Japanese Culture: Yakuza Key Points and Ideas

Japan's Yakuza: Inside the Syndicate

LINK: https://youtu.be/AOhuUxtxrmg

JP1 notes - 9/23/15:

Key Points/Information:

1. Have to cut off piece of finger to apologize to the master
2. It is legal for Yakuza gangs to have businesses
3. Each member has unique tattoos that represent them
4. They recruit young people off the street
5. The gangs have very strict rules
6. You must obey your direct superior absolutely
7. Yamaguchi-gumi took in $80bn (in 2010)
8. Common acts committed by the Yakuza: Prostitution, Gambling, Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering

 Key Ideas/Concepts:

1. Members are made to feel like family
2. Members must show respect for their superiors
3. More about pressure, control, appearances, instead of (direct) violence
4. It is extremely rare to be able to take a photograph of the deceased. A sensitive issue.

JP2 notes - 9/23/15

Key points/information:

1. Business is primarily based on prostitution
2. There are legal businesses owned by the Yakuza; they even have signs in front of their buildings
3. Yakuza can be represented by the numbers, 8, 9, and 3 -- and unlucky combination in a blackjack-like game
4. They call their leaders "godfather" or "souchou"
5. The godfather is almost never seen in public (to protect him) and is always shadowed by his bodyguards
6. Each member has unique, individual tattoos
7. To apologize for a serious mistake, members must cut off and present a piece of their finger to their boss
8. Yakuza used to fight with samurai swords. To sacrifice part of your pinky or ring finger means you can't fight as well, as these are your strongest fingers.
9. Yamaguchi-gumi made $80bn in one year
10. 50,000 members in Japan
11. One theory about the origins of the Yakuza is that they were originally 'masterless samurai' (ronin)

 Key ideas/concepts:

1. Control, pressure, and appearances are vital tactics; violence is not
2. Yakuza members have a very strong bond like family, may call each other "aniki"
3. When an important member of the gang dies, other gangs will attend the funeral as a form of collective mourning
4. For an outsider to gain the trust of Yakuza members is very difficult
5. Death is a sensitive issue; taking pictures of the deceased would not normally be allowed