Japan for the majority is represented by a high-tech society with its own culture. But behind the screen of a closed country lies a lot of interesting things. There is also its own organized crime, its traditional form is called the yakuza. These are real crime syndicates, which define the local criminal world.
Compared with the Yakuza in terms of influence, for example, Asian triads or the mafia in the West can. That's just the organization of Japanese crime is completely different than that of similar structures. Yes, and the yakuza works differently. They say that this mafia even has its own office buildings, and its actions are openly discussed in the press.
The yakuza appeared back in the 17th century, when the feudal lords suddenly began to understand that an open fight against the enemy, as samurai do, is less effective than a hidden and inconspicuous one. Today, the yakuza is, without exaggeration, one of the Japanese attractions. But in the West they know very little about it, so it's worth telling about the most interesting facts about this secretive organization.
Sokaya is a bribery organization. The word sokaiya does not mean just bribery, but a large-scale form of it, which is practiced by the yakuza. The Japanese mafia first acquires a large stake in companies, sufficient for the presence and vote on the board of directors. After that, the criminals try to find out as much information as possible about the company's management, looking for dirt on them. Then the bidding begins. Yakuza threatens shareholders with disclosure of confidential information, forcing them to pay for silence. This is a very serious threat, because shame is a powerful leverage in Japanese corporate culture, so this tactic is usually successful. The unusual thing about this bribery is that it is all done with the utmost courtesy. The threats themselves, like the payment for silence, are made not directly, but in a roundabout way. For example, the yakuza may arrange some kind of competition or sports competition, and the victims are gently advised to purchase tickets at very inflated prices. I must say that such a fate awaited many Japanese companies. For example, one of the extortionists went to jail for eight months after he tried to blackmail the management of the Mitsubishi company. A yakuza representative tried to take advantage of information about the illegal use by officials of rental payments for a holiday home. Sokaya already in 1982 reached such an impressive scale that the government even introduced a number of laws that prohibited extortionists from paying. But there was little benefit from this. The yakuza immediately reacted to this by simply coming up with a more complex scheme to hide their activities. Leaders, on the other hand, often have to indulge the yakuza, because information about participation in the past in sokaya threatens with a criminal case. Today, corporations have come up with their own effective way to deal with extortionists - holding shareholders' meetings on the same day throughout the country. As a result, members of the mafia cannot physically be in several places at the same time. Such a measure was adopted by the Tokyo Stock Exchange. There, 90% of the time corporations hold their annual meetings on the same day.
Tough fight with the yakuza. The Japanese authorities know a lot about the country's largest crime syndicate, the Yamaguchi-gumi. Recently, the US government and its departments for combating organized crime have also joined the fight against it. American citizens were simply forbidden to make any financial deals with the head of the syndicate, Kenichi Synod. His "right hand" Kiyoshi Takayama also got into the "black list". And all the assets of the organization in the United States were frozen. Japan has also introduced laws designed to sever yakuza ties to law-abiding businesses. Previously, in the Land of the Rising Sun, measures were limited only to the introduction of fines for those enterprises that cooperate with crime. The new measures turned out to be surprisingly effective. As a result, the number of representatives of the yakuza in Japan has decreased to a record level for the last half century. The Synod itself believes that the disappearance of his syndicate will become a problem for the country. After all, thousands of unemployed bandits will take to the streets, who will become a threat to public order in Japan.
Helping those in need by the Yakuza. In 2011, a natural storm came to Japan - the country was attacked by a powerful tsunami. But among the first organizations to come with help to the affected areas was the yakuza. And this case is not at all uncommon - back in 1995, after an earthquake in the large city of Kobe, members of the mafia organized the delivery of valuable goods to the destroyed quarters of the metropolis. For this, the yakuza used helicopters, boats and scooters. There is even a legend that the yakuza always help those in need when they need it. After all, the members of the criminal organization are outcasts who cannot help but sympathize with those affected by the neglect of the official authorities. Other people take a more practical and cynical point of view, for them such behavior of the mafiosi is just a form of PR and a way to gain public support. Well, after such charity, how to call on society to fight the yakuza? However, not only the image is won by the yakuza with the help of such good deeds. They bring criminal syndicates also considerable financial benefits. In the immediate aftermath of the 2011 earthquake, yakuza-controlled organizations were able to secure lucrative government construction contracts. The disaster turned out to be so massive that the authorities were simply forced to resort to the help of dubious firms. Moreover, underground syndicates do not openly advertise themselves, trying to operate through front companies. And go figure out which of them is connected with crime. Interestingly, one of these contracts landed the head of a shell company in jail. He simply pocketed part of the wages of his own employees, believing that the yakuza could protect him.
