1. Introduction The main purpose of this essay is to discuss and break down everything there is to know about the Japanese mafia, the Yakuza. The Yakuza is the name given to organized criminal gangs from Japan. In comparison to other organized crime groups the Yakuza is a collection of separate gangs who make up the name, the Yakuza, and not just one single group. The way hierarchy is set up is very precise and efficient, where everything is set up very formally. There is a lot of respect and customs that goes on inside the Yakuza. Also looking at the origins of the yakuza, I will also research the Yakuza's inner workings and the characteristics of their members. For example, the incredible loyalty they have to each other, the way they cut …show more content…
To become Yakuza there are no requirements to become a member, but when you join there is a strict obedience to the superiors. The Yakuza are made up of two groups which are Ethnic Koreans and burakumin, which both suffer from being most marginalized in Japan. All members have easy noticeable tattoos that help distinguish them, of who they are. Many times, members tend to have half cut of finger as a sign of tradition to bosses as a sign of an apology. There are many different yakuza groups, but together they form the Yakuza. A Yakuza family has a structure very similar to a Mafia family, which involves a single boss who rules the clan. Then under him, he has various lieutenants, under-bosses, regional bosses, and minor gang leaders under him. The structure of this group is like a pyramid structure, from top being small to the bottom being the widest part. In the Yakuza, "the key to the hierarchy is the oyabun-kobun relationship, a set of father-son roles that binds all Yakuza clans together" (Grabianowski, 2007:2). Some clans have a different structure some tend to be more serious than others and others tend to be more relaxed than others. Many of the Yakuza clans are all have headquarters throughout Japan's great cities like Kobe and Tokyo. The Yakuza are engaged in gun trafficking, drug trafficking, human trafficking, prostitution, illegal gambling, white collar crime, and extortion. For example, on an article there was an upper-level member of the Sumiyoshi-kai in collecting 2.5 million yen in welfare payments from the Edogawa Ward office (Staff, 2017:1). That is just a small part of what the Yakuza are made of. It seems the Yakuza get involve of crime that usually involves the business aspect of things. There was also the moment where the Yakuza got involve in the
Gangs are a group of boys and believe it or not girls too, that frequently get together to make all types of vandalism and actions that are not admitted by the law. Gangs have been part of the world for a very long time; they have also evolved through time. For example gangs in the 1960’s are not the same as the gangs we see today in our days. Many gangs were made before and after the 1960’s but the major gangs in this time were: The Crips, The Latin Kings, KKK, The Bloods which were enemies of The Crips, and the 18th Street Gang.
The Yakuza (Pollack, 1975) was an interesting movie using the blend of American and Japanese culture to help build the storyline. This neo-noir film is about a man that returns to Japan, after World War II, to retrieve the daughter of his friends. Though he completes his mission he is pulled into something deeper that could claim his life. His movie is mostly about relationships between characters and how they change with better understanding of each other. Not only that, but the relationship between East and West. Using the Japanese culture the audience is enlightened about “many salient social and anthropological facts about Japan and its culture.”(Meyer, 1998) Like for instance that “Yakuza” is formed from numbers that when combined equal 20, which in Japanese gambling is an unlucky number. I take this in direct correlation with what happens to the characters in the movie, they seem to lose a lot before thy make it through to the other side of the storm.
Organized crime is a collective result of the commitment, knowledge, and actions of three components: (1) Criminal groups, who are core persons tied by racial, linguistic, ethnic or other bonds; (2) Protectors, who are persons who protect the group’s interests; and (3) Specialist support, which are persons who knowingly render services on an side-job basis to enhance the group’s interests. In order to thrive, an organized crime group needs many different elements. First, it needs an ensured continuity of members, clients, supporters, funds, etc. Additionally, it needs structure, criminality, violence, memberships based on common grounds, and a willingness to corrupt a power and profit goal. Generally, mafia organized crime groups disguise themselves behind the ownership of a legitimate business to avoid questioning from the Internal Revenue Service (I.R.S.) regarding any financial sources. The ille...
South, David. The History of Organized Crime: Secrets of The World’s Most Notorious Gangs. New York: Metro Books, 2013. Print.
One is known for his occupation and what he does and what he withholds from doing. The yakuza is a large crime organization that has thousands of members that span throughout the entire world. They originated in Japan and since then have slowly moved across the globe into many different countries; they even have members in the United States today. *The yakuza is a highly organized crime organization that places great importance in respect and honor and seeks revenge when they do not receive it, they are involved in different types of crimes and they have certain characteristics that separate them from other organizations.*
Throughout History, there have been many different groups or events that are still widely known today. Groups of people such as the Indians or Vikings are popular groups which are referenced constantly in today’s society. However, none of these groups is more known or referenced than the Japanese Samurai. Originating in 646 AD, these Japanese warriors developed from a loose organization of farmers to the dominant social class in Feudal Japan. Along with their dominant military and political standing, the samurai brought with them a unique code or moral belief that became the core of Samurai culture. Because of this, the Samurai and their principles still affect modern day Japanese society with social customs today deriving directly and indirectly from the beliefs of the Samurai.
