Thursday, November 19th

t-shirt dress – Rice Society Batman fabric

jeans – Yakuza (first worn Day 30)

boots – Nino Bellini (bought at Breeze)

necklaces – one from a gift wrap, one from BKK Weekend Market

PS – This dress is for sale – 600 NT! (Well, not this one, but a new one in the same fabric)

1  A las hordas de personas que leen este piojoso blog  les tengo que pedir una disculpa por no escribir por este periodo largo de tiempo, pero la verdad es que pasaron algunas cosas por las cuales no pude darme el lujo de escribir las estupideces que acostumbro a departir con ustedes, entre todas esos ipedimentos les puedo mencionar que:

1.-El horario de 8 a 8 en la Universidad no me deja mucho tiempo.

2.- No tenía ganas de escribir.

3.-Pase mucho tiempo entre juergas, mujeres y películas….bueno, de lo que recuerdo

2 Les prometo que trataré de regresar con 2 post (mínimo) por semana.

3 Como se podran dar cuenta, mis otros compañeros blogers no andan tampoco muy activos que se diga, por lo que he tenido que tomar algunas medidas. El resto del equipo sigue dentro de Yakuza Town y tambien pueden postear, la única diferencia es que tendrán que llegar a cierto número de post para ganarce un lugar como autenticos autores de este pinchurriento bló.

Sin más que decir, se despide su amigacho  y director general de Yakuza Town Enterprice: Le Reaper.

yakuza ps2

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Our friends Bryan and Thy visited Tokyo last weekend, and stopped by the pottery studio to make chopstick rests. Bryan surprised the teachers and me by saying he wanted his to be in the shape of severed fingers, as an homage to Japanese yakuza. The teachers helped him create his first ever pottery, a full set of severed fingers.

Thy, like some readers of this blog, did not realize that the idea is that yakuza who have made a “mistake” chop their own finger to show remorse to their bosses. I am glad they both had fun making ceramics.

BTW, the student ceramic show begins this Saturday for five days. I’ll be there on Sunday and Wednesday.

YAKUZA

Sejarah panjang Yakuza dimulai kira-kira pada tahun 1612, saat Shogun Tokugawa berkuasa dan menyingkirkan shogun sebelumnya. Pergantian ini mengakibatkan kira-kira 500.000 orang samurai yang sebelumnya disebut hatomo-yakko (pelayan shogun) menjadi kehilangan tuan, atau disebut sebagai kaum ronin. Seperti kata pepatah : orang yang hanya punya martil cenderung melihat segala sesuatu bisa beres dengan dimartil, demikian juga dengan kaum ronin ini. Banyak dari mereka menjadi penjahat dan centeng. Mereka disebut sebagai kabuki-mono atau samurai nyentrik urakan yang ke mana-mana membawa pedang. Mereka berbicara satu sama lain dalam bahasa slang dan kode rahasia. Terdapat kesetiaan tinggi di antara sesama ronin sehingga kelompok ini sulit dibasmi. Untuk melindungi kota dari para kabuki-mono, banyak kota-kota kecil di Jepang membentuk machi-yokko (satuan tugas (satgas) desa). Satgas ini terdiri dari para pedagang, pegawai, dan orang biasa yang mau menyumbangkan tenaganya untuk menghadapi kaum kabuki-mono. Walaupun mereka kurang terlatih dan jumlahnya sedikit, tetapi ternyata para anggota machi-yokko ini sanggup menjaga daerah mereka dari serangan para kabuki mono. Di kalangan rakyat Jepang abad ke 17, kaum machi-yokko ini dianggap seperti pahlawan. Masalah jadi rumit, karena setelah berhasil menggulung para ronin, para anggota machi-yokko ini malah meninggalkan profesi awal mereka dan memilih jadi preman. Hal ini diperparah lagi dengan turut campurnya Shogun dalam memelihara para machi-yokko ini. Ada dua kelas profesi para machi-yokko, yaitu kaumBakuto (penjudi) dan Tekiya (pedagang). Namanya saja kaum pedagang tetapi pada kenyataannya, kaum Tekiya ini suka menipu dan memeras sesama pedagang. Walau begitu, kaum ini punya sistem kekerabatan yang kuat. Ada hubungan.

PENJUDI

Kaum Bakuto (penjudi), punya sejarah yang unik. Awalnya mereka disewa oleh Shogun untuk berjudi melawan para pegawai konstruksi dan irigasi. Tindakan ini dilakukan agar gaji para pegawai konstruksi dan irigasi habis di meja judi dan tenaga mereka bisa disewa dengan harga murah.

Jenis judi yang biasa dilakukan adalah menggunakan kartu Hanafuda dengan sistem permainan mirip Black Jack. Tiga kartu dibagikan dan bila angka kartu dijumlahkan, maka angka terakhir menunjukkan siapa pemenang, diantara sekian banyak kartu sial kartu berjumlah 20 adalah yang paling sering disumpahi orang, karena berakhiran nol. Salah satu konfigurasi kartu ini adalah kartu dengan nilai (8-9-3) yang dalam bahasa Jepang menjadi Ya-Ku-Za yang kemudian menjadi nama asal Yakuza.

Dari kaum Bakuto ini juga muncul tradisi menandai diri dengan [[tato] disekujur badan (disebut irezumi) dan yubitsume (potong jari) sebagai bentuk penyesalan ataupun sebagai hukuman. Awalnya hukuman ini bersifat simbolik, karena ruas atas jari kelingking yang dipotong membuat pemilik tangan menjadi lebih sulit memegang pedang dengan mantap. Hal ini menjadi simbol ketaatan terhadap pimpinan.

 Yakuza Modern

Waktu pun berlalu, kaum Bakuto dan Tekiya menjadi satu identitas sebagai Yakuza. Kaum yang asalnya bertugas melindungi masyarakat – menjadi ditakuti masyarakat. Para pimpinan Jepang memanfaatkan hal ini untuk mengendalikan masyarakat dan menggerakkan nasionalisme. Yakuza ikut direkrut oleh pemerintah Jepang dalam aksi pendudukan di Manchuria dan Cina oleh Jepang tahun 1930-an. Para Yakuza dikirim ke daerah tersebut untuk merebut tanah, dan memperoleh hak monopoli sebagai imbalan.

Peruntungan kaum Yakuza berubah setelah Jepang menyerang Pearl Harbor. Militer mengambil alih kendali dari tangan Yakuza. Para anggota Yakuza akhirnya harus memilih apakah bergabung dalam birokrasi pemerintah, jadi tentara atau masuk penjara. Dapat dikatakan pamor Yakuza menjadi tenggelam.

Setelah Jepang menyerah, para anggota Yakuza kembali ke masyarakat. Muncul satu orang yang berhasil mempersatukan seluruh organisasi Yakuza. Orang itu adalah Yoshio Kodame, seorang eks militer dengan pangkat terakhir Admiral Muda (yang dicapainya di usia 34 tahun). Yoshio Kodame berhasil mempersatukan dua fraksi besar Yakuza, yaitu Yamaguchi-gumi yang dipimpin Kazuo Taoka, dan Tosei-kai yang dipimpin Hisayuki Machii. Yakuza pun bertambah besar keanggotaannya terutama di periode 1958-1963 saat organisasi Yakuza diperkirakan memiliki anggota 184.000 orang atau lebih banyak daripada anggota tentara angkatan darat Jepang saat itu. Yoshio Kodame dinobatkan sebagai godfather-nya Yakuza.