Yakuza Journal. It is customary in the Yamaguchi-gumi to distribute newsletters to all members. The last time they got 28 thousand members of the organization. This kind of corporate magazine called "Yamaguchi-gumi Shinpo" also published haiku and articles about fishing. The editors expressed the opinion of the head of the syndicate that difficult times are coming for him. At that time, the Yakuza business was really going badly, so the magazine became a kind of tool for raising the mood of its criminal readers. Surprisingly, some copies of the publication also fell into the hands of ordinary Japanese civilians. Experts believe such a "miss" is not accidental. The Yakuza knew that word of the magazine would leak out. So the distribution was deliberately carried out not only to members of the syndicate, but also to some ordinary citizens. So the mafia tried to reduce its established violent reputation in the eyes of fellow citizens.
Yubitsume ritual. In the yakuza, it is customary to punish those who are guilty in their own way. Bandits who have done wrong from the point of view of the whole organization are forced to cut off the tip of their own finger. This is called yubitsume. If only the tip of the little finger is cut off for the first offense, then further offenses entail serious injuries. As a result, many Japanese mafiosi have the left little finger missing partially or completely, and sometimes there are no other fingers either. On the one hand, you can see who is in front of you. On the other hand, it is clear that this is not the most successful mafioso, since he was repeatedly punished. Such a ritual even laid the foundation for the demand for artificial fingers. It is clear that their absence on the hand is a seal of shame. It is difficult to hide this, but it is simply necessary - most Japanese are aware of the yubitsume ritual. The famous English skin expert, Professor Alan Roberts, exported so many natural-looking prostheses to Japan that he even received the nickname "Mr. Finger" in the yakuza. Obviously, his services are in demand.
Intricate tattoos. An important part of the Yakuza cult are the unusual colored tattoos on the bodies of criminals. Japanese mafiosi use the traditional method of manually injecting ink under the skin. This method is called irezumi and is extremely painful. But after going through this procedure, you can prove your courage. It should be noted that colored tattoos have recently become popular among ordinary Japanese. The most popular drawings are women, dragons and mountains. And although tattoos have spread in ordinary society, members of a criminal organization are still associated with them. The mayor of the city of Osaka even introduced a ban on such wearable art for government employees. The official asked his subordinates to either get rid of the tattoo or look for another job.
Yakuza and the court. We are not surprised that our criminals are tried, but lawsuits against criminal structures are only possible in Japan. Not long ago, a restaurant owner sued Kenichi Shinoda, the powerful head of the Yamaguchi-gumi. The woman argued that the yakuza should be held accountable for their representatives, who extorted protection money from her and threatened to burn down her establishment. The owner of the restaurant officially demanded that the yakuza compensate her for damages in the amount of 17 million yen, or $ 2.8 million. And this is not the first time the yakuza have been sued. Something similar happened in 2008. Then several citizens went to court to evict the Doinkai gang from their headquarters in the city of Kurume. After the organization began to collapse from within, thanks to internecine skirmishes in the struggle for leadership, a real brutal war broke out. The townspeople claimed they had the right to live in peace, so they demanded that the bandits leave their town. But the yakuza is not always on the side of the defendant. In early 2013, the Kudo-kai syndicate from the south of the country was officially labeled "dangerous" by law enforcement. Members of the Yakuza became involved in a series of attacks on the headquarters of another mafia organization. During these attacks, the bandits even used grenades. At the trial, Kudo-kai's lawyer said that such a characterization of his clients was unfair. The fact is that the syndicate is only one of five that operate in this region. Such infringement of the rights of the yakuza, according to the lawyer, is a violation of the Constitution of the country.
Mafia Exams. In 2009, at the Yamaguchi-gumi, members of the organization were forced to take a special 12-page test. The mafia took this step after the government took serious steps against organized crime. It was believed that thanks to these exams, members of the syndicate would be able to protect themselves from various troubles and demonstrate their knowledge of the laws. There were many different topics in the questionnaire, ranging from illegal waste disposal to racing cars. It seems ridiculous that evil tattooed thugs sit meekly in the classroom and take exams, carefully memorizing all the answers. However, this approach gives a general idea of the entire Japanese economy. It has long been believed that it is the yakuza that is a kind of criterion for national culture and economy. And even if the bandits admit that their organization is in crisis at these times and are ready to do anything to minimize problems, then the rest of the Japanese are no better off.
Initiation into the Yakuza. It is known that in Japan, newly converted members of the mafia are forced to act as subordinates for more experienced members of the organization. Newcomers are called kobun, which literally means "the role of a child". Over the long years of the existence of the local mafia, a rather complicated management structure has been developed in it. So it is not easy to reach the top, there are many steps to be overcome. The beginner's initiation ritual is based on a sake ceremony called sakazukigoto. The initiate is seated opposite his oyabun, the dominant member of the group, a kind of "father". Other members of the mafia are preparing a drink in the meantime. A beginner is entitled to a smaller portion of the drink, while his teacher is entitled to a full cup. This emphasizes the status of a gang member. After each sips from his cup, they are exchanged. Thus ends the ceremony. The ritual itself involves the creation of a bond between the oyabun and the kobun, which resembles the bond between a foster father and a son. The ceremony of drinking sake is generally quite traditional for Japanese culture, this is how invisible bonds are created between people. This drink itself is seen as a link between people and deities, and also allows you to strengthen the relationship between people. Sake seems to bless a good harvest. This ceremony is considered historical and even religious. It is no coincidence that it is held in a Japanese Shinto shrine.
