Yakuza population hits record low in 2018: police

eradicate these gangs why do they even exist

eradicate these gangs why do they even exist

Because there was a time in the not all that distant past where the Yakuza worked hand in hand with the authorities.

It was once like, if the Yakuza didn't involve the "regular" people in their criminal activities, the police and government pretty much ignored them. The cops always cracked down on them when their activities got out of hand and caused problems for people.

So, they have a list of all the members of the country's criminal organizations?

That would probably come in handy if they were actually interested in reducing crime.

Whoa, they better get crackin' on those casinos or the yaks will have nothing to do.

To put it short...

They got old and died off

Because there was a time in the not all that distant past where the Yakuza worked hand in hand with the authorities.

Not that unusual around the world. Right-wing regimes in Latin America in particular.

Ha ha, all the crooks are in the government now!

eradicate these gangs

Then other gangs would just take their place.

why do they even exist

Part of history. Read how MacArthur used them. And the LDP.

Not that unusual around the world.

Read The Vory: Russia's Super Mafia by Mark Galeotti

Many modern day Yakuza look like businessmen. They use their influence to get lucrative construction deals.

Have they included the yakuza in Kasumigaseki? Numbers are going down but is crime also going down, otherwise we might be making problems while solving some.

For as long as there are vices, so will gangs.

Credit where credit is due, the Police has been very successful in keeping a distance between ordinary citizen and Yakuza in Japan. The next focus should be to cut their ties altogether with oversea gangs.

But don't worry! Domestic violence is at a record high this year, so the general population is sort of taking over for the yaks lower performance!

Yakuza have semi storefronts too

That police raid photograph is a joke. How can you conduct a raid when you can see the police coming and can get rid of any evidence. Keystone cops at their finest.

I've always wondered if they know who the Yakuza are, why can't they just arrest them?

IloveCoffeeToday  08:56 am JST

I've always wondered if they know who the Yakuza are, why can't they just arrest them?

They need to be charged with a crime in order to be arrested.. just being affiliated with yakuza is not a crime...

The number of people recognized as gangsters by police in Japan dropped to a record-low 30,500 in 2018 amid an intensified crackdown on organized crime, the National Police Agency said Thursday.

I am sorry bit this seems to be intended smoke to mislead people and therefore total BS. This is the same National Police Agency that allows a large business of prostitution (supposedly illegal) which is run by the Yakuza. In fact its not clear what they mean by "recognized gangsters" as it seems to be defined completely arbitrary meaning that if they don't show it too much, they are not considered gangsters.

Japan’s organized crimes groups are not vanishing — they’re transforming. They are moving into cybercrime and are diversifying their revenue streams. They are finding ways to morph from honor-bound tribal outlaws into common criminals who will do anything for money. The shrewder ones are simply turning less visible. The Yakuza are not secret societies, and aren’t banned by the government so anything the police is saying is by definition BS.  

Yakuza are also still doing the dirty work they do best: nuclear industry staffing, international human trafficking, loan sharking, defrauding retirees of their life savings.

The FBI would have you believe the Yak is one of the most dangerous organized crime groups in the world and a threat to the safety of the United States. Totally laughable.

Yakuza is small fry compared to other organized crime groups around the world like the Sicilian Mafia, Russian Mafia, and of course the Mexican Cartels. The yakuza has zero influence and power outside of Japan, just media hype and sensationalism.

Japan's population decline is affecting every segment of Japanese society, it seems.

Yakuza population hits record low in 2018

Opening the door for other gangs and “organizations” to fill the void.

Running that business personally? I would have laid off or trimmed down on staffing

The photo is of a raid?

Looks more like a school outing.

Faced with a choice of organized crime and disorganized crime, Japan up to now has opted for the former. It makes police work easier, for one thing. And as David Kaplan, author of the book "Yakuza," used to like to say, "The yakuza are the first line of law enforcement in Japan."

Not undercover then....

Yeah, Yakuza population is decreasing however

chinese mafia is rising quickly.

@ daito_hak - you nailed it

Japan’s organized crimes groups are not vanishing — they’re transforming.

@udon. Hit it on the nail. triads are the biggest gang in the world.

i have an occasional yakuza small time boss I meet sometimes. He sometimes buys me drinks at the combini. I stopped him from kicking and punching a lower level member because it was daylight and children were around. He suddenly gave me respect. There system is a pyramid scheme. Boss gives you a job and you pay a percentage to the next level. Then next up...

i have a couple of stories but I don’t want to bore you, but all my women friends feel safe to walk in entertainment areas any time of the night. Not because of police or security cameras. Also, would you volunteer to clean TEPCOs mess for ¥800 an hour with a years dose in one week?

Some must have died from septicaemia due to needling!

I remember when Emperor Hirohito passed away. The yak leaders actually showed up officially to pay their respects and to sign the condolence books. It seems they were "invited".

I wonder if they will be seen at the upcoming abdication / installment events.

Because there was a time in the not all that distant past where the Yakuza worked hand in hand with the authorities.

Not very distant at all. Like right now, for example. Remember when Abe promised the Olympics would be free of Fukushima radiation? Well, Olympics mean lots of construction work needs doing.

And who runs construction companies? Well, you will never guess...the JOC Deputy Head seems to be pretty connected.

https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/kz9e89/photos-allegedly-tying-an-olympic-official-to-the-yakuza-keep-causing-him-problems

Ah, so no longer wearing armbands they now wear dayglo waistcoats? Doesn't really go with the business suit... then again, neither did the armband.

Any other country there'd be black-clad, MP5-armed coppers covered in body armour and lots of fab action photos... in Japan they march in with clipboards and cardboard boxes.

Good news, however their proportion to the total population probably hasn't changed much.

He suddenly gave me respect.

Respect from scum is scum respect.

Vietnamese and Chinese Triads will probably fill the void eventually. Especially with the Vietnamese, they have known as master thieves on the popular headlines that support anti-non Japanese in recent years. In Taiwan, Vietnamese presence is extraordinary rivaling against the local Chinese gangs, and it is a sin not to mention the biggest immigration blunder in Taiwanese history was the "invasion" of 300 Vietnamese "tourists", who are actually illegal laborers. In Europe, Vietnamese gangs are responsible for 60 percent of drugs trade and illegal item smuggling from Eastern Europe to the West.

These are not proud statistics at all. My point is that desperate people from Third World countries can achieve wonders in the very negative meaning. The only way of preventing this harm is to liberalize the Japanese structure to accomodate openess for all peoples.

I've always wondered if they know who the Yakuza are, why can't they just arrest them?

For the same reasons that it is very rare for members of crime syndicates to get busted in the US, Italy, and any number of other countries.

Growing up in the Chicago area in the 50s and 60s when the Chicago mob controlled a number of business sectors, labor unions and politicians, Japanese yakuza have always struck me as theatrical amateurs.