Ekstasi, Pachinko dan Perdagangan Senjata

Di masa kini, keanggotaan Yakuza diperkirakan telah menurun tajam, tetapi bukan berarti tidak berbahaya. Tulang punggung bisnis ilegal mereka adalah pachinko, perdagangan ampethamine (termasuk ice dan ekstasi), prostitusi, pornografi, pemerasan, hingga penyelundupan senjata.

Di era 1980-an, Yakuza mengembangkan sayap mereka hingga ke Amerika Serikat, dan ikut masuk dalam bisnis legal untuk mencuci uang mereka. Dalam operasinya, Yakuza membeli aset di Amerika dan salah satu yang pernah mencuat ke permukaan adalah keterlibatan Prescott Bush, saudara dari presiden George H.W. Bush dan paman dari Presiden George W. Bush, dalam transaksi penjualan perusahaan Aset Management International Financing & Settlements di awal 1990an.

Berdasarkan perkiraan kasar dari sumber majalah Far Eastern Economic Review edisi 17 Januari 2002, Yakuza diperkirakan telah menanamkan uang hingga 50 milyar dolar dalam investasi saham dan perusahaan di Amerika Serikat. Bandingkan dengan cadangan devisa Indonesia yang 36 milyar dolar.

Di dalam negeri, Yakuza juga ditengarai turut berperan dalam anjloknya ekonomi Jepang selama 10 tahun terakhir. Sebagai akibat amblasnya bisnis properti dan macetnya kredit bank di Jepang pasca 1990, banyak debitor yang menyewa anggota Yakuza agar agunan mereka tidak disita oleh bank. Selain itu, banyak perusahaan yang memperoleh pinjaman bank pada dasarnya adalah sebuah kigyo shatei, perusahaan boneka miliki Yakuza. Perusahaan milik Yakuza ini diperkirakan memperoleh kredit antara 300-400 milyar dolar, dan sebagian dari jumlah itu dialirkan ke induk organisasi Yakuza. Menghadapi hal seperti ini, bank Jepang jelas tidak bisa berkutik.

Di sisi lain, anggota Yakuza juga kerap membeli aset properti dengan harga miring dari perusahaan yang butuh uang tunai untuk dijual kembali dengan harga tinggi apapun itu mulai dari apartemen, perkantoran hingga rumah sakit. Bila sebuah bangunan telah dibeli oleh Yakuza, tidak ada yang berani jadi tetangga mereka dan alhasil harga properti langsung jatuh, dan segera naik segera setelah Yakuza menjualnya.

Selain beroperasi secara di level bawah, Yakuza juga menggurita di kalangan politisi Jepang. Beberapa praktik suap telah terbongkar termasuk dalam program tender proyek umum senilai trilyunan yen. Program rekapitalisasi perbankan Jepang yang berlarut-larut tidak kunjung selesai diperparah oleh keterlibatan Yakuza yang sangat berkepentingan dalam bisnis properti dan kredit perbankan. Saat ini perbankan Jepang masih menanggung beban kredit macet sebesar kira-kira 1,2 Triliun dolar dan membuat ekonomi tidak bertumbuh selama 10 tahun terakhir.

         YAKUZA PROFILE :

• Asal usul                      : KABUKI-MONO
• Kemunculan              : ABAD kE-17
• Jumlah Anggota      : 86.300 ANGGOTA
• Prinsip Klan              : YAMAGUCHI-GUMI; SUMIYOSHI-KAI; INAGAWA-KAI; TOA-KAI
• Aktivitas                    : PEMERASAN; PERJUDIAN ILEGAL; KASINO; PROSTITUSI; PENYELUNDUPAN

Yakuza: Japan’s organized crime syndicate and the only society of this type that is not a secret and is considered a semi-legitimate business which often provides assistance in times of need before the government could do so

The term Yakuza comes from a Japanese game, Oicho-Kabu (played with hanafuda or kabufuda cards). The worst hand in the game is a set of eight, nine and three. In traditional Japanese forms of counting, these numbers are called Ya, Ku and Sa, thus the origin of the word yakuza. The yakuza took this name because the Ya-Ku-Za hand requires the most skill (at judging opponents, etc.) and, obviously, the best luck in order to win. The name was also used because it signified bad fortune, presumably for anyone who went up against the group.

Divisions of origin

Despite uncertainty about the single origin of Yakuza organizations, most modern Yakuza derive from two classifications which emerged in the mid-Edo Period: tekiya, those who primarily peddled illicit, stolen or shoddy goods; bakuto, those who were involved in or participated in gambling.

Tekiya (peddlers) were considered one of the lowest social groups in Edo. As they began to form organizations of their own, they took over some administrative duties relating to commerce, such as stall allocation and protection of their commercial activities. During Shinto festivals, these peddlers opened stalls and some members were hired to act as security. Each peddler paid rent in exchange for a stall assignment and protection during the fair.

The Edo government eventually formally recognized such tekiya organizations and granted the oyabun (servants) of tekiya a surname as well as permission to carry a sword. This was a major step forward for the traders, as formerly only samurai and noblemen were allowed to carry swords.

Bakuto (gamblers) had a much lower social standing even than traders, as gambling was illegal. Many small gambling houses cropped up in abandoned temples or shrines at the edge of towns and villages all over Japan. Most of these gambling houses ran loan sharking businesses for clients, and they usually maintained their own security personnel.

The places themselves, as well as the bakuto, were regarded with disdain by society at large, and much of the undesirable image of the Yakuza originates from bakuto; This includes the name yakuza itself.

Because of the economic situation during the mid-period and the predominance of the merchant class, developing Yakuza groups were composed of misfits and delinquents that had joined or formed Yakuza groups to extort customers in local markets by selling fake or shoddy goods.

The roots of the Yakuza can still be seen today in initiation ceremonies, which incorporate tekiya orbakuto rituals. Although the modern Yakuza has diversified, some gangs still identify with one group or the other; for example, a gang whose primary source of income is illegal gambling may refer to themselves as bakuto.

Burakumin

The Burakumin are a group that is socially discriminated against in Japanese society. The burakumin are descendants of outcast communities of the feudal era, which mainly comprised those with occupations considered tainted with death or ritual impurity, such as executioners, undertakers or leather workers. They traditionally lived in their own secluded hamlets and ghettos. Discrimination against the Burakumin continues into the present day, a legacy of the Japanese feudal/caste system.

According to David E. Kaplan and Alec Dubro in Yakuza: The Explosive Account of Japan’s Criminal Underworld (Reading, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 1986), burakumin account for about 70 percent of the members of Yamaguchi-gumi, the biggest Yakuza syndicate in Japan.

Mitsuhiro Suganuma, ex-officer of the Public Security Intelligence Agency, testified that burakumin account for about 60 percent of the members of the entire Yakuza.

Structure

Yakuza hierarchyDuring the formation of the yakuza, they adopted the traditional Japanese hierarchical structure of oyabun-kobun where kobun (子分; lit. foster child) owe their allegiance to the oyabun (親分; lit. foster parent). In a much later period, the code of jingi (仁義, justice and duty) was developed where loyalty and respect are a way of life.

The oyabun-kobun relationship is formalized by ceremonial sharing of sake from a single cup. This ritual is not exclusive to the yakuza—it is also commonly performed in traditional Japanese Shinto weddings, and may have been a part of sworn brotherhood[clarification needed] relationships.

During the World War II period in Japan, the more traditional tekiya/bakuto form of organization declined as the entire population was mobilized to participate in the war effort and society came under strict military government. However, after the war, the yakuza adapted again.

Prospective yakuza come from all walks of life. The most romantic tales tell how yakuza accept sons who have been abandoned or exiled by their parents. Many yakuza start out in junior high school or high school as common street thugs or members of bōsōzoku gangs. Perhaps because of its lower socio-economic status, numerous yakuza members come from Burakumin and ethnic Korean backgrounds.