Yakuza and politics. In 2012, a high-profile political scandal erupted in Japan. The Minister of Justice was forced to resign after it became known about his connections with the yakuza. But Japanese politicians have not always shied away from their dealings with the mafia. For example, it is known that the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which ruled Japan for 54 of the last 58 years, did not disdain cooperation with the yakuza. It is known that the first prime minister from the LDP, Nobusuke Kishi, actively interacted with the Yamaguchi-gumi. In 1971, he, along with some other politicians, even made bail for a mafia leader convicted, among other things, of murder. The premiere was also seen at weddings and funerals of members of the mafia syndicate. In elections, members of the yakuza usually play a prominent role - they act as agitators and bodyguards. Thanks to their organization, the gangs can provide the right candidates with a large number of votes in the elections. One yakuza representative in Kyoto said he could secure a minimum of 30,000 votes to elect a certain official. And at least four other prime ministers had very definite connections with the yakuza. This includes Noburu Takeshita, who came to power in 1987. Shortly before the elections, far-right opponents began to put pressure on him. The politician had to ask for help from the largest yakuza structure in Tokyo, Inagawa-kai. The mafia quickly solved all the problems of the future prime minister. But in the country, many began to wonder about the excessively comfortable stay of the ruling elite under the protection of organized crime.
Regarded as offensive, as it can be applied to any type of crime. According to the Guinness Book of World Records today Yakuza are the most significant criminal phenomenon in the world.
Yakuza rituals.
Yubitsume (yubitsume), or cutting off fingers: according to this tradition, after the first offense, the offender cuts off the tip of the little finger from the left hand and hands the cut off part to his boss.
Sometimes the clan boss may perform this ritual and give the cut off part of the finger to the oyabun when, for example, he wants to save one of his clan members from further reprisal. The origin of this custom comes down to the Japanese way of holding a sword. The three lower fingers of each hand are used to hold the sword firmly, with the index finger and thumb slightly relaxed. Removing the phalanges of the fingers, starting with the little finger, gradually weakens the grip on the hilt of the sword and the idea of \u200b\u200bpunishment, therefore, is that a person with a weak grip is only capable of defense.
Recently, fingertip prostheses have appeared to hide this feature, and when the British cartoon "Bob the Builder" was imported to Japan, plans were even made to add an extra finger to the characters so as not to scare little kids. Many yakuza have tattoos all over their bodies, which are known as irezumi ("irezumi"). Irezumi are still often pricked by hand, where dye is injected under the skin using bamboo or steel needles. Such a procedure is not only painful and very noticeable on the pocket, it can also take more than one year to reproduce the entire drawing. While serving time in prison, some yakuza are immortalized every year with one pearl ... inserted under the skin of the penis. And when oycho-kabu (Oicho-Kabu), they often open their shirts or tie them around the waist, thus showing each other their tattoos. This is one of the few times the yakuza show their tattoos in public. as a rule, patterns are carefully hidden by high-buttoned shirts with long sleeves.
Another well-known ceremonial is drinking together - this is how a brotherly oath is sealed between individual yakuza or entire mafia clans. For example, in August 2005, Kenichi Shinoda and Kazuyoshi Kudo held such a ceremony, strengthening the twinning of their clans - Yamaguchi-gumi and Kokushu-kai.zy.
The history of the emergence and development of the yakuza.
The first historical prerequisites for their appearance are attributed to hatamoto-yakko (hatamoto-yakko) or Kabuki-mono (Kabuki-mono) XVII century, which are derived classes from the lowest rank "hatamoto" (hatamoto). Other theories, proposed by the yakuza members themselves, defend their origins from "machi-yakko" (machi-yakko) who defended the villages from hatamoto-yakko, who tried, despite the strength and preparedness of the mati-yakko, to rob them. Despite their shortcomings, mati-yakko were regarded as folk heroes at the level of the same Robin Hood. Hatamoto-yakko origins of the yakuza are believed to be due to the strange hair styles and outrageous dress worn during performances during the Genroku era.
Despite some differences of opinion, most researchers agree that most of the events associated with the appearance of the yakuza are. Since at that time the clan was no longer a threat to power, peace reigned in the country and a huge number of soldiers were no longer required to maintain general order, and they moved to the castles of their daimyo.
