HISTORY & CULTURE: The Yakuza

The story of the yakuza is both history and myth—part organized crime, part cultural identity. Here’s a detailed narrative:

Origins (1600s–1800s)

The roots of the yakuza stretch back to Japan’s Edo period (1603–1868). They evolved from two main groups on the margins of society:

• Tekiya (peddlers and street merchants): Often selling goods in markets and festivals, they formed networks to protect each other from rival merchants and harassment. They adopted ranks, rituals, and codes resembling samurai traditions, even though most were outsiders.

• Bakuto (gamblers): Gambling was illegal, but games of chance (especially dice games like hanafuda or cho-han) were widespread. Bakuto organized gambling dens, ran betting operations, and developed the tattoos and rituals still associated with yakuza today.

From these beginnings, the yakuza emerged as groups of outcasts and hustlers, bound by codes of loyalty.

The Rise of the Yakuza (1800s–1945)

Over time, the yakuza grew into structured families (kumi or kai) with bosses (oyabun) and subordinates (kobun) connected by a father-son style bond. This hierarchy, reinforced through rituals and oaths, became the backbone of yakuza identity.

They became involved in:

• Gambling

• Loan sharking

• Protection rackets (charging businesses for “security”)

• Smuggling and black-market activities

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, some yakuza families built ties with politicians and businesses. They sometimes portrayed themselves as modern-day samurai—protectors of the weak and enforcers of justice—but in reality, they were deeply tied to crime and violence.

Post-War Expansion (1945–1980s)

After World War II, Japan’s economy was devastated, and the black market flourished. The yakuza took advantage, controlling everything from food distribution to entertainment districts.

By the 1960s–1980s, they had grown into massive criminal syndicates, numbering over 180,000 members at their peak. They expanded into:

• Construction and real estate

• Corporate extortion (a practice called sokaiya, where they threatened to disrupt shareholder meetings)

• Drugs and prostitution

• International crime networks

Unlike many other organized crime groups worldwide, the yakuza were remarkably open: they had offices, business cards, and even published magazines. Police tolerated them to a degree, partly because they helped control street crime by enforcing their own order.

Decline and Crackdown (1990s–Present)

Starting in the 1990s, Japanese authorities began cracking down harder. New laws made it illegal to knowingly do business with yakuza. Banks closed their accounts, and companies stopped hiring their services.

Membership has dropped sharply: from about 180,000 in the 1960s to fewer than 25,000 today. Rivalries, defections, and police pressure weakened their influence.

Still, they remain active in areas like:

• Money laundering

• Cybercrime

• White-collar crime (stocks, real estate, finance)

And though their influence is shrinking, they continue to occupy a notorious place in Japanese society and global pop culture.

Symbols & Culture

• Tattoos (irezumi): Full-body, intricate tattoos became a hallmark of yakuza, signifying loyalty and toughness.

• Finger-cutting (yubitsume): A ritual punishment for failure, where a member cuts off part of a finger to atone.

• The Code: Loyalty to the oyabun, discipline, and secrecy.

• Romantic Image: In Japanese films and novels, the yakuza are often portrayed as tragic, honor-bound figures—though in reality, their activities have been brutal and exploitative.

• 
  

The Yakuza Today

Today, the yakuza are at a crossroads:

• They are no longer tolerated as semi-legitimate organizations.

• Their membership is shrinking with younger generations less interested in joining.

• They survive in the shadows of modern Japan, less visible but still powerful in some underground economies.

  
  

👉 In short: The story of the yakuza is one of outcasts who built a parallel society with its own codes, rituals, and power, rising from gamblers and hustlers to powerful crime syndicates—only to face decline in modern times.