquarters,” the
relationship is crucial to maintain the ctitious
ties, both horizontal and vertical. The yakuza
general managers o the various yakuza offi ces.
group cohesion vertically (oyabun-kobun) and
are composed o ikka, or ctitious amilies.
Alongside the main structure is a amily o roles
also horizontally or vertically ( kyodaibun). These
The ikka (sometimes also reerred to by the
bureaucratically called komon (group o advisers).
relationships are established by a ritual exchange
term kumi or gumi ) are the basic undamental
This gro up include s shatei gashira, shatei gashira
o sake in a sakazuki ceremony.
units o the yakuza . These structures create
hosa and shatei.
cohesion and strong ties within a group and
Within an ikka, individual members then occupy
The sakazumi ; how to become brothers. The
ght internal divisions. We can then dene a
two different positions, one inside the ikka
ritual affi liation typ ical o yakuza amilies is the
our-layered pyramid: the saiko kanbu (supreme
understood as a single group and that within the
ritual o sakazuki (literally exchange o sake).
leaders), kanbu (managers), waka-chu (young
inner group. Most o the internal groups tend to
Denitely one o the aspects that most appeals
organizers) and the layer composed o jun k osei-
be composed o ewer than ten members. Thanks
to would-be yakuza is their amily actor. In act,
in (apprentices). The category o the jun-kos ei-in
to their small size, and due to the act that they
most new recruits live alone and 43% have lost
also includes such peripheral gures (shuhensha)
share daily business, these internal groups are
one or both parents. In these cases, membership
as the kigyo shatei (brother / business partner).
the most cohesive and “intimate” units o the
in a yakuza group represents the end o a search
These gures are no t direc tly relate d to the ikka,
yakuza universe. With regard to the practical
or a replacement or a missing amily. They sign
but collaborate protably while maintaining
tasks that each role perorms, we can say that
a ather-son pact (oyak sakazuki ) beore gang
inormal connections. The hierarchical structure is
the nal decisions on the nancial strategies
members. The sakazuki ceremony is normally
very similar to the structure o a legal corporation
o an ikka depend exclusively on the will o the
held in ront o a Shinto altar and perormed
or a Japanese military organization. The roles are
oyabun, while the strategies may be suggested
in absolute silence. Banners with the names o
many, with the most important being the role o
by his advisors (komon), senior managers and by
the sun goddess Amateras u and the patron god
kumi-cho or oyabun (parent, boss, godather),
those acting as vice-chie (waka-gashira). The jun
o warriors Hachiman are on display behind
and kyodaibun (brother-
2 9
the altar. The oyabun and the new recruits sit
addition to these rules there is a strict code called
acing each other while azukarinin (servants,
Wakame no kokoroe (rules or young yakuza ),
to the hospital to have it reattached.
swimming pools very oten prohibit these people, whether or not part o the yakuza , access to its acilities.
usually low-ranking yakuza ) prepare sake. The
displayed in the halls and dormitories o the
The yubitsu me also exists as a positive practice,
The tattoo has turned out to be a trial o courage, a con scious diver sication o s ociety.
sake is mixed with salt and is rationed according
yakuza headquarters. With very ew exceptions,
not only as a punishment or demonstration o
to the relationship being orged. At this point
these rules are identical to those taught to new
repentance but also to solve a problem or confict.
The demukai. Perhaps the most important ritual because it enhances the concept o giri and denes the
the participants will sip a little and then
employees o large companies. The yakuza
When the practice is positive, the cut off nger
loyalty o members, it occurs when replacing a member o the yakuza in the conession o a criminal act
exchange their cups; the new kobun declares his
require an iron discipline; however, empirical
is called iki yubi (living nger) and when the
to his superior, demonstrating his dedication and loyalty. The demukai hands down the yakuza code o
responsibility towards the amily. The new recruits
experience indicates that this ideal is ar rom
practice is negative it is called shinu yubi (dead
honor because it teaches the value o loyalty among the members, submission to their superiors and a
receive the pin with the emblem o the yakuza
being realized. The act that these rules exists
nger). The iki yubi is thereore shown as a sign o
reward or honorable action, and determines new bonds. Since those released rom prison are usually
amily. A document is issued listing the members
suggests that there are strong temptations to
sacrice to solve a problem or confict or which
promised an increase in rank, and nally produces shughi , the released members receive a portion o
o the group, the name o amily member, the
maximize one’s own interests at the expense o
the sacricing party is not directly responsible.
money to invest as they see t. The crime syndicate’s interest, thereore, is to interere with any attempt
structure o domestic groups, the position o each
the group or the boss. Consequently, one o the
This second type o yubits ume takes on the
by the state to rehabilitate the criminal. Various acts in the ritual symbolize the competition between the
and nally the name o the new member. The new
most important “virtues” or a member o the
meaning o sincere loyalty, a medieval practice
state and organized crime. The rst phase o the ritual demukae concerns the departure o yakuza members
amily takes precedence over the “real” one; the
yakuza is unconditional obedience, even beyond
that prostitutes implemented to show loyalty
rom their respective headquarters. On the day o release, the members o the various branches o the
two will be separate and the “real” amily will be
all logic. A traditional yakuza proverb says: “i
and devotion to their own particular customer.
organization and members o riendly organizations head to the prison rom which the yakuza member
in a relationship o subordination. The ctional
the oyabun says that the black crow is white, the
Obviously, both or medieval Japanese prostitutes
will be released. The movement is made using the organization’s cars, mostly o oreign origin. The order
amily will take care o the “real” one in the event
kobun must agree.” This unconditional loyalty is
and yakuza members there is clearly a limit to the
o members in their cars and the order o the column o cars ollow the hierarchy within the group. Once in
the member has problems (or example, during
rewarded with promotions and cash bonuses;
number o times that this sincerity, devotion and
ront o the prison, a ew hours beore the release, the various members leave their cars and having greeted
incarceration or illness), but at the same time the
conversely there are punishments or those who
repentance can be “physically” expressed.
members o various branches and allied groups, they arrange themselves neatly in ront o the prison walls.