Due to the isolation of Japan and the restriction of foreign trade, its own trade improved significantly, which led to the accumulation of power within the merchant class, and made it dependent on them - "wages" were paid in the form of a natural product - rice, which was then sold in local markets . The subsequent natural disasters, famine and higher taxes led to a destabilization of the situation in society, a decline in morale and public dissatisfaction with the government. Then people like ronin which played a significant role on the historical stage of Japan. It was the ronin who moved from simply stealing money and violence to protecting villages from robbers and other bad people in return for a certain fee, of course.
Modern Yakuza, however, they claim that they came precisely from the ranks of the mati-yakko, refuting the origin from the ranks of the hatamoto-yakko, because, you see, they [hatamoto-yakko] are connected with theft, which honest people cannot afford. In large cities, several of these groups often existed simultaneously and, as a result, fought for territory, money and influence - just like many modern gangs - ignoring any civilians who, by sheer chance, were in the line of fire. Again, the popular yakuza theme in Japanese cinema and television was pioneered by the well-known - including in the West - "Yojimbo", in which a wandering ronin sets two yakuza groups against each other and ultimately destroys them. In fact, the yakuza received a little bit from both machi yakko (such as some defense techniques) and kabuki mono (such as frilly fashion and language).
Primordial types of yakuza.
Despite some uncertainty about the exact origins of the yakuza, most modern yakuza stem from two factions that arose during the Edo period: "tekiya" ("tekiya") who primarily peddled illegal, stolen, or shoddy goods; And "bakuto" ("bakuto") who have been associated with or directly involved in gambling. Tekiya ("pedlars") considered one of the lowest castes of the Edo period.
As they began to form their own organizations, they took on some administrative responsibilities, such as trading only in certain areas (i.e. each had their own plot) or protecting their commercial activities. During Shinto festivals, tekiya stalls were set up, and some members of the group were hired as guards. Each tekiya paid rent in exchange for a kiosk and protection during the festival. Finally, the Edo government officially recognized the tekiya organizations and granted their "employees" ("oyabun", "oyabun") the right to bear a surname and a sword.
This was a huge step forward for merchants as up to this point, only nobles could carry swords. Bakuto ("players") were much lower on the social ladder than merchants, because gambling was illegal (and, in general, continues to be so now - for money, anyway. But here, however, there are a certain number of tricks). Small-scale gambling houses proliferated in abandoned temples and shrines on the outskirts of towns and villages throughout Japan. Most of them could provide some kind of loan to their clients and kept their own security service. Bakuto was despised by all sections of society in general, and most of the negativity associated with the yakuza comes precisely from the "players" and their activities. Actually, the name "yakuza" is the self-name of bakuto.
Due to the economic situation in the middle of the period and the predominance of the merchant class, the developing yakuza factions consisted of misfits who could not adapt to society, and criminals who extorted from local markets and sold fake or shoddy goods. Roots can still be found in the tekiya and bakuto initiation rites. Although modern yakuza much more diverse in their field of activity, many of them still identify themselves with one or the other of the original groups. For example, yakuza whose primary source of income is illegal gambling may well consider themselves bakuto.
Gurentai: Yakuza after 1945.
Burakumin and the Korean-Japanese Yakuza.
Although Koreans make up a tiny fraction (0.5%) of the total population in Japan, they are a very important component, perhaps because Koreans suffer severe discrimination along with burakumin. Of the total number of yakuza, Koreans make up about 15%, and in the early 1990s. Eighteen of the 90 major bosses in the Inagawa-kai were ethnic Koreans. The Japan National Police Agency estimates that Koreans made up about 10% of the total burakumin in the Yamaguchi-gumi. Koreans were also among the Boryokudan.
The importance of Koreans was an untouchable taboo and one of the reasons why the Japanese version of Kaplan and Dubro's Yakuza (1986) was not published until 1991, plus descriptions of, for example, a Korean from Yamaguchi were cut from it. -gumi. Although ethnic Koreans already born in Japan make up a significant proportion of the Japanese population, they are still considered foreigners simply residing in the country due to their nationality. But Koreans, who often shun the legal trade, are being accepted into yakuza clans precisely for the reason that they correspond to the image of the “outcasts” of society.
The man who paved the way for the Japanese-Koreans was a Japanese-Korean yakuza who founded the Tosei-kai (Tōsei-kai), Hisayuki Matiya's godfather. Born in 1923, he was given the name Chong Gwon Yong and gradually became a major street thug who saw many opportunities in Japan. As a result, Matia managed to conquer this country, after which he began to establish contacts with the United States, in particular, he collaborated with their counterintelligence, which appreciated his persistent anti-communist convictions. While imprisoned or under close surveillance by the US occupying forces, the Korean yakuza felt quite at ease and gradually took over the most lucrative black markets. But instead of competing with the Japanese yakuza, Matii formed an alliance with them and remained close to Kodama and Taoka throughout his underground career (see above).
