Yakuza organizations - Research Paper Example

Yakuza Organizations Introduction The Yakuza organization is a traditionally organized crime or mafia group with its origins in Japan. The word Yakuza is believed to originate from the Japanese game called Oicho-kabu which is played using hanafuda or so called kabufuda cards. The game is composed on basis of worst likely totals that come in a set of eight, nine and then three. In early Japan, such set of numbers showed the words Ya, Ku, And Sa and therefore, this is where the group yakuza originated. The group adopted this term since “ya-ku-za” represents a hand that is highly skilled and was believed to get luck of winning a game. Additionally, it is clear that the name represents bad lack to any individual that betrayed or went against the rules of the group. Today, it is estimated to have about 80, 000 members and it is actually not an illegal group but it is regulated under the laws of organized crime control act. Yakuza is a group that is openly known in Japan and across the world with regular office space, business cards, often portrayed in movies, and other fanzines (Mallory 144). The yakuza major sources of income includes extortion, intimidation, financial fraud, prostitution, manipulating the stock market, gambling, racketeering, drug trafficking, and smuggling among other criminal activities. They are known by law enforcement agencies as boryokudan a term that represents violent individuals in the community. On their part, they like to refer themselves as ninkyodantai asserting they are public servants who ensure peaceful Japan and concerned with the needs of the poor. The March 11th 2011 earth quake saw Yakuza active engagement offering support to victims in the initial weeks after the tragedy. This is in an effort to build their public image in a bid to try and live up to society expectations (Mallory 151). History of Yakuza The yakuza history gets its root from the period of Shogunate, which was a time the leaders Leyasu Tokugawa united and joined the Japanese people. The country had just come from a period of severe civil war and therefore, stability had not been fully achieved. The current time of peace left thousands (an estimation of 500, 000) of samurai individuals unemployed because job opportunities were minimal. In this respect, most samurai became part of the merchant class, but many others the ronin looked for other means of economic sustenance which led them to thievery and criminal activities. In essence, the machi-yokku or town helpers came out strongly to offer protection and safety to the society against the samurai destructors. These were just regular town people who offered their services to defeat the vicious ronin in order to protect their families. The machi-yokku became a tightly knit group that spent time involving in activities like gambling. They became the predecessors of the today’s yakuza as it believed in the legend (Mallory 140). The yakuza started through an ordered familial or family grouping of bloodline but they were chosen. In this relationship, it started with a godfather as the head, while new members were instigated through a pyramid fashion. The head of the group or godfather is normally known as oyabun which denotes boss or simply parent while the followers are called kobun which denotes a child. The oyabun as the leader offers advice, security, and assistance and in turn gets steadfast loyalty and service from the kobun at any given time. In essence, the kabun had to take a blood oath to show their loyalty and allegiance and anyone that goes against the yakuza code had to be punished. Historically, this was done where the kobun had to cut off the little finger using a sword and gave it to the oyabun as punishment but this practice has declined with time. Initiation to the group was done using sake cups that were shared to symbolize blood relation that is between the oyabun and kobun. This was mainly done in a Shinto shrine and in this way it represented a form of religious implication (Mallory 141). In addition, the yakuza have always been proud of the bushido code which signifies the path of the samurai. In this way, in ancient times vicious death was perceived poetic, noble destiny and honorable way to die. The concepts of giri and ninjo are crucial in the connection among the group members ensuring respect. Giri is obligation and denotes the notion of duty that each member in the group has and the ideology of “social cloth” that links the Japanese society. Ninjo is simply the essence of emotion or human empathy which represents a sense of kindness to the poor and disadvantaged individuals within the society. In this way, the yakuza preyed on this nobility and patriotism to bring a caring image within the public eye (Mallory 144). Yakuza Organizations In Japan, there are about 3, 200 organized criminal groups and out of them around 1,400 are connected to one of the three major yakuza organizations. In reality, the three chief yakuza crime organizations known in the world are the Inagawa-kai, the Sumiyoshi-kai, as well as the Yamaguchi-gumi. The Inagawa-kai is a crime group that is well-known in Tokyo from its 15,000 possible members and this makes it the third biggest yakuza grouping. It is known to be disciplined and efficient in its activities through an elaborate structure. It has the old-style pyramid power organization with the leaders at the top to generate decisions for the members while gaining acknowledgement from lower ranking members. Initially they were bakuto (gamblers) but they later engaged in other criminal acts like loan sharking while they became the first group to branch out their activities overseas (Mallory 153). The sumiyoshi-kai in turn makes up the second biggest group within the yakuza and its main base is situated in Tokyo. Sumiyoshi-kai on its part operates through a federation of criminal gangs that offers autonomy to every one of them and depends less on tribute or honor from lower ranking individuals. In this way, the leaders of the group share power and authority with various individuals from the other gangs. The history of the group is complex having changed names many times since its inception. It began around 1958, with the name Minato-kai and its leaders as Shigesak Abe being the third socho (commonly known as supreme leader). The fourth socho Yoshimitsu Sekigami changed its name to Sumiyoshi-kai but it disintegrated in 1965. The group reemerged in form of a union around 1969 through the leadership of Masao Hori who was the fourth socho naming it Sumiyoshi-rengo. Later in 1929, the group came to the hands of Shigeo Nishiguchi the sixth socho and it adopted the name sumiyoshi-kai which it is known by until today. Today the group has many successful businesses in Tokyo that mainly fall into the real estate sector (Mallory 143). Yamaguchi-gumi is the largest crime group of yakuza in Japan with around 45,000 members while thousands of others have a close relationship with it. Today, it one of the known largest criminal organization across the globe with its roots in Kobe, it has rapidly