Yakuza groups are headed by an Oyabun or Kumichō (組長, family head) who gives orders to his subordinates, the kobun. In this respect, the organization is a variation of the traditional Japanese senpai-kōhai (senior-junior) model. Members of yakuza gangs cut their family ties and transfer their loyalty to the gang boss. They refer to each other as family members – fathers and elder and younger brothers. The Yakuza is populated almost entirely by men, and there are very few women involved who are called “nee-san” (姐さん older sister). When the Yamaguchi-gumi (Family) boss was shot in the late nineties, his wife took over as boss of Yamaguchi-gumi, albeit for a short time.

The Yakuza have a very complex organizational structure. There is an overall boss of the syndicate, the kumicho, and directly beneath him are the saiko komon (senior advisor) and so-honbucho (headquarters chief). The second in the chain of command is the wakagashira, who governs several gangs in a region with the help of a fuku-honbucho who is himself responsible for several gangs. The regional gangs themselves are governed by their local boss, the shateigashira.

Each member’s connection is ranked by the hierarchy of sakazuki (sake sharing). Kumicho are at the top, and control various saikō-komon (最高顧問, senior advisors). The saikō-komon control their own turfs in different areas or cities. They have their own underlings, including other underbosses, advisors, accountants and enforcers.

Those who have received sake from oyabun are part of the immediate family and ranked in terms of elder or younger brothers. However, each kobun, in turn, can offer sakazuki as oyabun to his underling to form an affiliated organization, which might in turn form lower ranked organizations. In the Yamaguchi-gumi, which controls some 2,500 businesses and 500 yakuza groups, there are even 5th rank subsidiary organizations.

Rituals

Yubitsume, or finger-cutting, is a form of penance or apology. Upon a first offence, the transgressor must cut off the tip of his left little finger and hand the severed portion to his boss. Sometimes an underboss may do this in penance to the oyabun if he wants to spare a member of his own gang from further retaliation.

Its origin stems from the traditional way of holding a Japanese sword. The bottom three fingers of each hand are used to grip the sword tightly, with the thumb and index fingers slightly loose. The removal of digits starting with the little finger moving up the hand to the index finger progressively weakens a person’s sword grip.

The idea is that a person with a weak sword grip then has to rely more on the group for protection—reducing individual action. In recent years, prosthetic fingertips have been developed to disguise this distinctive appearance.

Many Yakuza have full-body tattoos. These tattoos, known as irezumi in Japan, are still often “hand-poked”, that is, the ink is inserted beneath the skin using non-electrical, hand-made and hand held tools with needles of sharpened bamboo or steel. The procedure is expensive and painful and can take years to complete.

Yakuza in prison sometimes perform pearlings: for each year spent in prison one pearl is inserted under the skin of the penis.

When yakuza members play Oicho-Kabu cards with each other, they often remove their shirts or open them up and drape them around their waists. This allows them to display their full-body tattoos to each other. This is one of the few times that yakuza members display their tattoos to others, as they normally keep them concealed in public with long-sleeved and high-necked shirts.

Another prominent yakuza ritual is the sake-sharing ceremony. This is used to seal bonds of brotherhood between individual yakuza members, or between two yakuza groups. For example, in August 2005, the Godfathers Kenichi Shinoda and Kazuyoshi Kudo held a sake-sharing ceremony, sealing a new bond between their respective gangs, the Yamaguchi-gumi and the Kokusui-kai.

Principal families

Although yakuza membership has declined following an antigang law aimed specifically at yakuza and passed by the Japanese government in 1992, there are thought to be more than 87,000 active yakuza members in Japan today. Although there are many different Yakuza groups, together they form the largest organized crime group in the world. Most yakuza members belong to four principal families:

Yamaguchi-gumi

(六代目山口組, Rokudaime Yamaguchi-gumi?) Created in 1915, the Yamaguchi-gumi is the biggest yakuza family, 45% of all yakuza in Japan, with more than 45,000 members divided into 750 clans. Despite more than one decade of police repression, the Yamaguchi-gumi has continued to grow. From its headquarters in Kobe, it directs criminal activities throughout Japan. It is also involved in operations in Asia and the United States. Shinobu Tsukasa, also known as Kenichi Shinoda, is the Yamaguchi-gumi’s current oyabun. He follows an expansionist policy, and has increased operations in Tokyo (which has not traditionally been the territory of the Yamaguchi-gumi.) 

Sumiyoshi-rengo

(住吉連合?), sometimes known as Sumiyoshi-kai (住吉会?) The Sumiyoshi-rengo is the second largest yakuza family, with 10,000 members divided into 177 clans. The Sumiyoshi-kai, as it is sometimes called, is a confederation of smaller yakuza groups. Its current oyabun is Shigeo Nishiguchi. Structurally, Sumiyoshi-kai differs from its principal rival, the Yamaguchi-gumi, in that it functions like a federation. The chain of command is more lax, and although Shigeo Nishiguchi is always the supreme oyabun, its leadership is distributed among several other people. 

Inagawa-kai

(稲川会?) The Inagawa-kaï is the third largest yakuza family in Japan, with roughly 7,400 members divided into 313 clans. It is based in the Tokyo-Yokohama area and was one of the first yakuza families to expand its operations to outside of Japan. Its current oyabun is Hideki Inagawa. 

Toua Yuai Jigyo Kumiai

(東亜友愛事業組合?), sometimes called Tōa-kai (東亜会?) Founded by Hisayuki Machii in 1948, the Tao Yuai Jigyo Kumiai yakuza family quickly became one of most influential yakuza groups in Tokyo. It is composed of yakuza of Korean origin, and numbers more than 1,000 divided into 6 clans. Its current oyabun is Satoru Nomura.

Current Activities: Japan

Much of the current activities of the yakuza can be understood in the light of their feudal origin. First, they are not a secret society like their counterparts of the Italian mafia and Chinese triads. Yakuza organizations often have an office with a wooden board on the front door, openly displaying their group name or emblem.

Members often wear sunglasses and colorful suits so that their profession can be immediately recognized by civilians (katagi). Even the way many Yakuza walk is different from ordinary citizens. Their arrogant, wide gait is markedly different from the quiet, unassuming way many Japanese go about their business. Alternatively, Yakuza can dress more conservatively and flash their tattoos to indicate their affiliation when the need arises.

On occasion, they also sport insignia pins on their lapels. One Yakuza family even printed a monthly newsletter with details on prisons, weddings, funerals, murders, and poems by leaders.

Until recently, the majority of yakuza income came from protection rackets in shopping, entertainment and red-light districts within their territory. This is mainly due to the reluctance of such businesses to seek help from the police. The Japanese police are also reluctant to interfere in internal matters in recognized communities such as shopping arcades, schools/universities, night districts and so on.

In this sense, yakuza are still regarded as semi-legitimate organizations. For example, immediately after the Kobe earthquake, the Yamaguchi-gumi, whose headquarters are in Kobe, mobilized itself to provide disaster relief services (including the use of a helicopter), and this was widely reported by the media as a contrast to the much slower response by the Japanese government. For this reason, many yakuza regard their income and hustle (shinogi) as a collection of a feudal tax.

Yakuza are heavily involved in sex-related industries, such as smuggling uncensored pornography from Europe and America into Japan (as the local pornography is censored in ways Western pornography is not). They also control large prostitution rings throughout the country. In China, where the law restricts the number of children per household and the cultural preference is for boys, the yakuza can buy unwanted girls for as little as $5,000 and put them to work in the mizu shōbai, which means water trade and refers to the night entertainment business, in yakuza-controlled bars, nightclubs and restaurants.