The notion of yakuza’s existence; one of the world’s most well-known organized crime syndicates, is very obvious and well-aware inside the Japanese society both in the olden and present day. They are very well perceived by the public. Yakuza’s confirmation of existence can be seen on several circumstances; for instance, yakuza magazine and video games, their participation in annual Sanja matsuri and the headquarters around the big cities.
Prison gangs were created by inmates as a way to protect themselves from other inmates. Each prison gang has their reasons for existing. There are five prison gangs in the United States. These gangs are as follow: The Aryan Brotherhood, The Black Guerilla Family, Texas Syndicate, Mexican Mafia, and Lanuestra Familia. They all have similar beliefs, meanings of their tattoos, how gangs impact their lives and society, and the challenges they bring the prison system in order to decrease gang population.
The Mafia is groups of criminals that developed for the purpose of protecting those who can not go to the police for protection. Its roots can be traced back to Sicily, where the Mafia was based on the premise that any member suffering an injustice was to take personal vengeance while avoiding all contact with legal authorities. Even in the modern day American Mafia, each family ruled it's own territory and when others from outside the territory interfered they were dealt with through violent methods.The wiseguys paid for their protection by paying the head of their local family. This payoff was also known as paying tribute to the boss.
Gangs have been around forever and there are two types of gangs which are, street gangs and prison gangs. They have the same structures that are divided as leadership and soldiers. The main difference between a street gang and prison gang is that a prison gangs are more disciplined than a street gang. Incarcerated members cannot escape their environment and therefore, are forced to comply with the facilities and gangs regulation. Gangs are always involved with criminal activity and it's difficult to control negative behavior and to lower recidivism rates for gang members.
During 1869-2014 the Sicilian mafia in America evolved in a number of ways such as: the change in rules, leaders, how it is run, the change in code and power over American society. These topics will be covered throughout this essay and will give you a detailed explanation furthermore the history of the evolution that took place. The Sicilian Mafia started in poor Sicilian ghettos in America and spread into the cities striking fear into the American society. With around 2,500 members it is seen as the most powerful and the most active Italian organized criminal group in the United States of America. The Sicilian mafia is more commonly known as La Cosa Nostra.
In Japan there is the Yakuza, also known as the 'Japanese Mafia', which consists of up to 2,500 families. The three largest groups in the Yakuza are the Yamaguchi-gumi, Sumiyaoshi-kai, and Inagawa-kai. These three groups together have around 61,100 members, or seventy-three percent of the gangster population in Japan. These organizations have been in existence for about 300 years, and have their roots in the Tokugawa period (1600-1867), when Japan united under a central system of government (Abadinsky, 2010, 2007) . Some suggest that the Yakuza are the true heirs of the samurai, as the samurais formed structured groups of organized crime after the feudalism in Japan ended. T...
Gang power can be seen in many communication theories. There are several types of power that gangs and gang leaders fall under. An example of this would be referent and legitimate power. Referent power can be described as the role model power. We identify with this person and therefore try to be like them. Legitimate power comes from people who we believe should be in power, like children to teacher, law-abiding citizen to the police. Therefore referent and legitimate power go hand in hand, because of the organizational structure within the gang, a gang may "have officers much like that of a cooperation." (Internet Source 1) Generally "adults play leadership roles." (Internet Source 3) Also youngsters who have had severe prison terms are usually found to be the leaders of the gangs, thus being an example of expert power. The reason this is considered an example of expert power is because the individual possesses special knowledge in prison life, etc. By serving a prison term they can come back to the streets, "with more knowledge than ever could have been gained on the streets." (Internet Source 2)
Peter Maas declares organized crime the “biggest business in the country” (Maas). “The largest and best known organized crime group is the nationwide organization variously known as the ‘syndicate’, the ‘mob’, the ‘Mafia’, and the ‘Cosa Nostra’” (Nash, Jason O-155). Some activities of the Mafia include gambling, loan sharking, pornography, illicit drugs, and racketeering. The Mafia began in Sicily, but did not retain to just that one location. In fact, in the late nineteenth century many of the Sicilian members immigrated to the United States (Nash O-155). The Mafia in the United States contains members that are Americans with Sicilian ancestry (“Mafia” M-48). There are several Mafia groups in the United States. Law enforcement authorities agree that there are around twenty-five groups that operate in large cities across the nation (Nash O-155).
For many years there has thought to have been a cozy relationship between the Yakuza and the National Police Agency of Japan and had an amicable relationship with law enforcement. All organized crime alike, corruption and bribery is found in high volume amongst this relationship. The Yakuza crime elements are no stranger to Japanese parliamentarians, and have been previously associated to a former Prime Mister, Junichiro Koizumi- himself, being the grandson of a Yakuza member. They used to allow law enforcement to visit locations to get up to date information on their group. In turn, law enforcement officials would give the Yakuza a heads up on when a police raid was coming.