“real” amily will have no chance o inheriting the
break the rules. Small offenses, or example,
position o member or the rights o succession.
may require shaving off all one’s hair, temporary
The giri . Control within the yakuza is also
the real hierarchy existing within each group in the organization. No one is in charge o indicating the
The sakazuki ritual not only is used or the
imprisonment, a ne, or temporary expulsion.
implemented in less direct ways. One o these is
position o each member; however, each member knows where he is placed, being aware o the position
ormalizatio n o affi liation but also to dene new
More serious offenses may result in a lynching
the adherence to the concept o giri . This term
he occupies in the organization. The hierarchy o the organization is revealed ormally and physically;
hierarchical positions. There are two types o
(rinchi ), yubitsu me (amputation o a nger), hamon
cannot be explained with a single translation. In
every position has a meaning and every meaning reveals a specic role. Very oten the police meticulously
relationship in a yakuza group, a vertical type:
(expulsion rom the ikka), zetsuen (the irreversible
the world o the yakuza this term represents an
observe large groups o these organizations to identiy members and to understand the role they occupy
oyabun-kobun, and a horizontal type: kyodaibun.
rupture o amily ties, permanent expulsion) and
obligation, a strong sense o respect that involves
within the organization, because in practice the internal structure is revealed publicly. Once the gates o
These are establishe d b y th e r itual exchange o
obviously the most severe penalty, death.
values such as delity, loyalty and gratitude. The
the prison are open, the oyabun himsel, ollowed by his deputy, heads inside the prison and welcomes the
sake during the sakazuki ceremony. The nature o
F L A R E
kosei-in are in charge o security and other small
F L A R E
cut off and shown (to the boss) they will quickly go
|
In Japan, in act, anyone who wears a tattoo is indelibly regarded as bad, and saunas, public baths and
Preparation or release consists o an arrangement o pyramid-shaped ormations that, in act, represent
concept o giri is a moral debt that is created by
reed man. The ex-convict receives the thanks and the promotion derived rom the “sacrice” perormed.
the relationship is determined by the amount o
The ritual o the amputated inger. The
yakuza members. This is a concept that comes
The action peror med is ver y impo rtant since the oyabun enters the prison to rescue his own member;
sake contained in the cups.
yubitsu me may be o two types and thus take two
rom the bushido honor code o the samurai o
in this way, the tension is dened between the intention o the State to rehabilitate a criminal and the
different meanings. We may dene a negative and
medieval Japan, where in act the concept o giri
intention o the organization to keep him among the ranks o the association. Once the last ormalities have
Internal control. Yakuza organizations are entities
a positive reason. First, yubits ume normally is not
represented the sense o duty towards a person.
been satised, the group heads outside, where the released man will receive thanks and gits o money
that operate in an environment where there is
required as a punishment but rather represents the
no legal protection; or this reason they must
preventive decision o the offender to demonstrate
The irezumi . Another orm o indirect control
create and enorce their own legal and protective
his repentance in the hope o avoiding a heavier
is irezumi . The bakuto groups were the rst to
Recruitment and discrimination. Discrimination against certain ethnic groups prohibits their members
system. Essentially there are ve basic rules that
punishment. Recently, the tradition o yubitsu me
introduce this practice. Tattoos rom the eudal
rom having the opportunity o social climbing. The criminal world is thereore the only way or these
have remained unchanged or decades: 1) do not
has become less prevalent among the younger
period, which were used by the authorities to
groups to achieve their own material goals. The strongest discrimination is directed towards the burakumin
disobey or cause problems or your superiors 2)
members, because they preer to pay a ne
mark criminals, have always been regarded as a
and it is no accident that the yakuza have always been organizations conscious o recruiting people rom
do not betray your teammates or the group; 3)
rather than lose a nger. Interviews with the NPA
symbol that distinguishes those who decide to
this class, with regard to whom it is still a common practice to ask the amily origin beore marriage or
do not ght with your own companions or break
(the Japanese National Police Agency, a sort o
leave society. The members o the yakuza are still
beore recruitment into a company, to ascertain whether or not they belong to this “caste.” The earnings
the harmony o the organization; 4) do not waste
Japanese “Federal Bureau”) indicate that some
identied by majestic tattoos. The yakuza tattoos
or a amily o buraku origin are 40% lower than the national average; buraku young people dropping out
the unds o the organization; 5) do not touch
members use anesthetics to endure the pain, or
are very expensive not only rom an economic
o school number twice that o other young Japanese, and only hal enter the university. Groups that do
any women members o the organization. In
something much more curious, once the nger is
standpoint but also rom the social perspective.
not hire people o buraku origin also include the police, in spite o the act that legal discrimination against
rom the other groups.
the buraku was ended by decree in 1871. Obviously not all members o groups discriminated against or disadvantaged join the yakuza , the yakuza “talent scouts” do not try to convince an individual because he is a buraku or Korean, or because he has no ormal education, but rather because some individuals are “appropriate” or this “work.” In the NPA’s 1989 statistics, 11.3% were petty thieves, 33% abused solvents, 75% had been arrested once beore joining a criminal organization and 50% more than once. Interviews indicate an important act: 60% o new members had a history o delinquency, such as participation in bosozoku groups (rigging cars) and street gangs. The yakuza “talent scouts” search the places requented by these young people, such as “game-centers” and the suburbs. Potential recruits receive money, ood or drugs or the rst small jobs. Som e investigations have shown that some non- offi cial karate clubs and universitie s o low prestige are targeted as a potential recruiting ground. Also according to the NPA data, among the motivations to join is the ascination o the myth o the yakuza (36.5%) and traditional giri (29%) but the motivation that remains strong is “they also consider a person like me” (17%), which can certainly be interpreted as an indication o the eeling o discrimination noticed beore joining.
|
F L A R E
2 8
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F L A R E
the altar. The oyabun and the new recruits sit
addition to these rules there is a strict code called
cut off and shown (to the boss) they will quickly go
acing each other while azukarinin (servants,
Wakame no kokoroe (rules or young yakuza ),
to the hospital to have it reattached.
swimming pools very oten prohibit these people, whether or not part o the yakuza , access to its acilities.
usually low-ranking yakuza ) prepare sake. The
displayed in the halls and dormitories o the
The yubitsu me also exists as a positive practice,
The tattoo has turned out to be a trial o courage, a con scious diver sication o s ociety.
sake is mixed with salt and is rationed according
yakuza headquarters. With very ew exceptions,
not only as a punishment or demonstration o
to the relationship being orged. At this point
these rules are identical to those taught to new
repentance but also to solve a problem or confict.