The Philippines is another source of young women. Yakuza trick girls from impoverished villages into coming to Japan, where they are promised respectable jobs with good wages. Instead, they are forced into becoming prostitutes and strippers.

The alleys and streets of Shinjuku are a popular modern Tokyo Yakuza hangout. Yakuza frequently engage in a uniquely Japanese form of extortion, known as sōkaiya (総会屋). In essence, this is a specialized form of protection racket. Instead of harassing small businesses, the yakuza harasses a stockholders’ meeting of a larger corporation. They simply scare the ordinary stockholder with the presence of yakuza operatives, who obtain the right to attend the meeting by a small purchase of stock.

They also engage in simple blackmail, obtaining incriminating or embarrassing information about a company’s practices or leaders. Once the yakuza gain a foothold in these companies, they will work for them to protect the company from having such internal scandals exposed to the public. Some companies still include payoffs as part of their annual budget.

The Yakuza have a strong influence in Japanese professional wrestling, or puroresu. Most of their interest in wrestling activities and promotions is purely financial. The Yakuza have mostly gotten involved by financially supporting wrestling promotions with fading fortunes, or simple business loans.

Many venues used by wrestling (arenas, stadiums, and so forth) are owned by or connected to the Yakuza, and as such, when a promotion uses one of their sites, the Yakuza receive a percentage of the gate. The Yakuza as a whole is regarded as a great supporter of both puroresu and MMA.

It’s not unusual for wrestlers to receive specific instructions on what to do in their matches so as to appeal just to Yakuza members in the crowd. It is thought in Japan that it is safe to say that none of the large wrestling promotions in Japan would fold, because they would be rescued by the Yakuza.

The pioneer of wrestling in Japan, Rikidōzan, was killed by the Yakuza. Former WWE wrestler Yoshihiro Tajiri was asked to start a Yakuza gimmick, an offer he quickly refused, fearing that he would be targeted by the real Yakuza. Professional wrestler Yoshiaki Fujiwara is often referred to as Kumicho (i.e., “Godfather”) and his wrestling promotion was called the Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi. He often portrays Yakuza figures as an actor on Japanese television comedies and dramas.

Yakuza also have ties to the Japanese realty market and banking, through jiageya (地上げ屋). Jiageya specialize in inducing holders of small real estate to sell their property so that estate companies can carry out much larger development plans. Japan’s bubble economy of the 1980s is often blamed on real estate speculation by banking subsidiaries. After the collapse of the Japanese property bubble, a manager of a major bank in Nagoya was assassinated, and much speculation ensued about the banking industry’s indirect connection to the Japanese underworld.

Yakuza often take part in local festivals such as Sanja Matsuri where they often carry the shrine through the streets proudly showing off their elaborate tattoos. Yakuza have been known to make large investments in legitimate, mainstream companies. In 1989, Susumu Ishii, the Oyabun of the Inagawa-kai (a well known Yakuza group) bought US$ 255 million worth of Tokyo Kyuko Electric Railway’s stock. Japan’s Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission has knowledge of more than 50 listed companies with ties to organized crime, and in March 2008 the Osaka Securities Exchange decided to review all listed companies and expel those with Yakuza ties.

As a matter of principle, theft is not recognized as a legitimate activity of yakuza. This is in line with the idea that their activities are semi-open; theft by definition would be a covert activity. More importantly, such an act would be considered a trespass by the community. Also, yakuza usually do not conduct the actual business operation by themselves. Core business activities such as merchandising, loan sharking or management of gambling houses are typically managed by non-yakuza members who pay protection fees for their activities.

There is much evidence of Yakuza involvement in international crime. There are many tattooed Yakuza members imprisoned in various Asian prisons for such crimes as drug trafficking and arms smuggling. In 1997, one verified Yakuza member was caught smuggling 4 kilograms (8.82 pounds) of heroin into Canada.

In 1999, Italian-American Mafia Bonanno family member, Mickey Zaffarano, was overheard talking about the profits of the pornography trade that both families could profit from.  Another Yakuza racket is bringing women of other ethnicities/races, especially East European and Asian to Japan under the lure of a glamorous position, then forcing the women into prostitution.

Because of their history as a legitimate feudal organization and their connection to the Japanese political system through the uyoku (extreme right-wing political groups), yakuza are somewhat a part of the Japanese establishment. In the early 80s in Fukuoka, a yakuza war spiraled out of control and a few civilians were hurt. The police stepped in and forced the yakuza bosses on both sides to declare a truce in public. At various times, people in Japanese cities have launched anti-yakuza campaigns with mixed and varied success. In March 1995, the Japanese government passed the Act for Prevention of Unlawful Activities by Criminal Gang Members which made traditional racketeering much more difficult.

United States

The Yakuza have had presence in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Bernardino, Seattle, Las Vegas, Arizona, Houston, Florida, Virginia, and New York City.

Yakuza activity in the United States is mostly relegated to Hawaii, but have made their presence known in other parts of the country. The Yakuza are said to use Hawaii as a way station between Japan and mainland America, smuggling crystal methamphetamine into the country and smuggling back firearms to Japan. They easily fit into the local population, since many tourists from Japan and other Asian countries visit the islands on a regular basis. They also work with local gangs, funneling Japanese tourists to gambling parlors and brothels.

In California, the Yakuza have made alliances with local Vietnamese and Korean gangs as well as Chinese triads. In New York City, they appear to collect finders fees from American mafiosos and businessmen for guiding Japanese tourists to gambling establishments, both legal and illegal.

Handguns manufactured in the U.S. account for a large share (33%) of handguns seized in Japan, followed by China (16%), and the Philippines (10%). In 1990, a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver that cost $275 in the U.S. could sell for up to $4,000 in Tokyo, and by 1997 it could sell for $500 due to the proliferation of guns in Japan during the 1990s.

The FBI suspects that the Yakuza use various operations to launder money in the U.S.

In 2001, the FBI’s representative in Tokyo arranged for Tadamasa Goto, the head of the group Goto-gumi, to receive a liver transplant in the United States, in return for information of Yamaguchi-gumi operations in the U.S. This was done without prior consultation of the NPA. The journalist who uncovered the deal received threats by Goto and was given police protection in the US and in Japan.

Mexico

Yakuza in Mexico are most notably involved in illegal immigration. There were cases in the 1990s of Yakuza recruiting young women (mainly with diplomas and good English knowledge) with promises of legitimate work in Japan.  When the women arrived in Japan they were forced into prostitution. Some women were able to escape their employers and return home to Mexico and alert authorities. In some incidents, Mexican authorities were able to apprehend the Yakuza members and deported them as illegal immigrants.

Similar incidents have also occurred in Peru where women have been enticed to work in Japan. The Association of Hispanic Women Against Discrimination and Gender Violence or “Women in Action” estimates nearly 3,000 Mexican women recruited by the various Yakuza clans prostitute themselves in Jap

Just picked this up about 2 days ago. I’m looking forward to all the stories that this book will packed with. Ill give a review when I’m done with the book soon enough, so keep a lookout for that.

