Number of yakuza, associates investigated by police falls below 10,000 in 2022

Are Chinese triads also included in this?

The data also showed that police investigated 9,548 foreign nationals in Japan, down 1,129 from the previous year amid travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. Around 60 percent of the foreign nationals were from Vietnam and China.

Their focus now toward foreigners, even when foreigners didn't do any crime at least checking on foreigners' zaryu card is becoming another routines to make their personnel occupied.

Good news.

That must be the lowest number of Yakuza in ~100 years. Less Yakuza = less crime.

Their numbers are also deceasing.

They have diversified

And how is it that the Yamaguchi-gumi can still exist? They go after the Moonies but leave the Yaks alone?

Less people investigated can mean less criminals, but it can also means they are becoming better at hiding so the crimes continue without the police even reaching the point of investigating the criminals.

So how far does the number have to fall before establishments abandon the ridiculous no tattoos while bathing, swimming, etc. rule?

Alternatively, they are more successful in paying off the police to ignore them.

Organized crime in the 21stC doesn't need to be shackled by the hierarchical structure of ancient crime lore.

Witness the recent going ons of the "Luffy Gang" based in Philippines and others in Thailand.

That Yakuza member numbers have fallen, has seen the rise of the "free-lancers" venturing actively into 21stC crimes.

Yakuza seems like financially having hard time and people don’t want to join them anymore. It is destined to be extinct in near future, or change its way of activities towards “legal crimes”.

Witness the recent going ons of the "Luffy Gang" based in Philippines and others in Thailand.

That Yakuza member numbers have fallen, has seen the rise of the "free-lancers" venturing actively into 21stC crimes.

It demonstrates that foreign crime syndicates have taken over Japan through their freelancing, and economic operations. A cell of crafty, strong foreign criminals can outcompete a local Yakuza chapter.

It is destined to be extinct in near future, or change its way of activities towards “legal crimes”.

Even in legal crimes, Japanese natives won't hold candles against foreigners who are more crafty and prone to use harsh force. Vietnamese/Chinese gangs in Japan are still openly farming cannabis, drug smuggling and doing underground banking. A cell of these people rakes in more profits than local Yakuza chapters.

They all got my number cards registered by stolen personal info and living new lives as 73 year old retirees with no income to report.

Great news...

Less yakz, more safe Japan..

Nine shootings were reported in the year resulting in four deaths, the National Police Agency said, including that of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who was gunned down during an election campaign speech in Nara last July by a man with a grudge against the Unification Church.

A total of 321 handguns were confiscated by police in 2022, up 26 from the year before, including that used by the alleged assailant in the Abe shooting, Tetsuya Yamagami. Police have not disclosed the number of weapons possessed by Yamagami due to forthcoming trial proceedings.

So the intent of this article is to make it appear that Yamagami was connected to the Yakuza?

It's crap like this that gets inserted into articles about something totally different, that just totally kills the credibility of a news organization to report things fair and balanced, obviously not.

Reading all these comments about other organizations and foreigners this or that. I will bet the cops would prefer dealing with the Yakuza, because with them, right, wrong, warped or otherwise, at least they attempt to keep the general public out of their activities.

Just means the Japanese police force is useless not that there are less crims!

the ore ore gangs are still fleecing Japanese people with impunity!

Less yakz, more safe Japan..

Not necessarily. I feel safer when these guys are around. If you collapse on the street, they will call an ambulance, but the average Japanese will walk away.

When I lived in Kobe, the Yakuza were always very easy to spot. Avoided their clubs and stayed out of their way.