Is the yakuza still powerful in Japan?

Three largest syndicates
The Yakuza are still very active, and although Yakuza membership has declined since the implementation of the Anti-Boryokudan Act in 1992, there are still approximately 12,300 active Yakuza members in Japan as of 2021, although it is possible that they are a lot more active than statistics say.
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Is the yakuza the most powerful?

The Yakuza were, and remain today, something else altogether – a complex group of syndicates and the country's most powerful and misunderstood criminal gangs. And they are inexorably tied to 400 years of Japanese and Yakuza history.
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Are the yakuza accepted in Japan?

Crime syndication is illegal in America, and organized mobsters conceal their activities to fly under the radar of RICO laws. Japan recognizes yakuza membership as a legitimate right to assembly. The groups work with banks, corporations, and authorities.
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Are the yakuza losing power?

Yakuza membership is plummeting — the result of a decade of intensifying crackdowns targeting organized crime and the yakuza's reach into illegal activities including drug trafficking, money laundering and gambling.
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Who is the current leader of the yakuza?

Kenichi Shinoda (篠田 建市, Shinoda Ken'ichi, born January 25, 1942), also known as Shinobu Tsukasa (司 忍, Tsukasa Shinobu), is a Japanese Yakuza, the sixth and current kumicho (supreme kingpin, or chairman) of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan's largest yakuza organization.
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The end of the Yakuza in Japan? An aging mafia fails to attract young people • FRANCE 24 English



Are yakuza friendly?

The yakuza have done their best to portray a noble image within the public sphere. They dress nicely, are respectful and talk politely – when not trying to make money. Violence for the most part happens between gang branches or non-yakuza gangs within Japan.
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What happens if you leave the yakuza?

These are the so-called five-year clauses. During that period of probation, former yakuza are treated as associates of organized crime groups and, just like active members, are barred from opening a bank account or renting property in their own name.
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How powerful is the yakuza now?

Three largest syndicates

The Yakuza are still very active, and although Yakuza membership has declined since the implementation of the Anti-Boryokudan Act in 1992, there are still approximately 12,300 active Yakuza members in Japan as of 2021, although it is possible that they are a lot more active than statistics say.
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Is yakuza banned in Japan?

These activities make the relationship between yakuza and police in Japan a complicated one; yakuza membership itself is not illegal, and yakuza-owned businesses and gang headquarters are often clearly marked. Gang whereabouts and activities are often known to Japanese police without the latter's taking any action.
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Is the yakuza declining?

What Started The Decline? They dwindled to 1/10th of their population 50 years ago. In the 1980s a violent war broke out between rival Yakuza gangs, and unlike the previous gang wars, this war was ridden with casualties and damage far more than any of the previous wars.
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Are there female yakuza?

As per Chloe, a Yakuza cannot be a woman, and a mere mention of the word means a male member or a boss. She also says that women have a role to play in the group.
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Do yakuza use guns?

Japan's yakuza are putting away their weapons after an unprecedented death sentence was passed on a crime boss. Gangs affiliated with the Yamaguchi-gumi, the country's biggest crime organisation, have been ordered not to use guns “in public” after the conviction of the head of a rival crime group.
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Can an American join the yakuza?

Straight away, the strangest thing is that a foreigner – a gaijin – gets to become a member of a Yakuza family. Not only that, but Lowell quickly rises to become a member with key responsibilities – at one point he becomes the main boss's bodyguard.
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How do you join the yakuza?

When a kobun receives sake from an oyabun, they have officially passed their initiation into their yakuza family. At this point they're ranked in a similar way to older or younger brothers. They're also required to cut ties to their real family and swear allegiance to their local boss.
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How do the yakuza make money?

The yakuza mainly make their living through unlawful b usinesses, such as gambling, drugs, prostitution and loan-sharking. Most of the money comes from gambling, most often from dice games. Each group has its own gambling room, which is usually behind a bar or restaurant.
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Is crime low in Japan?

Crime is not only low compared to the U.S. Crime in general is down across the board in Japan, compared to Japan's own previous years (Japan Almanac). Organized crime members are down from 200,000 in 1974(Rome) to 110,000in 1978, and probably even lower after recent crackdowns (Miyawaki, 168).
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Why do yakuza wear suits?

Yakuza wear kimono on special occasions — rituals, important meetings, or for commemoration photos. Thus the kimono serves a dual purpose: as the national costume, it denotes belonging to the Japanese cultural milieu.
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Is Japan safe?

Japan is generally safe and is rated among the safest countries in the world. Reports of crime such as theft are very low and travellers are often stunned by the fact that locals leave belongings unaccompanied in cafes and bars (though we certainly don't recommend it!).
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Do yakuza still cut off fingers?

While not everyone who has undergone yubitsume is a gang member, the authors explain that a 1993 government survey found that 45 percent of modern yakuza members had severed finger joints - while 15 percent had performed the act at least twice.
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Do yakuza still get tattoos?

Wearers of traditional tattoos frequently keep their art secret, as tattoos are still seen as a sign of criminality in Japan, particularly by older people and in the work place. Many yakuza and other criminals themselves now avoid tattoos for this very reason.
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How violent are the yakuza?

In the 1990s, there were dozens of yakuza-related violent attacks, assaults and arsons. In a five year period from 1990 to 1994, gangland violence killed 34 and injured 69. If a yakuza member rats on those above him in the chain of command he not only endangers himself but also puts family members at risk.
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Does the yakuza do human trafficking?

The yakuza worked with the Japanese government during World War II to provide Imperial soldiers with “comfort women.” From there, the yakuza expanded into sex tourism, human trafficking of women to Japan, pornographic enterprises, etc. in addition to gambling businesses and the trafficking of drugs and weapons.
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How do yakuza cut off fingers?

To perform yubitsume, one lays down a small clean cloth and lays the hand onto the cloth facing down. Using an extremely sharp knife, or tantō, the person cuts off the portion of his left little finger above the top knuckle on the finger or the tip of the finger.
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Why are yakuza tattoos?

They're instead a "very personal depiction" of a scene from the yakuza member's life, or something symbolically important to them - which is meant to show people the attributes that person is known for.
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Do Japanese dislike tourists?

Japan's traditional sense of "omotenashi", meaning wholeheartedly looking after guests, is wearing decidedly thin. Residents of many of the nation's must-see tourist spots are increasingly expressing their frustration at loud and disrespectful foreigners, crowded public transport and poor etiquette among visitors.
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