In 1948, Matii created his own Tosei-kai (“Voice of the Eastern Gan”) group and soon took over. The Tosei-kai became such a powerful group in Tokyo that it was even known as the "Ginza Police" and the all-powerful Taoka of the Yamaguchi-gumi had to negotiate with Matiya so that his group would continue to operate within Tokyo. Matia's vast empire included tourism, entertainment, bars and restaurants, prostitution and oil imports. He and Kodama single-handedly made a fortune investing in real estate. More importantly, Matii acted as an intermediary between the Korean government and the yakuza, allowing Japanese criminals to do business (i.e. racketeering) in Korea, which had been terrorized by the Japanese for years. Thanks to Matiya, Korea has become a second home for the Japanese yakuza. To further serve as a bonding agent between the two countries' underworld relations, Matiya was allowed to purchase the largest ferry service connecting Shimonoseki (Japan) and Busan (South Korea) and being the shortest route between the two countries.
In the mid 1960s. pressure from the police forced Matii to officially disband the Tosei-kai. At that time, he even formed two ostensibly legitimate organizations, "Toa Sogo Kigyo" (East Asian Business Company) and "Toa Yuai Jigyo Kumiai" (Association of Friendly East Asian Organizations), which became fronts for criminal activities. Matii was widely believed to have facilitated the kidnapping of Korean opposition leader Kim Dae Jung from a hotel in Tokyo. It was assumed that Kim was to be thrown into the sea, bound hand and foot, blindfolded and tied with a weight, so that the body would never surface. But suddenly the execution by drowning was canceled and Kim was secretly taken to a hotel in the vicinity of Seoul. American intervention is said to have saved his life at the time. And further police investigation showed that Matia's people rented all the other rooms on this floor of the hotel. However, Matia's kidnapping ad was never presented. Matii "retired" at the age of about 80 and since then he was often seen vacationing in Hawaii. He passed away on September 14, 2002.
In addition, Tokutaro Takayami was the "kaicho" of the fourth gang - Aizukotetsu. He was an ethnic Korean and came to power as the head of a Kyoto gang, which he ran until his “retirement” in the late 1990s. Despite all of the above, the exact origin of the yakuza is still a matter of debate.
Yakuza activities in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.
Firstly, the yakuza are not some kind of secret society, like their counterparts from the Italian mafia or the Chinese triads. very often they have a wooden plaque with the clan/family name or emblem on the front door. Very often, many members of the yakuza wear bright suits and sunglasses, so they are easily recognized by ordinary residents ("katagi", "katagi"). Even the manner of walking betrays the yakuza from the crowd: their arrogant and sweeping gait is noticeably different from the gait of ordinary residents, busy with their usual daily activities. Or, for example, a yakuza can dress quite modestly, but at the same time, if necessary, expose some of the tattoos, indicating their occupation. Sometimes the yakuza wear small emblems on the lapels of their jackets, and one yakuza family once even published a monthly bulletin with detailed information regarding terms of imprisonment, weddings, funerals, murders of family members. The bulletin also included poems by family leaders.
Yakuza(ヤクザ or やくざ), also known as gokudo(極道) are members of traditional crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police and media call them boryokudan(暴力団), which literally means "gang". But the yakuza prefer to call themselves ninkyo dantai(任侠団体 or 仁侠団体), emphasizing their nobility and "knightly spirit".
Without a doubt, the yakuza is a very colorful Japanese social group that the whole world knows about. Yakuza clans have penetrated into all areas of Japanese society, especially in business and politics. In Japan, the yakuza are considered to be. They deserve respect because they have preserved their cruel traditions from antiquity to our time. Many films have been made about the yakuza, and they are often mentioned in anime and manga.
In this article, I tried to collect the most interesting information about the yakuza.
Origin and History of the Yakuza
Most modern yakuza clans trace their ancestry back to two ancient crime groups from the Edo period:
Tequia- a criminal gang that traded in illegal stolen items and
Bakuto- a criminal organization that made money by organizing and conducting gambling
Today, the ancient roots of the Yakuza can be traced back to their rituals, which evolved from the tekiya and bakuto rituals. Despite the fact that now the yakuza clans are divided, some still associate themselves with tekiya or bakuto. For example, a yakuza clan that engages in illegal gambling may associate itself with the bakuto.
During the Second World War, the Tekiya and Bakuto clans were destroyed because the Japanese society was busy with the war, and the bandits were ruthlessly destroyed. Many gang members died. But after the war, the remnants of the yakuza adapted again and regained strength.
Yakuza code of honor
Yakuza adopted the traditional Japanese hierarchical system oyabun-kobun, where kobun (子分; adopted son) is dependent on (親分; adopted father). They also developed the honor code jingi (仁義, duty and law). Loyalty and respect have become the ideal for the yakuza. (somewhat similar to the code of honor of the samurai)
The oyabun-kobun relationship is reinforced by the ritual of drinking sake from the same cup. This yakuza ritual is not unique, it is also used during traditional Shinto weddings.
Who becomes a yakuza?
