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Halloween has been steadily growing in popularity in Japan over the past few years, with the country adopting various customs of the celebration in stages. First came the cosplay, then the decorations around town and limited-time sweets.
Trick-or-treating, though, is something you’ll still only find in limited places, usually held during the day at neighborhood shopping streets or shopping centers…or, oddly enough, at the headquarters of the Yamaguchi-gumi, one of Japan’s largest yakuza clans.
The criminal organization has been handing out candy at Halloween at its Kobe HQ since 2013, beckoning kids to step inside the gates and onto the grounds of their complex with calls of “Happy Halloween!” and “Come on in and get your candy!” However, local children with a sweet tooth will have to get their fix elsewhere this year, as the Yamaguchi-gumi is now legally barred from giving sweets to trick-or-treaters.
This week the prefectural assembly of Hyogo, the prefecture Kobe is a part of, voted unanimously to revise the Organized Crime Exclusion Ordinances, adding provisions that make it illegal for a criminal organization to give gifts (monetary or otherwise) to minors, invite them onto the grounds of their facilities, or correspond with them. Exceptions are made for “legitimately justifiable reasons,” but handing out snacks in a blatant attempt to curry favor with young children doesn’t cut it, legislators say.
The revision, which goes into effect on Oct 26, was initially introduced for discussion in July, and comes after increased levels of gang violence in Hyogo since fall of last year. While Kanagawa Prefecture has a similar law on the books, Hyogo is the first in Japan to spell out specific punishments, with repeat offenders facing up to six months in jail or a fine of up to 500,000 yen.
Sources: Jiji, Asahi Shimbun Digital
Read more stories from SoraNews24.
-- Happy Halloween from Japan’s largest criminal organization!
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- External Link
- https://soranews24.com/2020/10/07/yakuza-officially-banned-from-giving-kids-halloween-candy-by-japanese-government/
35 Comments
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ReynardFox
I’m sorry. Was this something that needed an official proclamation instead of just, ya know, common sense?
oldman_13
And I don't understand the public's continued fascination with the yakuza. They are but a shadow of their former selves and not even in the top 15 tier of most powerful organized crime syndicates around the world.
8T
I guess it's all about the secret yakuza codes on the inside wrapper of each piece of candy.............
moonbloom
the LDP was built using Yakuza money alongside CIA slush funds. The LDP owes its existence to the Yakuza. I would not be surprised if the Yakuza also order their members to go out and vote for the LDP. Then the gov turns around and does this. Strange.
All about keeping up appearances. The public at-large has no idea about the true origins of the LDP.
Aly Rustom
very simple. the LDP was built using Yakuza money alongside CIA slush funds. The LDP owes its existence to the Yakuza. I would not be surprised if the Yakuza also order their members to go out and vote for the LDP. Then the gov turns around and does this. Strange.
Aly Rustom
Does anyone else find it strange and ironic that Yakuza can be invited to a Cherry Blossom party thrown by a PM using taxpayers' money, and yet be banned from simply handing out candy to children? I just think that is the ipitomy of double standards.
Gooner
Yakuza officially banned from giving kids Halloween candy
Why does the LDP not do anything to stop that sentence after three words? The concrete-addicted, construction-industry-dependent LDP?
Why is it acceptable, in Safety Japan, for the government to not ruffle the feathers of a world-renowned crime syndicate?
BackpackingNepal
Boys/Men should never take and eat any sweets or chocolates given by any girls/women except yr own family or lover but not even friend.
It's something related to the spirit that will affect men. It will make you go all over to that girl and become crazy. Such stories happen many times in SouthEast and West Asia.
Yrral
Is they banned from giving money to Japanese politicians
moonbloom
@Septim
The CIA is the master of both. The ones who have been responsible for all crappy events going in Japan since 1945.
http://www.japansubculture.com/how-the-cia-helped-put-the-yakuza-and-the-ldp-in-power/
https://www.e-flux.com/journal/100/268783/the-imperial-ghost-in-the-neoliberal-machine-figuring-the-cia/
Yes.
Septim Dynasty
They seem to be doing a horrible job. News flash, Nigerians, Chinese, Vietnamese and many other foreign criminal syndicates are pretty much dominating Japan these days. These crime syndicates don't even give a crap about Yakuza at all. Why I don't ever see any of those romanticized action, from Yakuza media, against those foreigners? Why do I see Yakuzas now act as employees for Chinese bosses in Kabukeicho and Shibuya districts?
I concur with this Chinese boss right here.
One former gangster, who now manages a beauty salon for its Chinese owner, told Suzuki the yakuza mafia’s influence has faded.
“The yakuza’s name is almost not used abroad, even if it intimidates the Japanese in the Japanese community,” the ex-gangster said. “People with language skills are no longer attracted to old-fashioned organizations like organized crime groups.”
An executive from Macau who used Chinese tourists to buy up masks in Japan told Suzuki that yakuza “talk a big game, but they have no guts.”
https://www.occrp.org/en/coronavirus/japanese-gangs-vie-for-power-amid-pandemic
Please, many J-nationalists still act like their Nihon is special. I dare anyone of them right now going outside Japan to dare acting tough in front of Chinese or Koreans.
Japan used be an important connection for Asian drugs to enter the USA. However, the Chinese bought up most of Canadian real estates along with a widespread network of established Chinatowns, and Vietnamese American heavy presence in the USA due to the Indochina Refugees Crisis. Both of them, Chinese and Vietnamese syndicates, saw no need to use Japan as a transit point for their drugs to go to the USA since now they smuggle all of them in their own respective overseas communities directly. Japan was an important focal point of Asian underground economy because it has unrestricted access to the USA, which it is no longer a thing after Obama's sanctions in 2008. For information, China is the world's largest producer of materials to make drugs, and Vietnam is the world's largest smuggler of wildlife goods, lumbers as well as being very connected to the Golden Triangle.