Faz pouco menos de um ano. Que eu comecei à escrever pequenos contos ou crônicas. Tudo começou quando estava prestes à fazer um texto na aula de português no colégio, coisa que eu sempre amei, escrever e levar nota por isso, também coisa que os professores no meu novo colégio não andam cobrando. Mas enfim, eu queria fazer algo diferente, espetacular e profundo. Na época, e ainda hoje , eu estava  vidrado em tramas e temas de gângster, pra quem não percebeu tá até no meu nick. Máfia, crime organizado e coisas desse naipe. Já havia assistido a trilogia “The Godfather” um atrás do outro, mais tarde assisti o antológico ”Scarface” e pesquisado muito sobre o tema. Sem falar que eu tinha acabado de zerar um dos jogos mais lendários de todos os tempos, “Mafia”, que se passa nas décadas de 20 à 30. Então é claro queria fazer algo da época e nesse tema. Mas outra coisa que me incomodava. Fazer mais um desses romances ou tramas de máfia em Chicago ou NY, eu não queria isso, queria algo original, sempre fui assim além de eu ser do contra. Então pensei em algo fora da Itália e América do Norte, chega de máfia siciliana ou cubana. Pensei em fazer sobre a Yakuza ou Tríade Chinesa. Mas daí lembrei da Máfia Vermelha, a máfia Russa. Então caiu como uma luva, sempre fui meio comunista e ainda vidrado na Rússia.

Pois bem, fiz o primeiro conto do que seria mais tarde um livro com mais de 16 destes contos. Pesquisei bastante, então fiz uma trama que se passa no fim dos anos 80, quando a URSS está prestes à cair. Sobre uma família emergente que decide aniquilar as concorrentes do “ramo”. Então criei um blog pra ir postando as crônicas e ouvindo as críticas de meus amigos. A história em tese está terminada, entretanto falta bastante coisa, dar uma revisada geral (outra), umas modificadas gerais. Mas no final, consegui fazer aquilo queria, uma estória obscura, violenta e que faça pensar. Tá aí o blog, leiam de baixo pra cima para seguir a história. Aproveitem e dêm uma lida pelo menos no primeiro conto.

http://moscouemchamas.blogspot.com/

Ps: Ah, esse é apenas um dos meus livros, pelo menos o primeiro que ficou pronto. Depois falo sobre minha mais amada obra prima ainda não terminada, em que fiquei mais de cinco anos lapidando sua matriz.

Sejarah panjang Yakuza dimulai kira-kira pada tahun 1612, saat Shogun Tokugawa berkuasa dan menyingkirkan shogun sebelumnya. Pergantian ini mengakibatkan kira-kira 500.000 orang samurai yang sebelumnya disebut hatomo-yakko (pelayan shogun) menjadi kehilangan tuan, atau disebut sebagai kaum ronin.

Seperti kata pepatah rang yang hanya punya martil cenderung melihat segala sesuatu bisa beres dengan dimartil..?, demikian juga dengan kaum ronin ini. Banyak dari mereka menjadi penjahat dan centeng. Mereka disebut sebagai kabuki-mono atau samurai nyentrik urakan yang ke mana-mana membawa pedang. Mereka berbicara satu sama lain dalam bahasa slang dan kode rahasia. Terdapat kesetiaan tingi di antara sesama ronin sehingga kelompok ini sulit dibasmi.

Apakah kaum ronin ini yang menjadi biang Yakuza?? Bukan.

Untuk melindungi kota dari para kabuki-mono, banyak kota-kota kecil di Jepang membentuk machi-yokko (satgas kampung). Satgas ini terdiri dari para pedagang, pegawai, dan orang biasa yang mau menyumbangkan tenaganya untuk menghadapi kaum kabuki-mono. Walaupun mereka kurang terlatih dan jumlahnya sedikit, tetapi ternyata para anggota machi-yokko ini sanggup menjaga daerah mereka dari serangan para kabuki mono. Di kalangan rakyat Jepang abad ke 17 ? kaum machi-yokko ini dianggap seperti pahlawan.

Masalah jadi rumit, karena setelah berhasil menggulung para ronin, para anggota machi-yokko ini malah meninggalkan profesi awal mereka ? dan memilih jadi preman. Hal ini diperparah lagi dengan turut campurnya Shogun dalam memelihara para machi-yokko ini. Ada dua kelas profesi para machi-yokko, yaitu kaum Bakuto (penjudi) dan Tekiya (pedagang). Namanya saja kaum pedagang ? tetapi pada kenyataannya, kaum Tekiya ini suka menipu dan memeras sesama pedagang. Walau begitu, kaum ini punya sistem kekerabatan yang kuat. Ada hubungan kuat antara Oyabun (Boss-bapak) dan Kobun (bawahan-anak), serta Senpai-Kohai (Senior-Junior) yang kemudian menjadi kental di organisasi Yakuza.

PEJUDI SEWAAN

Kaum Bakuto (penjudi), punya sejarah yang unik. Awalnya mereka disewa oleh Shogun untuk berjudi melawan para pegawai konstruksi dan irigasi. Untuk apa?? Agar gaji para pegawai konstruksi dan irigasi habis di meja judi ? dan tenaga mereka bisa disewa dengan harga murah!

Jenis judi yang biasa dilakukan adalah menggunakan kartu Hanafuda dengan sistem permainan mirip Black Jack. Tiga kartu dibagikan dan bila angka kartu dijumlahkan ? maka angka terakhir menunjukkan siapa pemenang. Nah diantara sekian banyak? kartu sial?, kartu berjumlah 20 adalah yang paling sering disumpahi orang, karena berakhiran nol. Salah satu konfigurasi kartu ini adalah kartu dengan nilai 8-9-3 ? yang dalam bahasa Jepang menjadi Ya-Ku-Za ? yang kemudian menjadi nama asal Yakuza.

Dari kaum Bakuto ini juga muncul tradisi menandai diri dengan tattoo sekujur badan (disebut irezumi) dan yubitsume (potong jari) sebagai bentuk penyesalan ataupun sebagai hukuman. Awalnya hukuman ini bersifat simbolik? karena ruas atas jari kelingking yang dipotong membuat si empunya tangan menjadi lebih sulit memegang pedang dengan mantap. Hal ini menjadi simbol ketaatan terhadap pimpinan.

Waktu pun berlalu, kaum Bakuto dan Tekiya menjadi satu identitas sebagai Yakuza. Kaum yang asalnya bertugas melindungi masyarakat – menjadi ditakuti masyarakat. Para pimpinan Jepang memanfaatkan hal ini untuk mengendalikan masyarakat dan menggerakkan nasionalisme. Yakuza ikut direkrut oleh pemerintah Jepang dalam aksi pendudukan di Manchuria dan China oleh Jepang tahun 1930-an. Para Yakuza dikirim ke daerah tersebut untuk merebut tanah, dan memperoleh hak monopoli sebagai imbalan.

Peruntungan kaum Yakuza berubah setelah Jepang menyerang Pearl Harbor. Militer mengambil alih kendali dari tangan Yakuza. Para anggota Yakuza akhirnya harus memilih apakah bergabung dalam birokrasi pemerintah, jadi tentara atau masuk penjara. Boleh dikata pamor Yakuza tenggelam.

Setelah Jepang menyerah, para anggota Yakuza kembali ke masyarakat. Muncul satu orang yang berhasil mempersatukan seluruh organisasi Yakuza. Orang itu adalah Yoshio Kodame, seorang ex-militer dengan pangkat terakhir Admiral Muda (yang dicapainya di usia 34 tahun). Yoshio Kodame berhasil mempersatukan dua fraksi besar Yakuza, yaitu Yamaguchi-gumi yang dipimpin Kazuo Taoka, dan Tosei-kai yang dipimpin Hisayuki Machii. Yakuza pun bertambah besar keanggotaannya terutama di periode 1958-1963 – saat organisasi Yakuza diperkirakan memiliki anggota 184.000 orang – atau lebih banyak daripada anggota tentara angkatan darat Jepang saat itu. Yoshio Kodame dinobatkan sebagai godfather-nya Yakuza.