The demukai. Perhaps the most important ritual because it enhances the concept o giri and denes the
the participants will sip a little and then
employees o large companies. The yakuza
When the practice is positive, the cut off nger
loyalty o members, it occurs when replacing a member o the yakuza in the conession o a criminal act
exchange their cups; the new kobun declares his
require an iron discipline; however, empirical
is called iki yubi (living nger) and when the
to his superior, demonstrating his dedication and loyalty. The demukai hands down the yakuza code o
responsibility towards the amily. The new recruits
experience indicates that this ideal is ar rom
practice is negative it is called shinu yubi (dead
honor because it teaches the value o loyalty among the members, submission to their superiors and a
receive the pin with the emblem o the yakuza
being realized. The act that these rules exists
nger). The iki yubi is thereore shown as a sign o
reward or honorable action, and determines new bonds. Since those released rom prison are usually
amily. A document is issued listing the members
suggests that there are strong temptations to
sacrice to solve a problem or confict or which
promised an increase in rank, and nally produces shughi , the released members receive a portion o
o the group, the name o amily member, the
maximize one’s own interests at the expense o
the sacricing party is not directly responsible.
money to invest as they see t. The crime syndicate’s interest, thereore, is to interere with any attempt
structure o domestic groups, the position o each
the group or the boss. Consequently, one o the
This second type o yubits ume takes on the
by the state to rehabilitate the criminal. Various acts in the ritual symbolize the competition between the
and nally the name o the new member. The new
most important “virtues” or a member o the
meaning o sincere loyalty, a medieval practice
state and organized crime. The rst phase o the ritual demukae concerns the departure o yakuza members
amily takes precedence over the “real” one; the
yakuza is unconditional obedience, even beyond
that prostitutes implemented to show loyalty
rom their respective headquarters. On the day o release, the members o the various branches o the
two will be separate and the “real” amily will be
all logic. A traditional yakuza proverb says: “i
and devotion to their own particular customer.
organization and members o riendly organizations head to the prison rom which the yakuza member
in a relationship o subordination. The ctional
the oyabun says that the black crow is white, the
Obviously, both or medieval Japanese prostitutes
will be released. The movement is made using the organization’s cars, mostly o oreign origin. The order
amily will take care o the “real” one in the event
kobun must agree.” This unconditional loyalty is
and yakuza members there is clearly a limit to the
o members in their cars and the order o the column o cars ollow the hierarchy within the group. Once in
the member has problems (or example, during
rewarded with promotions and cash bonuses;
number o times that this sincerity, devotion and
ront o the prison, a ew hours beore the release, the various members leave their cars and having greeted
incarceration or illness), but at the same time the
conversely there are punishments or those who
repentance can be “physically” expressed.
members o various branches and allied groups, they arrange themselves neatly in ront o the prison walls.
“real” amily will have no chance o inheriting the
break the rules. Small offenses, or example,
position o member or the rights o succession.
may require shaving off all one’s hair, temporary
The giri . Control within the yakuza is also
the real hierarchy existing within each group in the organization. No one is in charge o indicating the
The sakazuki ritual not only is used or the
imprisonment, a ne, or temporary expulsion.
implemented in less direct ways. One o these is
position o each member; however, each member knows where he is placed, being aware o the position
ormalizatio n o affi liation but also to dene new
More serious offenses may result in a lynching
the adherence to the concept o giri . This term
he occupies in the organization. The hierarchy o the organization is revealed ormally and physically;
hierarchical positions. There are two types o
(rinchi ), yubitsu me (amputation o a nger), hamon
cannot be explained with a single translation. In
every position has a meaning and every meaning reveals a specic role. Very oten the police meticulously
relationship in a yakuza group, a vertical type:
(expulsion rom the ikka), zetsuen (the irreversible
the world o the yakuza this term represents an
observe large groups o these organizations to identiy members and to understand the role they occupy
oyabun-kobun, and a horizontal type: kyodaibun.
rupture o amily ties, permanent expulsion) and
obligation, a strong sense o respect that involves
within the organization, because in practice the internal structure is revealed publicly. Once the gates o
These are establishe d b y th e r itual exchange o
obviously the most severe penalty, death.
values such as delity, loyalty and gratitude. The
the prison are open, the oyabun himsel, ollowed by his deputy, heads inside the prison and welcomes the
sake during the sakazuki ceremony. The nature o
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F L A R E
3 1
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F L A R E
In Japan, in act, anyone who wears a tattoo is indelibly regarded as bad, and saunas, public baths and
Preparation or release consists o an arrangement o pyramid-shaped ormations that, in act, represent
concept o giri is a moral debt that is created by
reed man. The ex-convict receives the thanks and the promotion derived rom the “sacrice” perormed.
the relationship is determined by the amount o
The ritual o the amputated inger. The
yakuza members. This is a concept that comes
The action peror med is ver y impo rtant since the oyabun enters the prison to rescue his own member;
sake contained in the cups.
yubitsu me may be o two types and thus take two
rom the bushido honor code o the samurai o
in this way, the tension is dened between the intention o the State to rehabilitate a criminal and the
different meanings. We may dene a negative and
medieval Japan, where in act the concept o giri
intention o the organization to keep him among the ranks o the association. Once the last ormalities have
Internal control. Yakuza organizations are entities
a positive reason. First, yubits ume normally is not
represented the sense o duty towards a person.