Yakuza rituals
Yubitsume(cutting off a finger) is a way to pay for your mistake. For the first offense, the offending yakuza must cut off the end of the left little finger and bring the cut to his boss.
The Yubitsume ritual comes from the traditional way of holding a Japanese sword. The three lower fingers grip the sword weakly, and the thumb and forefinger tightly. The removal of fingers begins with the little finger, gradually loosening the grip of the sword, which is undoubtedly very reasonable.
The hidden idea behind this ritual is that a person with a weak sword grip will have more reliance on their Yakuza brothers, thus enhancing the team spirit! Sometimes the yakuza used prosthetic fingers to hide their absence.
The second remarkable yakuza ritual is special tattoos (irezumi) which often covered the entire body. Applying Japanese tattoos is a long, expensive and very painful operation. Sometimes it took years to complete a tattoo. It is clear that the tattoos are embedded, understandable only by the yakuza themselves.
Usually the yakuza kept their tattoos hidden from outsiders. They only showed them to other yakuza to figure out who they were dealing with.
Yakuza tattoos
Some yakuza were tattooed with a black ring around their arm after every crime they committed. Tattoos were a sign of strength and that the yakuza opposed society and refused to obey its norms and laws.
Judging by this photo, modern yakuza are no longer shy about showing their tattoos to strangers, although in Japan a person covered with tattoos can be discriminated against (for example, not allowed into public onsen baths).
Yakuza in modern Japan
Famous people - yakuza
Yakuza in movies, anime, manga
Photos yakuza
Videos yakuza
The article is not finished yet...
A member of the Japanese yakuza mafia who was on the run. Shineharu Shirai, once the head of one of the most powerful groups, the Yamaguchi-gumi, was a fugitive for about 15 years - he left Japan after he was charged with the murder of another mafioso. By the time of his arrest, he was 74 years old. An accident helped to expose Shirai - a local resident photographed an old man's back on the street, completely covered with tattoos. The photo hit social media and quickly went viral. She was noticed by the Japanese police, who asked their Thai colleagues to find and detain this man.
Tattoos are one of the most important external attributes of the Japanese mafia. Their complex language has evolved over the centuries.
One good turn deserves another
In Japan itself, until the end of the last century, the mafia actually existed on legal grounds. Neon signs can still be found above the headquarters of most groups, their addresses can be listed in telephone directories.
Residents of the country recognize members of the clans by their impeccable, button-down suits (though often very exotic or at least catchy colors), briolined hair (a gallant nod to New York gangsters). And an addiction to big cars - the outgoing generation of yakuza used American Cadillacs, but young people are increasingly switching to representative Mercedes.
For a long time, local authorities and law enforcement turned a blind eye to the activities of the yakuza in exchange for small services on their part, for financial donations to various political parties and the willingness to occasionally act as informants.
One of the main services in the history of modern Japan, the yakuza provided the government in the late 1940s. Shortly before that, in the 1930s, the country, like the United States, was hit by an economic crisis. Hundreds of thousands of Japanese were unemployed. People needed money and, as often happens in hard times, entertainment. While the authorities were afraid to enter into open conflicts with citizens who took to the streets, the mafiosi gradually took control of almost the entire entertainment industry - from gambling houses to cinemas.
The triumph of the mafia was short-lived - the war broke out, entertainment venues were ruined, and most of the yakuza fighters went to the front, many were killed. At the same time, the Japanese government massively imported Koreans and Chinese into the country, who were used as cheap labor in factories. Immediately after the end of the war, in 1946, riots of "foreigners" began to break out one after another in the country. And now the government itself was forced to ask for protection from the surviving members of the fragmented yakuza clans - the gangsters stood up to protect the police stations.
According to the samurai
The groups themselves began to form in Japan as early as the 17th century as a kind of counterweight to the samurai - if the Japanese feudal lords turned to the second when it was necessary to engage in an open duel with the enemy, then the yakuza were used for tasks where it was necessary to act secretly. At the same time, former samurai, ronin often fell into the yakuza. Hence the brilliant knowledge of samurai philosophy, and the desire of the mafiosi of past centuries to imitate the samurai in masterly possession of the sword and in the manner of dressing.
In accordance with the famous bushido code, most yakuza were philosophical about death, had to be indifferent to hunger, cold and pain, professed unquestioning loyalty to the clan and a willingness to sacrifice freedom or life for its interests. And in the event of a serious offense, many of them were ready to commit seppuku.
To one degree or another, adherence to samurai principles among the yakuza has survived to this day. True, it was not without the influence of Western colleagues - the Italian mafia and American gangsters. Modern groups are arranged according to the clan principle with a rigid hierarchical system, all members of which live according to once and for all established laws, implicitly obeying the leader or boss of the group. Those, in turn, are responsible for "effective management" - for example, negotiations with law enforcement agencies or authorities.