Di masa kini, keanggotaan Yakuza diperkirakan telah menurun tajam – tetapi bukan berarti tidak berbahaya. Tulang punggung bisnis illegal mereka adalah pachinko, perdagangan ampethamine (termasuk ice dan ecstasy), prostitusi, pornografi, pemerasan, hingga penyelundupan senjata.

Di era 1980-an, Yakuza mengembangkan sayap mereka hingga ke Amerika, dan ikut masuk dalam bisnis legal untuk mencuci uang mereka. Dalam operasinya, Yakuza membeli asset di Amerika – dan salah satu yang pernah mencuat ke permukaan adalah keterlibatan Prescott Bush Jr., saudara dari presiden George Bush dan paman dari Presiden George W. Bush Jr., dalam transaksi penjualan perusahaan Asset Management International Financing & Settlements di awal 1990-an.

Berdasarkan perkiraan kasar dari sumber majalah Far Eastern Economic Review edisi 17 Januari 2002 – Yakuza diperkirakan telah menanamkan uang hingga USD 50 Milyar dalam investasi saham dan perusahaan di Amerika. Bandingkan dengan cadangan devisa Indonesia yang USD 36 Milyar.

Di dalam negeri, Yakuza juga ditengarai turut berperan dalam anjloknya ekonomi Jepang selama 10 tahun terakhir. Sebagai akibat amblasnya bisnis properti dan macetnya kredit bank di Jepang pasca 1990 – banyak debitor yang menyewa anggota Yakuza agar agunan mereka tidak disita oleh bank. Selain itu, banyak perusahaan yang memperoleh pinjaman bank – pada dasarnya adalah sebuah kigyo shatei atau perusahaan boneka miliki Yakuza. Perusahaan milik Yakuza ini diperkirakan memperoleh kredit antara USD 300-400 Milyar, dan sebagian dari jumlah itu dialirkan ke induk organisasi Yakuza. Menghadapi hal seperti ini – bank Jepang jelas tidak bisa berkutik.

Di sisi lain, anggota Yakuza juga kerap membeli asset properti dengan harga miring dari perusahaan yang butuh cash – untuk dijual kembali dengan harga tinggi – apapun itu mulai dari apartemen, perkantoran hingga rumah sakit. Bila sebuah bangunan telah dibeli oleh Yakuza – siapa sih yang berani jadi tetangga mereka? Alhasil harga properti langsung amblas, dan segera naik segera setelah Yakuza menjualnya.

Selain beroperasi secara di level bawah, Yakuza juga menggurita di kalangan politisi Jepang. Beberapa praktek suap telah terbongkar termasuk dalam program tender proyek umum senilai trilyunan yen. Program rekapitalisasi perbankan Jepang yang berlarut-larut tidak kunjung selesai – diperparah oleh keterlibatan Yakuza yang sangat berkepentingan dalam bisnis properti dan kredit perbankan. Saat ini perbankan Jepang masih menanggung beban kredit macet sebesar kira-kira USD 1,2 Trilyun – dan membuat ekonomi tidak bertumbuh selama 10 tahun terakhir.

Link : http://ilmupedia.com/akademik/sejara…ya-yakuza.html

Police cordon off the site of the crime scene in Yokohama on Friday.

More information is available on Major Nidal Malik Hasan, the Army psychologist who opened fire at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas yesterday killing 13 people and injuring 30. Although he was initially reported to have been killed, it is now known that Hasan was shot several times by a civilian police officer and is unconscious and under armed guard at a local hospital. Hasan, the son of Palestinian parents who was born in Virginia, is a lifelong Muslim but did not appear to be an extremist. He was harassed after the September 11th attacks. Recently, he had expressed dissatisfaction with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and was suspected of posting comments on the internet that seemed to praise suicide bombers, Associated Press.  Witnesses say Hasan was calm and methodical during the shootings, ABC News. Hasan was said to have joined the Army in exchange for college fees and to have tried to gain release from his contract but was denied, Times Online. Hansan’s aunt says he even offered to repay his medical training in exchange for discharge. His aunt said that Hasan’s work as a psychiatrist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center left him deeply disturbed and fearful of being deployed to Iraq, Washington Post.

Civilian police responded to the shooting within 3 minutes of the attack. Sgt. Kimberly Munley is being hailed as a hero for bringing down Hasan despite being shot herself, Associated Press.

Timeline of the shootings, BBC News.

In Yokohama, near Toyko, Japan, a gunman injured 3 debt-collectors before killing himself. The gunman was a member of organized crime in Japan. Violence, especially gun violence, is rare in Japan and is usually associated with the Japanese mafia (yakuza), BBC News.

The deal that would have restored political order in Honduras appears to have fallen through. Ousted president Manuel Zelaya says that he was unable to join the de facto government that has controlled the country since June 28 when Honduran military forced him to leave the country. Roberto Micheletti has been acting as the country’s leader since Zelaya’s exile. An upcoming scheduled presidential election is expected to proceed as planned but the United States has said the outcome will not be recognized as valid unless Zelaya is returned to power first, New York Times.

Over the course of this week, we will uncover twenty titles you need to seek out at your local DVD store. Here is Part 2.

The list is laid out something like this. The title, year it was made, genre, synopsis and finally my rating. I hope to do more of these lists as I uncover some of the treasures hidden at the local videostore.

15. Legionnaire (1998) (Action – Drama)

Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Alain Lefevre, a boxer who decides to defy a mobster and not take a fall in a huge boxing match. To avoid being killed by the mob, Alain escapes to join the French Foreign Legion stationed in Africa. Alain quickly realizes that the struggle to stay alive as a “legionnaire” might be more harrowing than avoiding the mob.

Alain learns a lot about himself and the power of redemption and friendship. “Legionnaire” ranks in the top 5 best Van Damme films among that top 5 are films like “Bloodsport” and “Timecop”.

The reason this film is so much better than a lot of the films Van Damme has done is that it is presented as an epic. The film showcases glorious cinematography, epic war battles and a great performance from Van Damme, which showcases an internal human struggle. Forget the crap films Van Damme has made  like “Knockoff”, “Universal Soldier: The Return” and “Maximum Risk” and embrace this entry in the Van Damme action journey. This movie is way better than it deserves to be! A true must for Van Damme fans and fans of epic adventure. (4 out of 5)

14. Live Wire (1992) (Action – Drama)

Danny O’Neill (Pierce Brosnan) is a bomb disposal expert assigned to a case where terrorists have developed an “invisible” biological liquid explosive. Their targets include a group of US Senators and one of them happens to be sleeping with Danny’s wife.

“Live Wire” is the 2nd Brosnan film on this list and another welcomed discovery. The film is directed and photographed like a “Lethal Weapon” film and has the adrenaline and intensity of that style. The explosive is so original I decided not to reveal what it is in this review.

You really have to see the film to understand how unique it is. It’s something I have never seen before or since. Another similarity between “Lethal Weapon” and this film is the way Brosnan plays Danny.

He plays him a lot like the way Mel Gibson portrayed Martin Riggs, burnt out and as explosive as the materials he uses.

