What is the origin of the Yakuza?

The origin of the yakuza themselves is difficult to determine, but they are thought to have descended either from gangs of rōnin (masterless samurai) who turned to banditry or from bands of do-gooders who defended villages from those same wayward samurai during the early 17th century.
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How did the yakuza originate?

The origins of the Yakuza are not entirely known, but it is believed that they formed around the mid-Tokugawa period (1603-1868). They might have emerged from shady merchant groups (yashi or tekiya), or gambling gangs (bakuto).
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Are the yakuza still active?

Although yakuza membership has declined following an anti-gang law aimed specifically at yakuza and passed by the Japanese government in 1992, there are thought to be about 25,900 active yakuza members in Japan today. The Yamaguchi-gumi is the largest yakuza family, with about 8,200 members.
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Who are the founders of the yakuza?

Kenichi Yamamoto (山本 健一, Yamamoto Ken'ichi, March 5, 1925 – February 4, 1982) was the founder of the Yamaken-gumi yakuza gang, who were based in Kobe, Japan.
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How did Japan stop the yakuza?

Once the ordinances of Okinawa and Tokyo went into effect on October 10, 2011, all of Japan's prefectures have had the ordinance. The ordinances pursue cutting any implicit relationships between citizens and the yakuza. Some of the prohibitions contain punishment against citizens.
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ORIGINS of Japan’s MAFIA - Early history of the YAKUZA

What is the yakuza 5 year rule?

The yakuza exclusion ordinances set by local governments and such have a “five-year antisocial force” rule, which restricts people who were gang members for five years after they quit. But even after five years pass, people often can't open bank accounts or buy cars.
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Are there female yakuza?

There have been other women – like Taoka Fumiko, widow of a yakuza boss – who, though not formally affiliated, have made a significant impact in the history of the yakuza. But none went the extra step like Nishimura and became a fully pledged member with the cut little finger.
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Are there yakuza in the US?

United States

They also work with local gangs, funneling Japanese tourists to gambling parlors and brothels. In California, the yakuza have made alliances with local Korean gangs as well as Chinese triads and Vietnamese gangs.
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Do yakuza leave foreigners alone?

Generally, the bottom line is that Yakuza do not rob you of your wallet or any belongings. Being a model citizen, they will leave you alone if you leave them alone.
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Why do Yakuza cut off Pinky?

Yubitsume (指詰め, "finger shortening") or otoshimae is a Japanese ritual to atone for offenses to another, a way to be punished or to show sincere apology and remorse to another, by means of amputating portions of one's own little finger.
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Can someone leave the Yakuza?

For those who had been gangsters, though, the team's rules were clear: New members must prove they have quit the yakuza. The process of leaving can be difficult; traditionally, it cost a finger joint.
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Does the Yakuza accept foreigners?

Can foreigners work for the Yakuza? A2A for Dániel Ács TLDR; Yes, Slightly longer version Yes but it depends what you mean by foreign, and what you mean by work for. It also begs the question of why you'd ever want to do it in the first place. These aren't good people to be hanging round with.
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Why do yakuza have tattoos?

The Yakuza began in the 17th century when people caught for stealing and gambling were sent to prison, where they were marked with ink to identify them. These people began to form organized gangs, and this background in tattoo culture gives them a distinct association with irezumi.
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What crimes do the Yakuza commit?

They engage in extortion, blackmail, smuggling, prostitution, drug trafficking, gambling, loan sharking, day-labour contracting, and other rackets and control many restaurants, bars, trucking companies, talent agencies, taxi fleets, factories, and other businesses in major Japanese cities.
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Do yakuza use guns?

The effect on organized crime is that Yakuza syndicates still employ Walther P38 and Tokarev pistols from the 20th century, mainly smuggled in from China, Russia and North Korea.
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Are tourists safe from yakuza?

The Yakuza is largely responsible for the absence of violent crime, in particular toward tourists. There are several thousand Yakuza groups and they divide up every inch of Japan. There are no random small-time criminals of the kind who would pull a gun on a tourist.
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How do Japanese feel about yakuza?

In other words, although the Japanese people know that the yakuza are immoral and commit illegal and often terrible acts, these organized crime groups receive much more in the way of respect and admiration than most other crime organizations around the world.
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Is Japan friendly to Americans?

One of the first things you'll notice during your Japan travel trip is how incredibly welcoming Japanese are towards foreigners (thank you Japan!). They are well known for their politeness and deep rooted traditions, so they definitely don't expect travellers to know all the social faux pas right off the bat.
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Who is the current yakuza boss?

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 and the sixth and current kumicho (supreme kingpin, or chairman) of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan's largest yakuza organization.
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What does the yakuza do today?

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. Opinion: Japan's yakuza aren't disappearing. They're getting smarter.
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What to do if you see yakuza?

Do nothing and try to ignore them. Otherwise, behave as normally as possible. Yakuza culture is usually exclusive and they don't interact with common people, at least not directly. As long as you do not bring trouble to yourself, they will not confront you.
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Do yakuza have mistresses?

Slowly, the Yakuza top man introduced Jafé to his wife and others, and Jafé discovered a patriarchal structure where women could fill only a limited number of roles. For the most part, the women were wives or mistresses, and some had even divorced their husbands.
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Does yakuza do drugs?

In the context of Japan, drug smuggling is frequently portrayed as being under the control of the yakuza, which refers to the collective name the Japanese mafia, made up of 25 criminal syndicates operating throughout Japan.
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Can the yakuza get married?

Yakuza aren't more patriarchal than the rest of the country, so most Yakuza wives have the lives of “basic” Japanese housewives. The group I followed functioned like a very organised family, where everyone had his/her role. Depending on which Yakuza you marry, your role will change.
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