Count on fingers
As in most closed societies, rituals have long played an important role in the lives of Japanese gangsters. For those wishing to join the ranks of the yakuza, there was a special rite of passage. The newcomer first took an oath on the image of the saint, having previously moistened it with his own blood, after which he drank the specially prepared sake together with the head of the clan. The drink, which symbolizes the blood of the yakuza, was mixed with salt and fish scales - after taking a sip, both participants exchanged cups to “marry”.
But for an attempt to leave the group, as well as for faults, many had to pay with injuries. According to the old custom, in recognition of his guilt, the yakuza must cut off his finger phalanx and hand over the stump to the head of the clan. If the mistake repeats, he will have to get rid of the second phalanx, and then move on to the next finger. Previously, this meant that with each new offense, the yakuza's hand is less and less adapted to holding the sword, which means that it becomes more and more dependent on the head of the clan.
A missing knuckle was the second clue by which police officers in Thailand identified the tattooed old man as a fugitive yakuza, Sinehara Shirai.
However, they say that today it is possible to enter the number of the yakuza without ceremonial rituals, and if desired, to leave them relatively bloodlessly. The only thing that has remained virtually unchanged is the love of gangsters for tattoos.
Between carp and dragon
Today, these intricate and colorful drawings are admired by craftsmen around the world. However, they did not appear for aesthetic purposes. According to one version, tattooing on the body symbolizes the exit of the young yakuza from the control of their parents (and, accordingly, the transition to the control of the "adoptive father"). According to another, the ritual of applying a tattoo in ancient times was used to test the readiness of a recruit for torture and physical torment.
In any case, over time, the tattoo culture has developed, and the possession of the "language of tattoos" has become one of the basic skills of any member of the Yakuza clan. At the same time, images traditional for Japan are used here - a carp, a lion, a dragon, the "golden boy" Kintaro or sakura. The use of this or that image may hint at the occupation of the yakuza. For example, the "golden boy" is often applied by those who practice martial arts, and the lion can mean a faithful guardian. The carp, on the other hand, is revered for its strength, courage, and relentless pursuit of a goal: qualities that distinguish a true wrestler or samurai.
However, despite the generally rather open existence of gangster clans, showing their tattoos to the general public among the yakuza is still not accepted - and perhaps the experience of the ex-leader of the Yamaguchi-gumi will only strengthen them in this.
Friends of the people
For a long time, the yakuza diligently maintained good neighborly relations not only with government officials, but also with residents of cities that were under their control. On New Year's Eve, representatives of many groups presented small "wards" with sweets and toys, and money - adults. And the leaders of the groups did not skimp on financing films that once again emphasized the similarities between the philosophy of the yakuza and the noble samurai. In addition, the rules of the yakuza have always encouraged the presence of their own legal business, politics, and charity.
As a result, most of the population perceived the yakuza as local Robin Hoods - representatives of the underworld, who, however, are always ready to defend the oppressed.
Gangsters cherished this image. They not only united with the nation during the most difficult trials - for example, helping the victims after major earthquakes or taking revenge on members of the Aum Shinrikyo sect for the terrorist attack on the Tokyo subway - but also made sure that attention was riveted to their actions at that moment. journalists.
Clouds over the yakuza began to thicken in the 1990s, when Japan passed an anti-mafia law that violated the usual status quo. From the mid-2000s, this law began to be gradually tightened, until social payments to members of gangster clans (before that they could claim, for example, unemployment benefits) and the transfer of any funds from commercial firms to group accounts were finally banned. Residents of some cities even ventured into open protests against local groups. Many of the activists paid with their lives for this, which did not add people's love to the gangsters.
Probably everyone who has ever heard this word, wondered - who are they? After all, in every country there are both law-abiding citizens and not so much. Some states have become almost completely associated with such a phenomenon as the mafia. The word that came to us from Italy has also become fixed in the Russian language and has become synonymous with all types of organized crime.
In Italy itself, the island of Sicily is associated with the mafia (indeed, for the most part, Italian mafiosi work there, or they come from there). Even mysterious Japan, so far from Europe, has its own crime syndicate. Called Yakuza.
The Yakuza are members of traditional organized crime groups in Japan. It is essentially a network of 22 gangs divided into factions that compete for wealth and influence in the country. Their traditional sources of income are prostitution, loansharking, extortion, gambling and drug smuggling. In recent decades, they have become more actively involved in the shadow economy and business.
The Yakuza is six times the size of the Italian mafia and vastly outnumbers the mafia in the United States of America. Nearly 83,000 gangsters operate in 22 crime syndicates, which contribute to the mafia-controlled economy to the tune of about 20 trillion yen ($242 billion) a year, according to Japan's police. Yakuza, also known as gokudo.
The Japanese police and the media, at their request, call them bo-ryokudan, which can be translated as a bandit group, and the yakuza call themselves "ninkyo-dantai", "knight's organization".