been satised, the group heads outside, where the released man will receive thanks and gits o money
that operate in an environment where there is
required as a punishment but rather represents the
no legal protection; or this reason they must
preventive decision o the offender to demonstrate
The irezumi . Another orm o indirect control
create and enorce their own legal and protective
his repentance in the hope o avoiding a heavier
is irezumi . The bakuto groups were the rst to
Recruitment and discrimination. Discrimination against certain ethnic groups prohibits their members
system. Essentially there are ve basic rules that
punishment. Recently, the tradition o yubitsu me
introduce this practice. Tattoos rom the eudal
rom having the opportunity o social climbing. The criminal world is thereore the only way or these
have remained unchanged or decades: 1) do not
has become less prevalent among the younger
period, which were used by the authorities to
groups to achieve their own material goals. The strongest discrimination is directed towards the burakumin
disobey or cause problems or your superiors 2)
members, because they preer to pay a ne
mark criminals, have always been regarded as a
and it is no accident that the yakuza have always been organizations conscious o recruiting people rom
do not betray your teammates or the group; 3)
rather than lose a nger. Interviews with the NPA
symbol that distinguishes those who decide to
this class, with regard to whom it is still a common practice to ask the amily origin beore marriage or
do not ght with your own companions or break
(the Japanese National Police Agency, a sort o
leave society. The members o the yakuza are still
beore recruitment into a company, to ascertain whether or not they belong to this “caste.” The earnings
the harmony o the organization; 4) do not waste
Japanese “Federal Bureau”) indicate that some
identied by majestic tattoos. The yakuza tattoos
or a amily o buraku origin are 40% lower than the national average; buraku young people dropping out
the unds o the organization; 5) do not touch
members use anesthetics to endure the pain, or
are very expensive not only rom an economic
o school number twice that o other young Japanese, and only hal enter the university. Groups that do
any women members o the organization. In
something much more curious, once the nger is
standpoint but also rom the social perspective.
not hire people o buraku origin also include the police, in spite o the act that legal discrimination against
rom the other groups.
the buraku was ended by decree in 1871. Obviously not all members o groups discriminated against or disadvantaged join the yakuza , the yakuza “talent scouts” do not try to convince an individual because he is a buraku or Korean, or because he has no ormal education, but rather because some individuals are “appropriate” or this “work.” In the NPA’s 1989 statistics, 11.3% were petty thieves, 33% abused solvents, 75% had been arrested once beore joining a criminal organization and 50% more than once. Interviews indicate an important act: 60% o new members had a history o delinquency, such as participation in bosozoku groups (rigging cars) and street gangs. The yakuza “talent scouts” search the places requented by these young people, such as “game-centers” and the suburbs. Potential recruits receive money, ood or drugs or the rst small jobs. Som e investigations have shown that some non- offi cial karate clubs and universitie s o low prestige are targeted as a potential recruiting ground. Also according to the NPA data, among the motivations to join is the ascination o the myth o the yakuza (36.5%) and traditional giri (29%) but the motivation that remains strong is “they also consider a person like me” (17%), which can certainly be interpreted as an indication o the eeling o discrimination noticed beore joining.
3 0
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F L A R E
SHINOGI, THE BUSINESSES OF THE JAPANESE MAFIA by Massimiliano Aceti
In December 2006, Japan’s ormer national police
activities occupy more than 60% o total prots.
and to the mid-orties, Japan adopted a two-
chie, Hiromitsu Su ganuma, interp reting offi cial
The traditional unction o “dispute resolution”
sided policy in the management o drugs. In
statistics, stated that the total amount o annual
remains constant (7%) which, though a not very
the national territory, the use o narcotics was
nancial income o the largest boryokudan group,
protable activity, continues to be practiced. The
absolutely orbidden while in the occupied
the Yamaguchi-gumi was 8,000 billion yen (about
yakuza have extended the eld o activity in the
territories the opium trade was seen as a source
61 billion Euros), an impressive gure when you
world o nance and construction. Three percent
o revenue and a way to keep the occupied
consider that the total annual income o the
o the revenue generated by the activities o
population docile. The industry was legal and
Toyota Group, world leader in the automotive
the sokaiya-yakuza, real proessional criminals
controlled by the government but at the same
market was 10,000 billion yen (76 billion). Within
insinuating themselves into the boards o
time, the yakuza controlled the distribution and
the yakuza organizations, all economic activities
companies, infuencing decisions. Today’s yakuza
supervision o the rooms where this substance
rom which the members receive money are
not only operate in the illegal market today
was consumed. To maintain a population docile,
known collectively under the name o shinogi .
but also in the legal market (20% o revenue).
a narcotic substance was necessary, but to keep a
The primary activity is de nitely drug traffi cking
However, we must always bear in mind that the
population active and productive a stimulant was
(35% o the total) ollowed by the traditional
legal activities are always carried out with not
necessary. In Japan, opium was thereore illegal,
occupation o gambling (17%) and rom extortion
entirely orthodox methods.
but at the same time the sale o amphetamines
and protection activities (including prostitution and the practice o minbo, 9 %). These three
was legal. The rst product launched in the
Drug and traffi cking routes. During the thirties
Japanese market was Hiropon, sold in the orm o
ampoules containing injectable liquids or pills. The government advertised
amphetamines came rom Korea (79%) and in small part rom Taiwan (21%),
the use o the substance as a miraculous panacea that could be used to treat
ollowing the repression carried out by the Korean authorities beore the
many illnesses rom low blood pressure to obesity.
