Gabriel G. Victor Y. Dan L. Kimlee C.

Organized Crime:

Yakuza History l

• Sengoku Jidai (Warring States Period) - from the mid-15th century to early 17th century was defined by nearly constant military conflict with the excess of military forces (samurai class)

Yakuza History ll

Wandering samurai without a master, ronin, chose other paths to survive during the Imjin War which left 500,000 samurai jobless. Which they readjusted their life as merchants to profit the expansion of trade.

Yakuza Code

The way of the samurai and Yakuza’s code of conduct

Violent death is honorable

Yakuza Point of View

Folk heroes who rose up to defend against bandits that became the legend ideal of yakuza origins

Versus common perception as bouryokudan (violent groups) while authority saw other wise

Yakuzas purpose

Ran illegal gambling houses and brothels

Commonly hired by government during Edo Period to cheat construction and irrigation workers out of their wages for a percentage

Yakuza Etymology

Ya (8), Ku (9), Za (3) – worst hand

Cards games commonly played with kabufuda (gambling cards) or hanafuda (flower cards)

Tekiya

Organized to protect themselves and their interests against the shogunate

Sold shoddy merchandise with deceit, expanded to meet demand for illegal goods (black market)

Controlled booths/stalls during fairs – start of protection racket, turf wars, etc.

Traditions

Function of group solidarity and reliance

Began yubitsume (finger-cutting) as a punishment/apology to the oyabun or prior to expulsion from the group

Origin in weakening katana grip

Yakuza Family Structure

Tattoos

Tattooing (irezumi) also began as punishment, evolved to represent strength and fortitude, unwillingness to conform to society and personal characteristics

Still done by hand with bamboo or steel needles, five times more painful than with a tattoo gun

Popular designs – mythical beats, animals

Ritual

• Sakazuki-goto – for creating the oyabun-kobun blood bond (father-son), joining the family by exchanging cups at a Shinto shrine as bond between man and gods, blessing of good harvest, extension to earthly bonds.

Meiji Restoration

Start of political parties and militarism

Yakuza also modernized, formed strong ties with those in government (ultranationalists)

Trained militarily, in languages, assassination, blackmail, and so on by secret groups

Assassinated political rivals, pressured various groups, soldiers/terrorists (i.e. Manchuria)

By 1930's – role in assassinating prime minsters, finance ministers, coups, etc.

Yakuza in WWII

Sold opium with the help of industrialists and military under the Opium Monopoly Bureau to fund the war effort.

Ran thousands of brothels for soldiers by kidnapping and forcing Korean women and wives/daughters of debtors into prostitution

Firms like Mitsui and Suzuki were involved

Post-WWII Origins

Hoodlums hired goons (gurentai) and used threats and extortion to operate

Start of gun culture and new level of violence

Reason for bouryokudan, band of thugs, labels were inspired by prohibition era gangsters.

Post-WWII Strengthening

Used to control labour, oppose communism, provide information

Majority of US aid going to Europe, flourishing black market for everyday needs by funnelling of military stockpiles

The Yakuzas are larger than the police force

The Godfathers

Yoshio Kodama (WWII and post-WWII) – known as a visionary for uniting the yakuza

Kazuo Taoka (origins of Yamaguchi-Gumi)

Hisayuki Machii (origins of Korean Yakuza) – Tosei-kai/Tao-kai fifth largest clan

Kenichi Shinoda (sixth and current kumicho of the Yamaguchi-Gumi) – currently most powerful

Modern Day 100 000+ members in 22 syndicates and 2500 clans

Corporate-style organizational structure with franchise based growth

1. Yamaguchi-Gumi – 50 000 in 850 clans

2. Sumiyoshi-Rengo – 20 000 in 270 clans

3. Inagawa-Kai – 15 000 in 310 clans

4. Matsuba-kai – 2000

Daimon (family crest):

Modern Day

1980s bubble economy led to keizai yakuza

Increasing involvement in big business (insider trading, real estate, construction, banking, etc.)

1992 anti-gang law – severe sanctions

International expansion

Decaying police-yakuza relations

Modern Day

Increased defection and legitimate opportunities

Korean yakuza – discrimination against Japanese Koreans (0.5 percent of Japan)

Overall sixty percent are burakumin, thirty percent Korean, ten percent other Japanese

Conclusion

• Integral component of Japanese society with origins dating back to before the Edo period

• Unique culture and ritual practices with a variety of historical influences that is changing

• Historically those of lowest class/caste who gained influence (socio-economic origins)

Worldwide operation in the some of the most vile businesses