grown to obtain a significant influence in Tokyo. The group takes its name from Harukichi Yamuguchi who founded it before the World War II in Kobe. The membership of Yamaguchi-gumi makes 45% of the yakuza organization making it popular in Japanese underground operations. This group is the richest gangster operation and it is believed to engage in activities like sex trade, extortion, gambling, pornography on the internet, and drug smuggling among others. There been various cases of the group’s friction with the police recently because they are many and thy have aggression towards the law enforcement agencies. This has however, not stopped their growing numbers and this has increased their economic crime success across the world. Today, they manage various successful businesses in Tokyo that deal with real estate, forex trading, construction, waste management, restaurant activities, and also they have found their way in Japan’s entertainment industry. Additionally, the group has political standing in Japan such that they are known to support the Democratic Party of Japan beginning 2007. In essence, the Prime Minister Naoto Kan declared that he had received an amount of around 5,000,000 million dollars from this criminal group (Mallory 145). Yakuza Lifestyle The yakuza members prefer to have tattoos in their body that are elaborate and visible. They have the common habit of creating body murals with tattoos covering almost the entire chest from the back to the front; they cover the arms, elbows and even the legs. A naked yakuza individual would appear like if one is wearing long sleeved pants and top. The most common symbols they use on their bodies include dragons, Chinese goddesses, mountains, gang emblems, mythical characters, and carps among others. The gang emblems and badges are most common to show allegiance to the group without coercion (Mallory 149). It is argued that the origin of tattooing began with bakuto the gamblers, since they had to tattoo a black ring across the arm for every crime a member accomplished. In later years, this was seen as a symbol of courage and strength which became part of their lifestyle. In reality, it can take more than 100 hours to finish the back section but they show a person’s will to adhere to the rules of the group. Tattoos in Japan are called irezumi and even today they are still “hand-poked” which means implanting ink underneath the skin without any electrical device but instead hand-held tools with sharp needles made from sharp bamboo or steel. The entire body can take years to complete with this extensive and painful procedure being upheld. The yakuza members often participate in entertaining people and playing cards with each other and they remove their shirts to show off their tattoos. New members are expected to take off their clothes to be checked for any tattoos they may have in the body. It is evident that most Japanese citizens try to avoid tattoos because of the relationship they have with the yakuza group or gangsters (Mallory 149). In ancient days the yakuza members wore clothes that would make them standout but today they are more reserved. However, it is common for them to wear glittery tight fitting suits, the shoes are mainly pointed, and they often maintain longer pomaded hair style. It is easy to spot members with sunglasses and colorful clothes especially suits so that civilians find it simple to recognize them. There are instances where they insert insignia pins along the collars to look more appealing to the public. It is believed that they have different walking styles throwing their strides with confidence when in public. When need arises they expose their tattoos in public to show their affiliation with the group and demand respect or when intimidating others. On the other hand, they prefer flashy automobiles such as Cadillacs or Lincolns to mark their style. Other cars include black Mercedes while the glass is tinted and this is common among the higher members of the group. It is common to see a series of Hello Kitty dolls displaying along the dashboard and those of golf clubs as a sign of prestige (Mallory 150). It has been said recently that the liver is a crucial part of the body when it comes to inflicting pain just like the little finger. It is common for them to inject shared needles of methamphetamines in their bodies and in this way, it is possible to catch hepatitis just like with the tattoos. Additionally, the yakuza gang members often engage in alcohol and drugs as a pass time form of activity. These drugs and alcohol may further inflict damage on the liver causing more health problems. Evidently, a sick liver is an honorable badge within the group since it shows how one has been promiscuous and courageous. If a person from the group therefore, dies of a liver condition, they are assumed to be great heroes who ought to be emulated by others. Charitable Deeds In essence, the yakuza organizations are not illegal but instead they carry out their activities and businesses openly. They do not hide from the public but instead their offices and business are marked with their logos and emblems for everyone to see. In this way, even though they have criminal activities, they like to be called ninkyo dantai which means a noble organization. It is evident that their techniques are questionable but they are also known to do various charitable deeds like offering aid to victims during a disaster. For instance, the most notable is the 2011 earthquake and tsunami and they offered both financial and emotional support. They are even involved in public functions and support politicians when the need be (Mallory 140). The Japanese people often see yakuza as a necessary evil because of their philanthropic nature and the public image they pose. They are known to the police as criminals but also people who assist in catching other crooks. However, the Japanese government does not support criminal organizations and they still fight to maintain order and deal with Yakuza gradually to beat crime (Mallory 140). Conclusion The yakuza group is a criminal group that has its roots in Japan engaging in crimes like extortion, smuggling, gambling, internet pornography, prostitution business, and drug trade among others. The history of the group stems from the period after the civil war and many samurais did not have any source of income therefore, resulted in criminal activities. A group of town people came together to fight this crime and they formed the yakuza group that is known today. There are three main organizations of yakuza group that are known because of their expansive activities and they include the Inagawa-kai, Sumiyoshi-kai, as well as the Yamaguchi-gumi. In addition, the lifestyle of the group involves body tattoos, flashy cars and suits that make them conspicuous in the public. The yakuza is not an illegal group in Japan and they are often involved in charitable deeds with their businesses marked with their own logos. Work Cited Mallory, Stephen. Understanding Organized Crime. Burlington Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2011. Print. Read More