Olympic Games in Seoul (1988) the import axis has shited mainly on Taiwan
We must consider that this is a period o strong industrial growth and
(78%) and to a lesser extent rom Korea (11%). In the 90 years urther changes
military preparedness. The military and industrial application o this
were made to the import route, turning to China (69%) and North Korea
substance was instrumental in increasing the resistance o the troops and
(31%). The diplomatic problems with North Korea and the effective embargo
workers beore and during the war. At the end o the war, large quantities o
on products rom this country orced the yakuza to rely almost entirely
amphetamines packaged or military use were poured into the black market
on the Chinese market in 2003 so that 88% o the meta-amphetamines
run by the yakuza . In 1948 the governm ent offi cially began to cons ider the
imported came rom China, including Hong Kong.
dangers o drugs, and reduced the concentration o active ingredient in the
Lately it seems that the Japanese yakuza and Chinese triads not only work
products or sale, but kept them legal. Only in 1951 was the prohibition o
together but are allied in a joint venture involved in the sale o heroin. The
amphetamines enacted into law (Kakuseizai Torishimari I) and in 1953 a real
pacts are clear: the substance is orbidden to be sold in Japan, but at the
inormation campaign about the dangers o the substance began. Thanks to
same time the use o p orts is allowed or loading the goods to be distributed
this law, in 1954 a rapid decline began in the consumption o amphetamines
in Europe and America. This joint venture seems to have had important
in 1957, and this epidemic could be considered resolved.
repercussions. The use o Japanese ports as a transit point or heroin destined
A second outbreak o amphetamines began in the seventies, to reach its
or markets in Europe and America seems to have been reciprocated by the
peak in the mid eighties, but this time the yakuza were not limited to the
possibility to use the China-Japan-Canada route (through Canadian ports,
control and management o the market, but they themselves promoted
the Chinese triads are very active in Canada ) or import into Japan o not
consumption. It all started in Osaka, where many workers engaged in
only meta-amphetamines (62% o seizures o the substance comes rom
construction or World Expo 1970 were taught the use o this substance to
Canada) but also o cannabis (58% o seizures o the substance comes rom
withstand hard work. With the beginning o the twenty-rst century law
Canada) and in recent years o MDMA (methylenedioximetanphetamine,
enorcement and drug seizures o amphetamines have intensied, but their
better known as ecstasy), a drug on the rise among young Japanese. Even in
consumptio n remains wide-spread.
this case 54% o seizures are o Canadian origin.
The quality o dr ugs s old is very high; dr ugs in Japan are usually c ut with other substances. Local production is non-existent due to the strong
When the venture is called pachinko. Gambling has long been illegal
control over the basic substances in production and because o the price
in Japan, although it has always been and still is widely practiced by the
competitiveness o imported products. Until the ‘80s most o the import o
Japanese. The participation o the yakuza in the management o gambling in
3 0
|
F L A R E
3 1
SHINOGI, THE BUSINESSES OF THE JAPANESE MAFIA by Massimiliano Aceti
In December 2006, Japan’s ormer national police
activities occupy more than 60% o total prots.
and to the mid-orties, Japan adopted a two-
chie, Hiromitsu Su ganuma, interp reting offi cial
The traditional unction o “dispute resolution”
sided policy in the management o drugs. In
statistics, stated that the total amount o annual
remains constant (7%) which, though a not very
the national territory, the use o narcotics was
nancial income o the largest boryokudan group,
protable activity, continues to be practiced. The
absolutely orbidden while in the occupied
the Yamaguchi-gumi was 8,000 billion yen (about
yakuza have extended the eld o activity in the
territories the opium trade was seen as a source
61 billion Euros), an impressive gure when you
world o nance and construction. Three percent
o revenue and a way to keep the occupied
consider that the total annual income o the
o the revenue generated by the activities o
population docile. The industry was legal and
Toyota Group, world leader in the automotive
the sokaiya-yakuza, real proessional criminals
controlled by the government but at the same
market was 10,000 billion yen (76 billion). Within
insinuating themselves into the boards o
time, the yakuza controlled the distribution and
the yakuza organizations, all economic activities
companies, infuencing decisions. Today’s yakuza
supervision o the rooms where this substance
rom which the members receive money are
not only operate in the illegal market today
was consumed. To maintain a population docile,
known collectively under the name o shinogi .
but also in the legal market (20% o revenue).
a narcotic substance was necessary, but to keep a
The primary activity is de nitely drug traffi cking
However, we must always bear in mind that the
population active and productive a stimulant was
(35% o the total) ollowed by the traditional
legal activities are always carried out with not
necessary. In Japan, opium was thereore illegal,
occupation o gambling (17%) and rom extortion
entirely orthodox methods.
but at the same time the sale o amphetamines
and protection activities (including prostitution and the practice o minbo, 9 %). These three
3 2
|
was legal. The rst product launched in the
Drug and traffi cking routes. During the thirties
Japanese market was Hiropon, sold in the orm o
|
F L A R E
ampoules containing injectable liquids or pills. The government advertised
amphetamines came rom Korea (79%) and in small part rom Taiwan (21%),
the use o the substance as a miraculous panacea that could be used to treat
ollowing the repression carried out by the Korean authorities beore the
many illnesses rom low blood pressure to obesity.
Olympic Games in Seoul (1988) the import axis has shited mainly on Taiwan
We must consider that this is a period o strong industrial growth and
(78%) and to a lesser extent rom Korea (11%). In the 90 years urther changes
military preparedness. The military and industrial application o this
were made to the import route, turning to China (69%) and North Korea
substance was instrumental in increasing the resistance o the troops and
(31%). The diplomatic problems with North Korea and the effective embargo
workers beore and during the war. At the end o the war, large quantities o
on products rom this country orced the yakuza to rely almost entirely
amphetamines packaged or military use were poured into the black market
on the Chinese market in 2003 so that 88% o the meta-amphetamines
run by the yakuza . In 1948 the governm ent offi cially began to cons ider the
imported came rom China, including Hong Kong.
dangers o drugs, and reduced the concentration o active ingredient in the
Lately it seems that the Japanese yakuza and Chinese triads not only work
products or sale, but kept them legal. Only in 1951 was the prohibition o
together but are allied in a joint venture involved in the sale o heroin. The
amphetamines enacted into law (Kakuseizai Torishimari I) and in 1953 a real
pacts are clear: the substance is orbidden to be sold in Japan, but at the
inormation campaign about the dangers o the substance began. Thanks to
same time the use o p orts is allowed or loading the goods to be distributed
this law, in 1954 a rapid decline began in the consumption o amphetamines
in Europe and America. This joint venture seems to have had important
in 1957, and this epidemic could be considered resolved.