Brosnan accomplishing this draws us into a deeper connection to the character. There is a lot of charisma in Brosnan and from his acting in this film it’s not surprising he was James Bond. (3.5 of 5)

13. Mr. Frost (1990) (Horror – Suspense)

What if Satan walked among us? A man named Frost (Jeff Goldblum) is imprisoned for murder after he is arrested while burying his victims in a garden. However, even while under strict psychiatric care, it becomes obvious that Mr. Frost is not all that he seems. There is more behind this mysterious man than meets the eye. “Mr. Frost” is so blatantly eerie that it sweeps you in with a stranglehold. Goldblum is charismatic and plays one of the spookiest characters you will ever see. Think Goldblum playing a charismatic and younger “Hannibal Lecter”. For the whole film you aren’t sure what makes the man tick and that is what makes it so addicting to watch. Goldblum is brilliant in this mind-bender. (3.5 of 5)

12. No Way Back (1996) (Action – Drama)

When F.B.I. Agent Zack Grant’s (Russell Crowe) partner is killed in an operation goes sour, he will do anything to find the man or men responsible. The action gets intense when airline stewardess Mary (Helen Slater) gets mixed up in Zack’s crusade.

These problems snowball as Mafioso and Yakuza complications present themselves. “No Way Back” is a solid and adrenaline packed action film that debuted just a year before Crowe became famous to the world in “LA Confidential”.

Crowe brings such grit and demeanor to the burnt out hero that we cheer for him all the way through. The film’s ending doesn’t do the rest justice but the reason to see this film is purely for fans of Russell Crowe. (3.5 of 5)

11. Raising Cain (1992) (Suspense)

Jenny Nix (Lolita Davidovich), wife of eminent child psychologist Carter Nix (John Lithgow), begins to neglect her daughter after an adulterous affair with an old flame (Steven Bauer).

While Jenny becomes enthralled in the affair her husband becomes deeply concerned for the well being of their daughter. Some rather distressing kidnapping grip the neighborhood in which the Nix’s live.

Could these kidnapping be linked to Carter Nix’s past. Lithgow is utterly brilliant, as he has to play not 2 characters but 4.

His performance even dives deeper into depth as Carter Nix begins to go insane.

Director Brian DePalma seems to give Lithgow a lot of leeway, as some of the mental shuffles seem almost ad-libbed. Those scenes are brilliant to watch as you see the magnificence of Lithgow.

The real sad note of the film is that it is way to short and the script seems to bolt along. The script could have used a little more detail.

The film is a great suspense ride and with the perfect performance by Lithgow which make it a great renter. (3 of 5)

CBS)  Three of Goto’s Yakuza cronies also got liver transplants at UCLA. For them, money was no object. UCLA says each of their transplants cost about $400,000 dollars; the Yakuza all paid cash.

The hospital also acknowledged Goto and another Yakuza each made $100,000 donations to the transplant center

Yakuza: Japans Not-So-Secret Mafia – 60 Minutes – CBS News.

Here’s the crux of the 60-Minutes segment:

1) It cost $400K to get a liver transplant from UCLA Medical Center.

2) If you have the money, you can buy your way to the top of the donor list at UCLA Medical Center.

3) A certain Japanese mob boss paid $1 million dollars for his liver transplant at UCLA Medical Center, along with a $1K donation to the medical wing that did the transplant.

So, here’s my take-away:

1) The powers that be, along with the doctors involved,  at UCLA Medical Center find no moral or ethical obligation to how they do business. And obviously, the transplant business is booming. $400K for a liver. A liver that was donated. I’d love to see the breakdown as to how and why a transplant cost so fucking much. That’s ridiculous. It’s a obscene markup, and you can’t tell me “it’s what the market will bare.” It is what it is because they dictate, and the medical community damn wells knows that.

Now to make full disclosure here, I have been very vocal against organ donation. Why? For the very reason that the medical community has been screwing over everyone who signs on the dotted line. If I held a donor card, and if something were to happen to me and my liver were to go to a needy recipient, I want my family to get a piece of that $400K. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking but I don’t hear you bitching and complaining, let alone questioning what the hospital charges. The medical community fully understands the patients, and their families, need. Their anxiety. Their stress. But most of all their need to make the pain go away. And at a time of need they, the medical community, will take financial advantage any way possible. Because they know that at a time of need, there is no negotiating, there is no shopping around for the best price, best service. It is with the understanding that you have a need to have something cured, and you will pay dearly for it. $400k for a liver, and yet I cannot sell my liver on the open market to the highest bidder, but we allow the medical community to pillage and profit without batting an eyelash.

2) The powers that be at UCLA Medical Center are morally and ethically corrupt. The Japanese mob boss, a member of the Yakuza, doesn’t look like your every day Japanese citizen. They are covered, sleeved in tattoos. To say that you were unaware that the patient was a member of…anything you’d be blind. I am not inferring that those that are tattooed or those that are sleeved are  criminals. I am saying that members of the Yakuza are blatant about their affiliation and have no qualms stating as such. Therefore, anyone involved with the mob boss’s transplant was aware of just exactly who he is, and what he represents. So, when I say that UCLA Medical Center does not give a rat’s-ass about you, I mean, they only care when money is involved. Unfortunately, in a transplant situation, it’s people’s lives, and lives were lost when others were pushed down the transplant list as the Yakuza mob boss bought his way to the top.

I don’t foresee that with Health Care Reform this will resolve itself. The transplant list process is pathetic. There is no nationwide list. There is no nationwide database that is kept up-to-date. Why? Because too many in the medical community want a piece of the action. Meaning, if a hospital can make certain claims to it’s successful transplant rate, then that hospital promotes that to the community, which in turn correlates to more donations to that hospital. But anyone who’s taken a biology class knows that human tissue can only be supported for x-amount of hours. So, if a woman in Portland, Oregon is killed in a car crash, the clock is ticking to whether or not she can have her liver donated to a teenager in Salem, Oregon, which is 60-miles away.

I idea of donating ones organ(s) at the time of death is a noble one. I look forward to where the process and application are just as noble. Until then, my answer is, “Keep your filthy hands off.”

Shoko Tendo ist aufgewachsen als Kind eines hochrangigen Mitgliedes der Yakuza und hat auch seinen Fall miterlebt. Gleichzeitig kann man in ihrer Autobiographie “Yakuza Moon: Memoirs of a Gangster’s Daughter” sehr gut sehen, wie sie selber in ein Milieu geraten ist, über das man eher selten liest bzw. dessen Sichtweise man selten findet, wenn man sich mit Japan beschäftigt.
Vom verhätschelten Kind, dass aber auch Gewalt im Familienhaus erfahren musste, zum Mitglied japanischer Jugendgangs, zur drogenabhängigen Hostess, in Beziehungen, die glaub ich niemand als erfahren möchte.
Eins der wenigen Bücher in der letzten Zeit, die ich wirklich verschlungen habe. Stellenweise nicht für zarte Gemüter, da es wirklich gewalttätig zugeht und Tendo ihre eigenen Erfahrungen sehr bildhaft beschreibt. Dazu kommen ein paar sehr schöne Schwarz-Weiß-Fotos aus ihrer Vergangenheit.

Wirklich empfehlenswert. Das Buch hat knapp 200 Seiten und liegt in englischer Übersetzung vor. Bei Amazon kostet es aktuell um die 9€.

Kommentare und Fragen sind wie immer gewünscht.

Eigentlich wollte ich nur einen Wikipedia-Artikel korrigieren. Aus diversen Gründen lass ich es aber sein. Daher gibt es jetzt hier einen Artikel dazu.