The Yakuza are known for their strict codes of conduct and very organized nature. In July 2010, the National Police Agency released a report stating that multinational criminal organizations are becoming "increasingly globalized" and are increasingly targeting Japan. He discussed how the gangs are collaborating with individual groups to create a network of underground banks, launder vast amounts of money, arrange fake marriages and steal stolen cars abroad.
The history of the creation of the Japanese mafia
The very name of the mafia comes from the popular Japanese game oycho-kabu, which was translated as unnecessary, useless. It is somewhat reminiscent of our game of points, where the values of the cards are summed up in the total, and the last number is decisive in victory.
The worst deal for a player is a combination of eight, nine and three - in total it turns out 20 points, that is, 0. If the player had such cards at the final, then great skill and sleight of hand were required in order not to lose. In Japanese, the meanings of the cards are ya, ku, sa. Thus the word yakuza was born.
Initially, only peasants and slaves, that is, people of the lower class, were accepted as members of the gang. They were driven by various reasons - escaping from taxes, despair (loss of all property, death of loved ones), just a thirst for adventure and easy money. The yakuza accepted them and gave shelter, arranged for work. The members of the gang were also criminals who had escaped from prisons, which made the yakuza an even more dangerous organization. Some went there simply to gain respect and honor among their neighbors and fellow citizens.
Separately, it is worth noting the membership of the samurai. The story of noble warriors falling into the category of bandits is quite prosaic and simple. In the 17th century, as a result of reforms, hundreds of thousands of samurai were out of work. Knowing nothing else but to brandish a sword, they began to create their own groups and engaged in banditry - they robbed merchants on the roads, broke into houses and caused not only material, but also physical (not to mention psychological) damage.
The police in those centuries did not at all resemble today's - the maximum that their skills were enough for was to separate drunkards in a fight. Therefore, she could not do anything against professional warriors.
Then help came from the other side - the people themselves began to fight against the groups. However, here it is worth making a note that these very fighters themselves were, as they say, at odds with the law - petty criminals, thieves. Therefore, it turned out that some criminals are fighting with others. Gradually, the victory over the samurai was won, and the fighters themselves organized the Machi-Yokko group, which became the prototype of the yakuza.
Yakuza membership is not illegal. "In most other countries, crime syndicates are banned, but Japan still recognizes their right to exist," Atsushi Mizoguchi, Japan's top expert on organized crime, told the Guardian.
Yakuza gangs do not hide from the people and the state, as, for example, their Italian or Chinese "colleagues" do. Yakuza organizations often have an office with a wooden plaque on the front door, openly displaying their group name or emblem.
Japanese mafia today
Until recently, many members of the yakuza worked in offices with the names of their organizations prominently displayed. Some mafia members wear business cards with the name of the crime syndicate. Journalist Jake Adelstein wrote in the American online magazine The Atlantic Online.
“The government tacitly recognizes their existence, and they are appointed to positions, their work and relationships are regulated. The Yakuza make their money from extortion, blackmail, construction, real estate, collection services, financial market manipulation, racketeering, fraud, and a network of front companies, including labor dispatch services and private detective agencies. They do work that no one else will do."
The police are traditionally tolerant of the yakuza. The roots of this trend can be traced back to the 1800s, when the forerunners of the yakuza were allowed to carry weapons, provided they helped maintain order when the police were short of manpower.
Yakuza clans are compared to the "families" of the Sicilian mafia. The clan has a hierarchical structure and is built in the same way as a common family in a traditional one. The chief of the clan is called oyabun ("father"). Under his rule are the smaller members of the clan, the brothers. These are not his real children or brothers-relatives, but only designations of rank and position in the clan. All members of the clan obey Oyabun, and he, in turn, protects them from all dangers. Oyabun is omnipotent in the clan, and his words are law.
Everyone obeys him, without thinking and not caring about their own lives. The oyabun has an adviser called Saiko-komon, and he has a staff of lawyers, accountants, secretaries, and advisers. The obyabun has an assistant, so to speak, a deputy. He acts as an intermediary to see that the oyabun orders are fulfilled. Yakuza gang members break family ties and transfer their allegiance to the leader of the gang. They treat each other like family members - fathers, older and younger brothers. The yakuza are almost entirely male, but there are also females who are referred to as "Ne-San" (big sister). Since the yakuza consider women to be weak creatures, incapable of loyalty and self-denial, only the wives of the leaders are recognized as them.
A hallmark of the yakuza is a huge number of tattoos covering the body of the mafia. However, these are not just drawings, but signs of belonging to a particular gang. So the yakuza recognize "their own". Sometimes a tattoo denoted a new name for a gang member - after all, as mentioned above, upon joining an organization, a person became part of a new family, and all ties with the former were completely broken. Humiliated and destitute, angry, the new members of the yakuza gang with renewed vigor began to fight those who had mocked them in their previous lives. And no one can escape the retribution of the yakuza.