repercussions. The use o Japanese ports as a transit point or heroin destined
A second outbreak o amphetamines began in the seventies, to reach its
or markets in Europe and America seems to have been reciprocated by the
peak in the mid eighties, but this time the yakuza were not limited to the
possibility to use the China-Japan-Canada route (through Canadian ports,
control and management o the market, but they themselves promoted
the Chinese triads are very active in Canada ) or import into Japan o not
consumption. It all started in Osaka, where many workers engaged in
only meta-amphetamines (62% o seizures o the substance comes rom
construction or World Expo 1970 were taught the use o this substance to
Canada) but also o cannabis (58% o seizures o the substance comes rom
withstand hard work. With the beginning o the twenty-rst century law
Canada) and in recent years o MDMA (methylenedioximetanphetamine,
enorcement and drug seizures o amphetamines have intensied, but their
better known as ecstasy), a drug on the rise among young Japanese. Even in
consumptio n remains wide-spread.
this case 54% o seizures are o Canadian origin.
The quality o dr ugs s old is very high; dr ugs in Japan are usually c ut with other substances. Local production is non-existent due to the strong
When the venture is called pachinko. Gambling has long been illegal
control over the basic substances in production and because o the price
in Japan, although it has always been and still is widely practiced by the
competitiveness o imported products. Until the ‘80s most o the import o
Japanese. The participation o the yakuza in the management o gambling in
F L A R E
3 3
|
F L A R E
by the procurer ( pinhan ) beore paying the worker. In general, this payment
ctitious credits to the management o corporate
At this point the seriya can create bills and other
is approximately 15% o wages earned.
ailures. Under Japanese law only lawyers are
documents in his avor. Once the company ails,
that can provide a legitimate source o money.
private hospitals and hotels. In short ever ything
authorized to collect the debts. However, the
it is important to quickly collect the company
The bus iness oice does no t accept this invasi on
Prostitution, the sex trade and traffi cking. Prior to enactment o the
slowness o the process and the costs o a lawyer
credits beore the other creditors. Timing is
willingly, however, because the yakuza oten
baishun boshi ho law o 1956, prostitution was legal in Japan. For a long
very oten suggest to creditors the use other
thereore crucial, because the bankrupt company
use the old ways o intimidation in the business
time in Japanese history, legislators have encouraged a system o legalized
means o collection. The commission that the
is appointed a guarantor by the bankruptcy court
oice.
prostitution based on licensing. This happened not only to saeguard public
yakuza requires or this type o ser vice is 50% to
(kanzainin) which is usually the largest creditor
They have also develop ed new igure s as
order but also to keep a check on population; the brothels being the resources
which are added other expenses, o which the
o the company. The seriya, being the biggest,
“brothers in business,” the kigyo shatei . The kigyo
to obtain inormation on citizens’ activities. Until 1956 this business was not
best known is ashidai (literally ee or the legs).
will then oversee the administration in charge o
shatei are businessmen who are not ormally
directly controlled by the yakuza . This does not mean that it did not need the
As a result, most o the money collected oten
managing the payment o debts. The yakuza have
members o organizations but are using the
security services provided by these organizations. Ater 1956 the situation
goes to the pockets o collectors rather than to
specialized in this eld.
yakuza ailiation with these groups to be more
became more complex. The Japanese prostitutio n prevention law was seen
the creditor. However, 30% recovery o a debt is
as a kago-ho (a bamboo law), a law ull o loopholes. Article 2 o the Act o
better than not recovering 100%. Another recent
Legitimate business and “brothers in business.”
members o the organization’s oicial yakuza , or
1956 denes prostitutio n as “a sexual act in exchange or compensation or
development in the activities o the yakuza in
With the increased repression o the traditional
alternatively may be simple businessmen who
Japan takes three distinct orms: organization o different types o gambling
promise o reward.” This means that any other service that excludes sexual
which the victims are ordinary citizens is the
activities o the yakuza , there was a progressive
have developed a very close relationship (almost-
using cards, dice and roulette in recent times (bakuchi ) illegal gambling
vaginal penetration is not covered by this law. Consequently, Japan has
business o the territory or jiage predation. This
increase in legal activities. Criminal organizations
siblings) with the leaders o yakuza organizations
(nomikoi ), and pachink o (a type o Bagatelle-mail). Just one o the pachink o
developed an extensive legal industry that is dedicated to sexual services,
practice reers to orcing small owners who
have begun to consider it beneicial to es tablish
with the intent o increasing their business.
industries has developed remarkably in Japan, where, in act, nearly twenty
known as “soapland.” In this industry naked women completely covered
own adjacent land to sell or orcing tenants to
legitimate sources o income to reduce the risk
Obviously
million people are addicted to this vice. The most recent NPA estimates (2005)
competitive in the market. These people are also
this
development
causes
new
with soap massage clients with their bodies; some centers and beauty shops
give up the apartment in which they live. Many
o seizure and to mitigate other unsae sources
problems to the police in identiying criminals.
describe a market that ranges rom 2,500 to 3,000 billion yen, representing
offer massage services in this type o masturbation. It is unlikely that the
small lots o adjacent land will orm a larger and
oten linked to illegal activities. Above all,
These employe es, in act, s how b usiness and it s
19 to 23 billion Euros. The earnin gs are very diffi cult to quantiy because it
yakuza are directly involved in this business. There are two areas o the sex
more nancially lucrative one. The management
the yakuza have moved in the management
ties with associations through tattoos or the style
is an industry which, although legal, does everything to avoid paying taxes.
industry that are monopolized by the yakuza . These are “club meetings,” the
o nancial ailures (tosan seiri ) is one o the
o estates, inance, English language schools,
and behavior typical o the yakuza .
