Yakuzalar: Japon Mafyası | Dövme Sektörü

Yakuza: The Japanese Mafia

Yakuza (ヤクザ or やくざ) or gokudō (極道) is the name given to members of international organized crime groups originating in Japan.

Symbolic figures of terror and nightlife, these dangerous Japanese mafia members are known as the Yakuza.

The word Yakuza originated over 400 years ago during the Tokugawa shogunate. “Ya” means eight, “ku” means nine, and “za” means three. So what does this series of numbers have to do with organized crime? Well, the term Yakuza comes from a very popular Japanese card game at the time.

“Ya-ku-za” is actually a losing combination. That’s why, broadly speaking, this word refers to those who are outcasts from society. Discover the history, organization, and operations of the world’s richest mafia.

The Yakuza, who hold a significant place in Japanese culture, trace their origins back to the Edo period. According to the first theory, the Yakuza are descendants of the Tekiya and Bakuto families. The former controlled the gambling world and kept the fairs alive. The latter...

They were itinerant drug dealers. These two families gathered together all the scum of society. Members of this Japanese mafia continued some of the rituals passed down from their ancestors, such as finger cutting and tattooing.

The origins and history of the Yakuza.

Another hypothesis, supported by the criminal organization itself, is that the Yakuza are the noble descendants of the Machi-Yakko (city servants). Around 1603, many masterless samurai and Ronin became bandits. They were called "Kabuki-Mono," meaning "fools," because of their indiscriminate use of violence against the public and their extravagant lifestyle. The Machi-Yakko were the opponents of the Kabuki-Mono.

To improve their image, the Yakuza like to portray themselves as descendants of machi-yakko, the fervent defenders of the weak. However, according to scholars, the Yakuza are more accurately descendants of kabuki-mono.

Clan organization and rituals

This Japanese mafia is similar to the Sicilian mafia in terms of organization. It's a large family made up of clans. It's controlled by a pyramidal and patriarchal hierarchy based on filial relationships. The grand chief, known as "Oya," is the protective father figure of the entire family. New members represent the "children."

Yakuza Clans

Yakuza, heirs to the samurai code of conduct "bushido," have maintained certain rituals, such as the traditional Irezumi tattoo. Seppuku (or hara-kiri), once common among samurai, is still practiced by the yakuza as punishment for very serious crimes. The practice of yubitsume, which requires the amputation of a member's little finger for failing to perform their duty, is also not uncommon. This explains why many yakuza now have missing fingers. In fact, this self-mutilation practice weakened the yakuza by making sword-wielding difficult.

For new Yakuza members
"Sakazuki ceremony"

New yakuza members participate in an initiation ceremony called Sakazuki. During this ritual, participants wear kimonos. The Grand Chief Oya and the new yakuza exchange sake goblets. This goblet will symbolize the family bond. When a yakuza returns the sake goblet, it signifies their definitive expulsion from the clan.

The sake ceremony symbolizes lifelong commitment for Yakuza members.

Yakuza sake ceremony

Sake is a type of alcoholic beverage made from rice and grain powder. If you break your oath of loyalty by drinking sake, you must quietly leave the group and go your own way. The sake ritual is actually a commitment ritual unique to the Yakuza. Sake symbolizes blood, and the person who drinks it forms a lifelong bond with the other members of the group. This ceremony has considerable religious and cultural significance.

The punitive finger-shortening ritual is called 'Yubitsume'.

One of the most notable practices associated with the Yakuza is a form of punishment called 'yubitsume'.

One of the most notable practices associated with the Yakuza is a form of punishment called 'yubitsume'.

This tradition, which means finger shortening, began as a form of punishment used by Japanese gamblers or bakuto. Yubitsume is performed when a criminal is not fit for exile or execution, but has committed a serious crime.

So it's possible to say that this practice is designed to weaken the offender and make them more dependent on their boss. Yubitsume generally refers to the self-cutting of the upper joint of the little finger. In some cases, offenders perform this themselves without leaving it to the organization members, believing it to be a form of apology. Former Yakuza member Tadamasa Goto summarizes his experience as follows: "I couldn't go and apologize. I have pride. Instead, I cut off one of my fingers and brought it to Kawauchi as an apology."

According to the data obtained, the practice of yubitsume is no longer as widespread as it once was. However, data from 1993 shows that 45% of Yakuza members were missing at least one knuckle. On the other hand, 15% of these individuals stated that they had experienced the ritual two or more times.

As Goto points out, the complete loss of a finger is referred to as a yubitsume, also known as shuniyubi or dead finger.

