Police raid offices of new yakuza group

Sounds like the Yamaguchi-gumi is flexing its muscle by showing the off shoot Yamaken who has the cops in their pockets.

Weak sauce the cops tell the Yak's they are coming so there are "no problems"... it's all just a public show.

So, yet another yakuza office raid with no arrests or charges laid? I guess the cops have to keep their public profile up and make it 'look like' they are doing something. Shameful sham!

nishkat - I said "sounds like..." Just a thought, nothing substantial, it just struck me as odd that they didn't go after Yamaguchi gumi as well.

Another round of window dressing by the kisha. With tens of thousands of Yakuza happily going about their daily lives, the police seem to have a 'mutual understanding' with them. It's been this way for hundreds of years in Japan and will never change.

Oh geez, we all know that the police did not raid anything. They told them that they were coming first and would have press in toe to document it for the public. The police are in bed with them and everybody knows it.

Yakkity-yak, don't talk back!

Strangeland, are you stating that "mafia" and "organized crime" are protected by the constitution of most of the countries ? Let me question that, I have no doubt that most of the countries have freedom of assembly listed in their constitutions but most have also penal laws that does prevent the association of identified gangsters, identified criminals, I think this is what it is all about in the description of Yakuza, identified criminals.

@ dbsaiya

"Sounds like the Yamaguchi-gumi is flexing its muscle by showing the off shoot Yamaken who has the cops in their pockets."

My thoughts exactly!

You can exchange the name of "gangster" against "member" if you want, still, Japan is a country where "association of gangsters" is legal and tolerated.

offices of new yakuza group

Offices? You ought to find a better term for the gang's location. This is not a business, ff's sake...

Actually Citizen2012, it is illegal and ignored.

Disillusioned, not so obvious when you read how it is daily presented on news :

Like the Italian Mafia and Chinese triads, the yakuza engage in everything from gambling, drugs and prostitution to l>oan sharking, protection rackets and white-collar crime.

But unlike their foreign counterparts, they are not illegal and each of the designated groups have their own >headquarters.

The majority of yakuza have never been convicted of any crimes.

Just like the majority of people who hold "gold" drivers licenses never broke the law either. Meaning just because they havent been caught does not mean they are not guilty of crimes.

The majority of yakuza have never been convicted of any crimes.

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No, a majority of them have criminal records. Including oyabuns. Not like current YamaKen;s stealing type but often fight on public (kenka) street. YamaKen group members have JuHo shojizai (gun possesion ) arrest when they were arrested in Kyusgu many years ago. Unexpected electrical Power off enabled police forces to capture them.

This is likely more of a visit than a raid. to discuss the level of payola the local cops will be expecting from the new kid on the block.

YamaKqn never had cops in pocket. He was Assistant to Yukio Jimich who was head of Wakashu. YamaKen'a position Was just Hosa. Top of them Yasuhara, Shatei. Kobe Pref police had all info and all Kobe police forces, and Ohita police forces could crush YamaKen first. No, Kobe police forces were never in YamaKen;s tiny oicket.

allegations that members of the Yamaken-gumi illegally obtained credit cards and pin numbers from the elderly by disguising themselves as police, Jiji Press news agency said.

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Yakuza group with thief activity? Yamaguchi Gumi headquarte is not doing anything now after it chopped out undesirable groups and members, Police have to have reasons to raid any people or group. Yakuzas main business is income from gambling, not stealing.

Probably best described as "Aisatsu Mawari". Despite all the cameras and the press, the cops probably turned up for a weak cup of tea and some Japanese sweets. An exchange of business cards and a nice quiet chat. They just want to make sure that crime down in Kobe doesn't become "unorganized" all of a sudden because of this split. Furthermore, I wonder where they got their information for the raid from? Perhaps the split has resulted in a few "anonymous" tips as one faction dobs on the other?

Japan’s flaccid economy have made life difficult for the gangsters and made membership less attractive for potential recruits, experts say.

i thought the weaker the economy the more attractive to join, the stronger, the lesser. but it looks like the opposite is true. or maybe it depends on personal/family preference.

Did they raid the other group as well? If not pretty obvious what has happened.

No coincidence on the timing there at all. This was ordered by the Yamaguchi-Gumi for sure. This kind of thing will escalate.

So you would convict based on assumption?

What would you do? You seem to think you have all the answers, so let's hear it.

back in the aftermath of the terrorist strikes on hiroshima and nagasaki. kind of like a secret police force.

How much more asinine can someone get by inferring something like this? Talk about white-washing history here.

They confisticsted credit cards etc. polices were awfully mad at them because YamaKen chimpiras said they are cops yp cheat victims. Beside stealing, sagi is added by DA's office.. DA wouldn't tell anything now because when theyrelease info always stupid people create cock and bull stories to delay their investigation efficiency.