This game is consid ered a gray are a betw een le gality and illegality. Players
management o oreign prostitution and street prostitution.
most sought-ater and advanced techniques
do not win cash prizes but only steel balls that are exchanged or prizes such
Another activity is the organization o trips or sexual purposes. The
through which the yakuza obtain revenue. When
as cigarettes, toys, dolls, etc. These awards oten are converted into money
explosion o the tourism industry in the late ‘60s, thanks to a strong
a company goes bankrupt in Japan, the legal
by betting offi ces located outside o the small rooms wh ich then resell thes e
currency, allowed the Japanese to travel as never beore in their history. The
mechanism or satisying the various creditors
prizes to pachinko. The yakuza have developed the exchange o industry
Japanese thus began organizing trips or sexual purposes. Probably it was
can take many years and the amount o debt
awards. Normally, the yakuza members come oblige winners rom pachink o
the Japanese who invented this type o practice, meticulously organizing
repaid is oten a small percentage o the amount
to sell their prize at 30% less than its real value. They then sell the product at
it. The yakuza were directly responsible or the development o this type o
due. Creditors, thereore, nd it convenient to sell
ull price to pachink o, so gaining 30% o any winnings.
industry. Taipei, Seoul, Manila and Bangkok began to be visited by yakuza
their debt to a specialist in nancial management
organizations in charge o travel or the Japanese. From the same localities
ailures (tosan seiri ) even or just 5% o the
Japanese illegal hiring. From the Edo period, the bakuto have always had
women were “imported” to be employed in street prostitution, a growing
amount due. On the other hand, some managers
close ties with the brokers responsible or providing the manpower or large
number o them Chines e. The international traffi cking o human beings is
may decide to make use o the yakuza to prevent
public works. This is still a traditional role o the yakuza . The construction
not new to the yakuza , and is also rooted in the Second World War, recording
attacks by creditors. The two most important
industry in Japan is dependent on a pyramid structure in which a small group
its boom the ‘90s, with the outbreak o the Nippon economy. It is estimated
things or the management o a nancial ailure
o large companies subcontract work to companies who in turn subcontract
that today there are at least 100,000 oreigners involved in prostitution
are speed o action and the accumulation o more
medium-sized projects to small companies. This allows companies to have a
in Japan, a lucrative business i you consider that a sexual perormance
debt than other creditors. The seriya identies a
small core o skilled workers and employees on permanent contracts, which
with a prostitute in Japan costs a minimum o 300 Euros and then, doing a
company in bankruptcy and settles it by providing
can be instantly supplemented by workers who are low-skilled, low-cost or
calculation on 100,000 oreign prostitutes, the turnover is roughly 7.3 billion
short term nancial support. In this way a seriya
have no qualications. At the core o this labor market are the daily workers
Euros. Assuming then that a uture prostitute can cost as little as $300 in her
can orce the company’s chairman to sign a
(hiyatoi rodosha) who nd themselves at the dawn o each day in the “labor
home country and once arrived in Japan can be sold or about 30,000 Euros,
document that will allow the seriya to possess the
markets” ( yoseba ) o the big cities. The labor brokers (tehaishi ) responsible
the yakuza gain rom this kind o business turns out to be very high.
books, the company symbols and the contracts.
or the supply o such workers in the construction industry are mostly
The minbo involves extortions o all kinds. Minj kainyu boryoku, literally
yakuza themselves. The workers’ wages are paid mostly to the procurer o
violent intervention in civilian affairs, is abbreviated minbo. There are many
labor, rather than to the worker himsel. From this amount, tax is deducted
activities that can be considered minbo, rom traffi c accidents to collecting
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by the procurer ( pinhan ) beore paying the worker. In general, this payment
ctitious credits to the management o corporate
At this point the seriya can create bills and other
is approximately 15% o wages earned.
ailures. Under Japanese law only lawyers are
documents in his avor. Once the company ails,
that can provide a legitimate source o money.
authorized to collect the debts. However, the
it is important to quickly collect the company
The bus iness oice does no t accept this invasi on
Prostitution, the sex trade and traffi cking. Prior to enactment o the
slowness o the process and the costs o a lawyer
credits beore the other creditors. Timing is
willingly, however, because the yakuza oten
baishun boshi ho law o 1956, prostitution was legal in Japan. For a long
very oten suggest to creditors the use other
thereore crucial, because the bankrupt company
time in Japanese history, legislators have encouraged a system o legalized
means o collection. The commission that the
is appointed a guarantor by the bankruptcy court
oice.
prostitution based on licensing. This happened not only to saeguard public
yakuza requires or this type o ser vice is 50% to
(kanzainin) which is usually the largest creditor
They have also develop ed new igure s as
order but also to keep a check on population; the brothels being the resources
which are added other expenses, o which the
o the company. The seriya, being the biggest,
“brothers in business,” the kigyo shatei . The kigyo
to obtain inormation on citizens’ activities. Until 1956 this business was not
best known is ashidai (literally ee or the legs).
will then oversee the administration in charge o
shatei are businessmen who are not ormally
directly controlled by the yakuza . This does not mean that it did not need the
As a result, most o the money collected oten
managing the payment o debts. The yakuza have
members o organizations but are using the
security services provided by these organizations. Ater 1956 the situation
goes to the pockets o collectors rather than to
specialized in this eld.
yakuza ailiation with these groups to be more
became more complex. The Japanese prostitutio n prevention law was seen
the creditor. However, 30% recovery o a debt is
as a kago-ho (a bamboo law), a law ull o loopholes. Article 2 o the Act o
better than not recovering 100%. Another recent
Legitimate business and “brothers in business.”
members o the organization’s oicial yakuza , or
private hospitals and hotels. In short ever ything
use the old ways o intimidation in the business
competitive in the market. These people are also
1956 denes prostitutio n as “a sexual act in exchange or compensation or
development in the activities o the yakuza in
With the increased repression o the traditional
alternatively may be simple businessmen who
Japan takes three distinct orms: organization o different types o gambling
promise o reward.” This means that any other service that excludes sexual
which the victims are ordinary citizens is the
activities o the yakuza , there was a progressive
have developed a very close relationship (almost-
using cards, dice and roulette in recent times (bakuchi ) illegal gambling
vaginal penetration is not covered by this law. Consequently, Japan has
business o the territory or jiage predation. This
increase in legal activities. Criminal organizations
siblings) with the leaders o yakuza organizations
(nomikoi ), and pachink o (a type o Bagatelle-mail). Just one o the pachink o
developed an extensive legal industry that is dedicated to sexual services,
practice reers to orcing small owners who
have begun to consider it beneicial to es tablish
with the intent o increasing their business.
