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Yakuza (やくざ or ヤクザ), also known as ya-san, are
frequently called the "Japanese
mafia". The origin of the name "yakuza" is obscure, but is popularly
said to originate from the lowest hand in
hanafuda, a popular card game: 8 (ya), 9 (ku) 3 (za) (ie: worthless),
and yakuza are sometimes called "hachi-kyu-san" ("893s") in Japan.
History
Yakuza claim origin from
1612 and the machi-yakko (rebellious bands of city servants)
who fought
bandits and oppressive
daimyo. Machi-yakko mainly comprised townsfolk, commoners and
craftsmen who banded together in organizations modeled after those of
the
samurai
clans. The
Tokugawa shogunate executed the last known machi-yakko in
1686; perhaps in part due to this, they soon became mythologized as
Robin Hood-like figures.
Some sources claim that the yakuza's true origin lies in the
kabuki-mono (傾奇者, かぶきもの) or "crazy ones," the
bandit gangs of
ronin, the masterless samurai who, jobless, resorted to wandering
together, occasionally attacking and looting villages.
The first Yakuza organizations appeared in the 18th century. The first
known types were bakuto (gamblers)
and tekiya (street peddlers). Tekiya dealt in shoddy
merchandize and
protection rackets in marketplaces as well as
prostitution and
loan sharking. In order to maintain control of the marketplaces, the
shogunate gave tekiya leaders official status, allowing them to carry
swords and use a
surname.
It is with the bakuto, who were known for gambling, that the
name yakuza is likely to have originated. The bakuto also
originated the much-discussed tradition of yubitsume
(finger-cutting) as a penance. It is likely that the bakuto were also the
origin of the link between
irezumi, traditional Japanese tattooing, and the yakuza.
After the
Meiji restoration, yakuza moved to the cities and begun to dabble in
shady construction deals,
extortion,
blackmail and taking their cut of the
rickshaw business. Due to police action against gambling the bakuto
gradually gave way to the tekiya.
Tekiya did very little that was obviously illegal. They began to become
involved with various political parties, especially with the right-wing
militants, and aided them when they rose to power. Prior to
World War II, yakuza spread their shady activities to conquered
Manchuria. After the eruption of the war against the
United States, various yakuza entered into army or government service
- otherwise they were imprisoned.
After the war, the yakuza adapted again. During the post-war
rationing they controlled the
black market and the gurentai were formed. American
occupation forces fought against them in vain and conceded defeat in 1950.
Yakuza also adapted to more western-style activities, including clothes
reminiscent of US
gangsters, and begun to use
firearms. They also began to feud among themselves.
In the 1960's,
Yoshio Kodama, an ex-nationalist, begun to negotiate treaties with
various groups, first with the
Yamaguchi-gumi of
Kazuo Taoka and
Tosei-kai of
Hisayuki Machii and eventually with
Inagawa-kai. Fights between individual gangs, however, have not
stopped.
Organization
Prospective yakuza come from all walks of life. The most romantic tales
tell how yakuza accept sons who have been abandoned or exiled by their
parents. Some groups may also accept foreigners and
burakumin, but this is likely unusual.
Yakuza groups are headed by an oyabun ("father") who gives
orders to his subordinates, the kobun ("children"). In this
respect, the organization is a variation of usual Japanese
Senpai-Kohai (senior-junior) model. Members of yakuza gangs cut their
family ties and transfer their loyalty to the gang boss. They refer to
each other as family members - fathers and elder and younger brothers.
Yubitsume or finger cutting is a form of penance or apology.
Upon a first offense, the transgressor must cut off the tip of his left
pinky finger and hand out the severed portion to his boss. Sometimes an
underboss may do this penance to the oyabun if he wants to spare a member
of his own gang from further retaliation. Prosthetic tips have been
developed to disguise this distinctive appearance, and it was even said
when British cartoon
Bob the Builder was first considered for import to Japan that there
were plans in place to add an extra digit to each of the title character's
four-fingered hands to avoid scaring children (this was not done,
however).
Larger yakuza groups are composed of smaller groups that owe loyalty to
a kumicho, the leader of a yakuza "clan." Kumicho have various
underbosses and saiko-komon (senior advisors) that control their
own turfs in different areas and cities under their control. They have
various other underlings, including other underbosses, advisors,
accountants and
enforcers.
Yakuza try to hide their activities behind legitimate front companies
and businesses like
pachinko parlors or even religious organizations. However, their
headquarters are usually open offices.
The most powerful yakuza group is the
Yamaguchi-gumi, which controls some 2500 businesses and 500 gangs and
deals in
loansharking, illegal
pornography,
drugs smuggling,
moneylending, rigged games and shady
real estate deals.
Usual activities
Modern yakuza have extended their activities to banking and political
corruption. Yakuza continue the usual activities connected to organized
crime -
extortion,
drug smuggling,
prostitution,
white slavery, illegal
gambling,
protection rackets and so on. Yakuza have also attempted to influence
elections in Japan, mainly by aiding a prospective candidate with
money or even services of their enforcers for the express purpose of
controlling him later by
blackmail.
Yakuza also practice a uniquely Japanese form of extortion by sending
their men to disturb proceedings like stockholder meetings. They threaten
to cause an disturbance that would cause embarrassment and shame to the
company unless the company pays them off. Some companies still include
payoffs as part of their annual budget.
Yakuza also have ties to large corporations and other business.
Kiegeya specialize in inducing small business owners to sell their
property so that yakuza gans can sell the land on to real estate
companies. The Yamaguchi-gumi also has a foothold in
banking.
Yakuza, who see themselves as modern-day samurai, claim to follow a
honorable code of conduct reminiscent of
bushido and that they protect the weaker members of the society.
However, they usually deal forcefully with any kind of criticism of their
activities.
In various times, people in Japanese cities have launched anti-yakuza
campaigns with mixed and varied success. In March 1995 the Japanese
government passed the "Act for Prevention of Unlawful Activities by
Criminal Gang Members." However, various observers claim that yakuza is
still deeply connected to Japanese politics and the
Liberal Democratic Party.
Yakuza have also spread outside Japan to
USA,
Thailand,
Malaysia,
Hong Kong,
Taiwan and
Philippines. They may have working relationship with criminal
tongs and
Triads.
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