The prospect of a legal gambling industry is the only profitable thing for foreign organized crimes in Japan. The Chinese crime syndicates already got ahead through bribing and controlling important LDP cronies in various regions. They now just need Suga to give a final nudge for a complete legalization of gambling in Japan. The failure of Olympics 2021 can be a good catalyst at pushing for the complete legalization of gambling industry in Japan.
Macau tycoon, Lawrence Ho, already set his sight to win massively if the casinos are legal across Japan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJpyc7rfmbU&ab_channel=ShingetsuNews
Meanwhile, his father, Stanley Ho, was a notorious business person who has ties with Chinese triads and CCP-sponsored crime syndicates.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704207504575129102781344536
The CIA is the master of both. The ones who have been responsible for all crappy events going in Japan since 1945.
http://www.japansubculture.com/how-the-cia-helped-put-the-yakuza-and-the-ldp-in-power/
https://www.e-flux.com/journal/100/268783/the-imperial-ghost-in-the-neoliberal-machine-figuring-the-cia/
Depend on the ones who control it as well as the degree of self-control in the organized crimes. All Chinese organized crimes are controlled by the Chinese Communist Party who strategically uses them for political purposes. You won't ever see any Chinese triad suddenly kills civilians for no reason, while Yakuzas have been doing such thing for decades with J-govt never did a thing. Tadamasa Goto, a sociopathic boss with a bad habit of letting his men maim and kill innocent civilians, is the prime example of "honorable Yakuza". The CCP may be scummy but they at least look out for their own people. Not out of heart, of course, rather for social stability.
Aside the CCP, you have the Vietnamese Communist Party, Russian oligarchs and Putin, India's Modi, The USA's government (COINTELPRO project to CIA black projects). Like I said, all of these organized crimes, under state control, are very far from being unlawful. Yakuza is the only one being unlawful since they do not answer to the authority.
Goodlucktoyou
Confused. Are you referring to yaks or LDP?
Sven Asai
By forcing Halloween to become part of Japanese culture and distributing candy? lol
quercetum
The cozy relationship between the police and the underworld is not unique to Japan. Your response shows more your displeasure towards yet another criticism of Japan and the defeatist attitude of condoning crime given the inability to eliminate it completely. The reason they exist is not because they’ve found some use for them. It is because of money.
dbsaiya
Gather 'round children. Today I'd like to read you a tale about Hansel and Gretel...
Mr Kipling
So protection rackets, corporate bribery, prostitution and drug dealing are bad but God forbid if you give sweets to kids!
Jonathan Prin
Absurd by definition.
A criminal can commit crimes but not give candies to children...
Not surprised knowing Japan.
It's like I remember required to come out from the pool I had just gone into literally a minute ago supposedly to rest (I was the only one with my kid in the entire pool).
garypen
"Why did you join the yakuza?"
"Free Kit-Kats"
Mark
seriously, yakuza and some unlawful zhina triads? i will choose the first one
oldman_13
Good. Their supposed good acts don't override their history of violence and criminal behaviors.
rgcivilian1
Good or bad, the Yakuza was there helping when others weren't during the Great Earthquake and Tsunami. I'm not saying they are a bad influence, but they were available and helping others when then PM Kan was busy hiding. As for "This is why there is no triads, mafia, cartels etc able to operate in Japan" not true there are other outside organizations but we just don't hear that much about them and its not the Yakuza that keeps them at bay.
Chop Chop
So, prefecture officials stop Yakuza bribing children with Holloween-candy. Now only two adult groups left for Yakuza to give extra sweet Holloween-candy in their prefecture.
Too bad, children you were prohabited from taking Holloween-candy from Yakuza but not for adults.
JJ Jetplane
Autocorrect. Lol
Takuya = Yakuza
indigo
Yakuza are endangered species.
Mocheake
Well, just means more candy for us adults. Hope they got some good treats because my tricks are a sight to behold!
ReasonandWisdomNippon
In what world do I agree with JJ.
Apparently this article.
We have bigger things to worry about. Let the candy to children pass.
JJ Jetplane
I see no harm in Takuya showing a softer side or a kid friendly side and giving out candy in the spirit of the holiday. They are not attacking the children. They are not recruiting the children. They are merely putting smiles on children's faces during a festive moment. This law is uncalled for.
Goodlucktoyou
As a child I was told not to take candy from strangers.
Hiro
@P. Smith, you have any idea how many gangs or criminal organizations are clearly know to the police but the nations merely keeps a eye on them? The US alone has more than 30.000 active gangs.
The yakuza is tolerated in japan because they keep foreign influence out. This is why there is no triads, mafia, cartels etc able to operate in Japan. They also keep the underworld in check. You try to remove them and see just how fast others will soon take it's place and also less organize. Police can't charge them without proper proof or creating complete chaos in society. The only way is slowly corner them and contain it. You can't eradicate evil, but you can try to contain and even make use of it.
Is better to have dangerous dog that guard the gates than have many stray dogs coming in. You have any idea how many crimnal organizations there are in Asia alone that are itching to enter the Japan untapped market? At least the yakuza and the police has a understanding. And if they cross the line, the police will just break a few legs as a warning. You don't put a useful fighting dog out.
Freddy Freeway
Congrats Hyogo. Really. This is like giving a speech publicly declaring yourself against the beating of baby kittens with baseball bats and expecting a round of applause.
kurisupisu
So the cuddly yakuza are banned from being nice?
Heartbreaking!