industries has developed remarkably in Japan, where, in act, nearly twenty
known as “soapland.” In this industry naked women completely covered
own adjacent land to sell or orcing tenants to
legitimate sources o income to reduce the risk
Obviously
million people are addicted to this vice. The most recent NPA estimates (2005)
with soap massage clients with their bodies; some centers and beauty shops
give up the apartment in which they live. Many
o seizure and to mitigate other unsae sources
problems to the police in identiying criminals.
describe a market that ranges rom 2,500 to 3,000 billion yen, representing
offer massage services in this type o masturbation. It is unlikely that the
small lots o adjacent land will orm a larger and
oten linked to illegal activities. Above all,
These employe es, in act, s how b usiness and it s
19 to 23 billion Euros. The earnin gs are very diffi cult to quantiy because it
yakuza are directly involved in this business. There are two areas o the sex
more nancially lucrative one. The management
the yakuza have moved in the management
ties with associations through tattoos or the style
is an industry which, although legal, does everything to avoid paying taxes.
industry that are monopolized by the yakuza . These are “club meetings,” the
o nancial ailures (tosan seiri ) is one o the
o estates, inance, English language schools,
and behavior typical o the yakuza .
This game is consid ered a gray are a betw een le gality and illegality. Players
management o oreign prostitution and street prostitution.
most sought-ater and advanced techniques
do not win cash prizes but only steel balls that are exchanged or prizes such
Another activity is the organization o trips or sexual purposes. The
through which the yakuza obtain revenue. When
as cigarettes, toys, dolls, etc. These awards oten are converted into money
explosion o the tourism industry in the late ‘60s, thanks to a strong
a company goes bankrupt in Japan, the legal
by betting offi ces located outside o the small rooms wh ich then resell thes e
currency, allowed the Japanese to travel as never beore in their history. The
mechanism or satisying the various creditors
prizes to pachinko. The yakuza have developed the exchange o industry
Japanese thus began organizing trips or sexual purposes. Probably it was
can take many years and the amount o debt
awards. Normally, the yakuza members come oblige winners rom pachink o
the Japanese who invented this type o practice, meticulously organizing
repaid is oten a small percentage o the amount
to sell their prize at 30% less than its real value. They then sell the product at
it. The yakuza were directly responsible or the development o this type o
due. Creditors, thereore, nd it convenient to sell
ull price to pachink o, so gaining 30% o any winnings.
industry. Taipei, Seoul, Manila and Bangkok began to be visited by yakuza
their debt to a specialist in nancial management
organizations in charge o travel or the Japanese. From the same localities
ailures (tosan seiri ) even or just 5% o the
Japanese illegal hiring. From the Edo period, the bakuto have always had
women were “imported” to be employed in street prostitution, a growing
amount due. On the other hand, some managers
close ties with the brokers responsible or providing the manpower or large
number o them Chines e. The international traffi cking o human beings is
may decide to make use o the yakuza to prevent
public works. This is still a traditional role o the yakuza . The construction
not new to the yakuza , and is also rooted in the Second World War, recording
attacks by creditors. The two most important
industry in Japan is dependent on a pyramid structure in which a small group
its boom the ‘90s, with the outbreak o the Nippon economy. It is estimated
things or the management o a nancial ailure
o large companies subcontract work to companies who in turn subcontract
that today there are at least 100,000 oreigners involved in prostitution
are speed o action and the accumulation o more
medium-sized projects to small companies. This allows companies to have a
in Japan, a lucrative business i you consider that a sexual perormance
debt than other creditors. The seriya identies a
small core o skilled workers and employees on permanent contracts, which
with a prostitute in Japan costs a minimum o 300 Euros and then, doing a
company in bankruptcy and settles it by providing
can be instantly supplemented by workers who are low-skilled, low-cost or
calculation on 100,000 oreign prostitutes, the turnover is roughly 7.3 billion
short term nancial support. In this way a seriya
have no qualications. At the core o this labor market are the daily workers
Euros. Assuming then that a uture prostitute can cost as little as $300 in her
can orce the company’s chairman to sign a
(hiyatoi rodosha) who nd themselves at the dawn o each day in the “labor
home country and once arrived in Japan can be sold or about 30,000 Euros,
document that will allow the seriya to possess the
markets” ( yoseba ) o the big cities. The labor brokers (tehaishi ) responsible
the yakuza gain rom this kind o business turns out to be very high.
books, the company symbols and the contracts.
or the supply o such workers in the construction industry are mostly
The minbo involves extortions o all kinds. Minj kainyu boryoku, literally
yakuza themselves. The workers’ wages are paid mostly to the procurer o
violent intervention in civilian affairs, is abbreviated minbo. There are many
labor, rather than to the worker himsel. From this amount, tax is deducted
activities that can be considered minbo, rom traffi c accidents to collecting
3 4
READ MORE ON BRIGHT Bright is the irst online magazine entirely ocused on transnational organised crime.
Founded and released by FLARE Network , Bright intends to become a point o reerence or journalists, politicians, researchers and students who are interested in organised crime related topics. Inquiries and in-depth articles are the types o contents available on Bright. FLARE Network and Italian monthly magazine Narcomaie are Bright’s editorial sta. Follow us at www.brightmag.org
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new
3 4
READ MORE ON BRIGHT Bright is the irst online magazine entirely ocused on transnational organised crime.
Founded and released by FLARE Network , Bright intends to become a point o reerence or journalists, politicians, researchers and students who are interested in organised crime related topics. Inquiries and in-depth articles are the types o contents available on Bright. FLARE Network and Italian monthly magazine Narcomaie are Bright’s editorial sta. Follow us at www.brightmag.org
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