Yakuza ist ein umgangssprachlicher Begriff für die organisierte Kriminalität japanischen Ursprungs. In den Berichten der Polizei wird meiner Erfahrung nach immer von kriminellen Banden (Bōryokudan – 暴力団; wortwörtlich: gewalttätige Organisation) gesprochen. In neueren Veröffentlichungen spricht die Polizei interessanter Weise von “Organisierter Kriminalität” (Soshiki Hanzai – 組織犯罪), wobei ich aber leider noch nicht rausgefunden habe was der Unterschied ist.
In neueren Veröffentlichungen fasst die Polizei in einem Kapitel inländische und ausländische organisierte Kriminalität (Soshiki Hanzai – 組織犯罪) zusammen. Wobei für die inländische organisierte Kriminalität (also die Yakuza) der Begriff Bōryokudan verwendet wird. Wird über ausländische organisierte Kriminalität geschrieben, wird der Begriff Soshiki Hanzai verwendet.⁴

Der genaue Ursprung des Begriffs ist unbekannt. Der beliebteste Mythos stammt laut Kaplan¹ aus dem Hanafuda (花札), ein japanisches Kartenspiel. Aber auch das scheint nicht 100% richtig, da es eher aus einem Spiel namens Oicho-Kabu (おいちょカブ) kommt, das mit Hanafuda-Karten gespielt wird. Das Spiel ähnelt Blackjack und es geht dabei darum möglichst nahe an die 9 heranzukommen. Ist der Betrag der Zahl auf den Karten größer 9, wird also zweistellig wird die erste Stelle abgeschnitten. 0 Punkte gibt es also für die 10, 20 usw. Die Kartenkombination 8-3-9 ergibt 20 Punkte und ist damit wirklich schlecht.² Gesprochen wird diese Kombination Ya-Ku-Sa auf Japanisch.³
Diese Kombination wurde wohl von den früheren Glücksspielern als Begriff für etwas Nutzloses genommen und irgendwann wurde der Begriff für die Banden benutzt, welche das Glücksspiel organisiert haben. Diese Banden waren die Bakuto, eine der beiden Ursprungsgruppen der modernen Yakuza.
Die andere Ursprungsgruppe waren Tekiya, fahrende Händler, die auf Märkten u.ä. Stände aufstellten und einen eher schlechten Ruf hatten (z.B. wegen geringer Qualität der gehandelten Waren)

Als letztes noch etwas zu Tätowierungen. Der Ursprung liegt wohl darin, dass Tätowierungen ursprünglich als eine Art Brandmal genutzt worden sind. Die Kriminellen wurde ein schwarzer Ring um einen Arm tätowiert.
Laut Kaplan wurde in einem chinesischem Text aus dem dritten Jahrhundert erwähnt, dass in Japan Oberkörper und Gesicht tätowiert worden sind. Mit der Zeit sind diese komplexer geworden und die Motive waren Götter, Volkshelden, Tiere etc. Im späten 17. Jahrhundert sind diese dann populär geworden bei Menschen, die viel mit freiem Oberkörper gearbeitet haben, wie auch u.a. die oben erwähnten Mitglieder der Glücksspielbanden.

Kommentare und Fragen sind wie immer gern gesehen. Evtl. werde ich in Zukunft mehr über kriminelle Organisationen in Japan schreiben.

[1] Kaplan, David E.; Dubro, Alec (2003). Yakuza: Japan’s Criminal Underworld Expanded Edition. University of California Press. Berkeley; Los Angeles.
[2] Die Spielregeln auf Englisch gibt es hier: http://hanafubuki.org/oichokabu.html
[3] Wie es zur Lautverschiebung von Sa zu Za gekommen ist, weiß ich leider nicht.
[4] Weißbuch der National Police Agency von 2008 (Japanisch)

Mizuno really loves anything with manly spirit ~ Nyan Koi E01

極道 (ごくどう, Gokudō, organized crime)

The Yakuza films, such as the films of Fukasaku Kinji, early on dealt with highly stylized samurai-era gangs, the precursor of the modern Yakuza gangs today. These films that enjoyed theur greatest popularity during 1963-1973 embodied the concept of “giri-ninjo” or the “sacrifice of individuality for the sake of the group” and virtues such as “loyalty, dedication and subservience”. The traditional older Yakuza films featured heroes more concerned with honor than personal gain. As a new Japanese audience started to seek more sophisticated fare, new modern Yakuza films began to rise in popularity, as epitomized in the films of modern Japanese Renaissance man and writer/director/actor “Beat” Takeshi Kitano who revolutionized the modern Yakuza film into a vibrant genre in which cool killers ruthlessly deal with rival gangs in films such as Hana-Bi (1997) and Sonatine (1993).

Film and Television Portrayals of organized Crime, Brian Cogan, 2007, p28

Click to enlarge

I’ll never forget the first time I walked into the all but famous Mary’s Club. I was paid muscle and the job was escorting a Tai hooker who was working for the Yakuza as a mule. She was carrying a suitcase of pearls stolen out of the Pacific Rim and was to hand off the case to some shady jeweler in Portland. Oh how her pouty little suck me lips drove me wild, but she was stone cold and all about the business at hand. When we were finished with the meet, she split without even saying goodbye. After watching her tight little ass wiggle down the street in a barely existent porn star mini skirt, I hoped into my waiting cab and screamed “Take me to the nearest strip club, I got tail on my mind.” The cabbie said he know of just the place and dropped me off at Mary’s Club.

Mary’s was just how I liked it, down and dirty. The gin and tonics started flowing, big tits started bouncing and that Tai hooker who was all about business was just a fading memory. I stayed two extra days in Portland because of Mary’s club. Out side it was raining and in my head things were hazy. I remember nipple clamps, a billy club and a whole lot of ecstasy playing a big part in my initiation to Portland, but most of all, I remember Mary’s Club.

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Tokyo Vice by Jake Adelstein

Adelstein’s got a pulpy, noir-ish voice that all but lights its own Chesterfields and will seduce you in about the first three pages. Overtly about his time working for the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shinbun (largest newspaper in the world–read the wikipedia article + proceed to gasp), Adelstein’s debut’s actually got quite a bit more mileage than a simple this-was-my-job story.

Picture him, too: tall, white, midwestern, Jewish guy who goes to Japan and gets a position with the country’s best newspaper. Also: gets a position on the police beat, which is almost criminally (ha ha ha ha) hard to do for anyone, let alone a gringo.

And in his sights as a reporter? The yakuza, Japan’s organized crime operators. The book actually, cinematically, opens with a scene of Adelstein getting threatened by a member of the yakuza, so the reader knows from the start how the story will end: Adelstein smoking cigarette after cigarette and listening to a man threaten his and his family’s existence. And, I suppose, just by knowing that much, you know what Adelstein decided.

Still: it’s fascinating, the story of how he got to that threatened and threatening point. Along with a cast of characters that’ll keep the reader fully plugged-in and laughing, and along with casual but significant doses of more abstract stuff (honor gets significant play throughout Tokyo Vice, and that virtue ends up being one of the big muscles behind the book’s heart; the yakuza have, of course, their own notions of honor, as does Adelstein [as both a man and as a foreigner]…it all gets real complex, but the quickest and easiest thing to say is that this book’s got a hell of a lot more on manners and virtues than you’d necessarily expect from some pulpy shoot-em-up/bang-bang book), Adelstein’s Tokyo Vice is, ultimately, about human trafficking—about various ways in which people use each other. Of course, overtly, the crime story of human trafficking is the book’s main emphasis—a young woman disappears, and she’s disappeared into a world in which young women are lured to Pacific islands and forced into sex work—but it’s hard, once that story’s threads start flapping, not to notice how the issue resonates through the whole book, every character.

It’s also worth at least noting that I’m a bastard who finds, in just about every first-person work of nonfiction, that voicey-voice crap that ends up being about as pleasant as the sound of microwaved cats. I’m happy to here acknowledge/report that Adelstein’s voice is not voicey-voicey, is not troublingly frustrating or me-me-me or in any real significant way annoying.

And so: what are you waiting for? The thing’s on sale, right now, probably not too far from where you’re sitting.