Is the raiding of yakuza HQ offices unprecedented? A rare occurrence? I can't remember it happening. Anyone know?

I'm not surprised this is happening. The police is cracking down on Yamaken-gumi because they don't want a repeat of the gang wars from the 1980's.

@gogogo: No, YamaKen office because Police got evidence,not just hearsay,

About Mafia and constitution, USA arresting officers have to say " you have right to remain silence Anything you say might incremenate you,,," or case is thrown out. When FBI had been neglected to say this in Vegas, Oscar Goodman rescued them. Vegas aheriff always informed he was going to arrest Oscar;s client and Oscar said go ahead I need to earn more. Then there is 5th amendment in which accused criminals say I refuse to answer question because answering may incriminate me. ... There was one Mafia who said 90 times. Another one 60 times both in one case,

Back to Japan, yakuza meant gambler. And members who have criminal records are called Zenkamono.

You all know Nintendo. It used to be selling hana fuda flower cards to yakuzas gambling business place to place.

Sometimes I know what's wrong, without knowing what's right. What I know is that I don't want them to turn Japan into a police state and just start arresting people extrajudicially. The Yakuza suck, but if the police start enforcing without the law backing them, then they just become another gang like the Yakuza, and that's not a good thing for Japan or any of us.

So, you would knowing allow Yakuza to operate. Thank you for sharing your opinions here.

@Ronald HassemSEP. 10, 2015 - 12:53PM JST i read somewhere that the yakuza were responsible for public order when the americans were fumbling around with the japanese constitution back in the aftermath of the terrorist strikes on hiroshima and nagasaki. kind of like a secret police force.

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Write name of your source literature. You are the only one in tje world claiming terrorist strikes. There was no yakuza in Hiroshima until late 1950's when Nisuke Honda decided to move there to create his Kai so that he could earn gambling commission there. When YamaguchiGumi was defeated in Kyushu war, it pretended it was interested in western Chugoku but revealed target was Hiroshima Honda oyabun resisted with Chugoku and Ktyshu yak backing/ He was just trying to be better gambler like none-yak gamblers. The time was when yaks did not know politics and never protected anything as they were labeled zenkamono.

No wonder cops like to keep the profile low. Whatever they do they are labeled criminal supporters.

The Yakuza are a real scourge! I've personally had dealings with them and the feeling of menace they can exude is unreal.They take on different guises impersonating relations (ore ore scam) workmen, the police etc.

In past, wherever Yamaguchi Gumi members went out, local wars. There were cases innocent citizens were shot by confused members, In such case when cops went to investigate, blood were washed and clean, Cops ask gunshot noise was hears. Then young yakuza said: Ha: something happened? Never heard anything. and cover up. Some citizens like to associate with yakuza members and they wind up in killed like that. They don't have friendship. They believe police forces are their enemies.

I think there's more yakusa and less officer

Hyogo KenKei and Koube ShiKei have strange habit of sudden raiding of Yak office that Once Taoka complained as he was concentrating on hia Kobe port business. He complained harrassmwnt but police laughed off. But when Taoka suddenly go heart problem in Berami in Lyoto, he was treated like a person. He could get in a hospital wile many hospital refused. Top of top members thought Yamaken was the reason when Taoka was shot. Not surprising YamaKenGumi was kickke out.

i read somewhere that the yakuza were responsible for public order when the americans were fumbling around with the japanese constitution back in the aftermath of the terrorist strikes on hiroshima and nagasaki. kind of like a secret police force.

You can exchange the name of "gangster" against "member" if you want, still, Japan is a country where "association of gangsters" is legal and tolerated.

As are most countries. Freedom of assembly is a right in first world nations. It's doing crime that is illegal.

What would you do? You seem to think you have all the answers, so let's hear it.

Sometimes I know what's wrong, without knowing what's right. What I know is that I don't want them to turn Japan into a police state and just start arresting people extrajudicially. The Yakuza suck, but if the police start enforcing without the law backing them, then they just become another gang like the Yakuza, and that's not a good thing for Japan or any of us.

" showing the off shoot Yamaken who has the cops in their pockets." It's funny that people say this but they never give details. It's just paranoia.

Actually Citizen2012, it is illegal and ignored.

are you stating that "mafia" and "organized crime" are protected by the constitution of most of the countries ?

No, that's not what I said at all.

I think this is what it is all about in the description of Yakuza, identified criminals.

The majority of yakuza have never been convicted of any crimes.

Just like the majority of people who hold "gold" drivers licenses never broke the law either. Meaning just because they havent been caught does not mean they are not guilty of crimes.

So you would convict based on assumption?