Yakuza tattoos

The highly colorful patterns cover a significant portion of the body; typically the back, hips, thighs, torso, and arms. However, certain areas are left bare because Irezumi needs to be completely covered by clothing. Therefore, the face, hands, feet, and a vertical line down the middle of the torso remain uncovered.

In fact, tattooing within the yakuza can be considered an initiation ceremony for new members who had proven their courage and loyalty through this ritual. Like nobles who wore coats of arms, yakuza members got tattoos as a token of their clan membership. The motifs represent various strengths of the yakuza.

For example, determination (Koi fish), courage (tiger), strength (dragon), or the transience of life (cherry blossom).

The activities of the Japanese mafia, Yakuza.

Intimidation and blackmail are common methods used by the yakuza to achieve their goals.

Extortion and financial speculation

Did you know that one of the Yakuza's favorite activities is extortion? Members of this Japanese mafia particularly target large corporations. In exchange for providing protection, they demand monthly taxes of feudal origin called tithes. Some even take shares to exert influence over the company's board of directors. A significant percentage of Japanese companies are victims of this extortion. As expected, approximately half of all companies are victims of this practice.

Mafia members are also involved in real estate and stock market speculation. It's no coincidence that they are suspected of being responsible for the 1990 economic crisis.

Drug and arms trafficking

Drug trafficking is undoubtedly the Yakuza's most lucrative activity. Although laws are strict when it comes to drugs in Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun, these networks remain incredibly powerful.

Arms smuggling is also a common activity among the Yakuza.

Members buy weapons from neighboring countries and sell them in Japan for a much higher price.

Gambling

Gambling has been a part of the yakuza's business for centuries, its history stretching back to their ancestors (bakuto) who were already quite successful in this field. Pachinko, a type of pinball machine combined with a slot machine, is a particularly popular game in Japan. In fact, it could be considered the country's third largest source of entertainment revenue after restaurants and tourism.

Prostitution

The Yakuza control a portion of illegal immigration by funding prostitution networks and exploiting the labor force of undocumented workers. They are also heavily involved in the sex industry…

Policy

This criminal organization has such great influence that they have held political power since the end of World War II.

Yakuza members can get tattoos on their genitals.

One of the interesting rituals of the Yakuza is the bizarre tattoos that members get on various parts of their bodies. Members may wear beads or get tattoos on their genitals. This tradition is believed to demonstrate their loyalty to the organization and their ability to withstand pain. Once associated with punishment, these tattoos confirm a tradition dating back to the third century. Yakuza tattoos often take years to complete and are expensive, costing thousands of dollars. Members' tattoos are located on areas of their bodies that are not publicly visible. Their buttocks and, in some cases, their genitals are tattooed.

Another body modification practiced by Yakuza members involves inserting small beads and pearls under the skin of a man's genital area. Each bead or pearl has a symbolic meaning; each represents a year in prison.

Women cannot join the Yakuza.

So what kind of lives do Yakuza wives lead?

The text explains that Yakuza wives live like most housewives in Japan, but their special allegiance to their husbands' connections is tied to their status within the organization. While often acting as intermediaries, the leaders' wives serve as advisors to the organization and manage finances.

Women also get tattoos similar to the male Yakuza tattoos, but according to Jafé, “these are more like armor and they protect them.”

On the other hand, women, unlike male Akuza, do not display their tattoos and, once they join the organization, it is very difficult for them to leave.

Shoko Tendo, the daughter of a yakuza member, sums up the situation perfectly: “While I hated my father’s behavior… I became like him.”

Tendo, who says she adapted to a life of violence, drugs, and chaos, adds: "I had a very hard time as a gangster's daughter, but looking back, I realize I couldn't have lived my life any other way. I'm proud that my father was a Yakuza. I know the Yakuza is a world unsuitable for women, but I have to remind people that I have my father's DNA!"

Yakuza in Japanese Cinematography

Yakuza are a powerful and terrifying figure widely depicted in Japanese cinema. Japanese mafia films have even become a genre in their own right, known as “yakuza eiga.” Similarly, video games and manga were quick to delve into the dark world of organized crime.

This Japanese mafia is undoubtedly the world's largest criminal organization. Dangerous and cunning, they have terrorized the Japanese people for centuries. However, with their numbers dwindling from 180,000 in the 1960s to an estimated 50,000 today, the yakuza are now on the verge of disappearing.

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1. Machi-yakko: Outlaw enforcers in Tokugawa shogunate Japan who fought against kabuki-mono samurai bandits.

2. Ronin: a samurai without a master