crime

Shiga temple bans visits by gangsters

39 Comments

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© 2011 AFP

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

39 Comments
Login to comment

A total of 90 gang members from across the country reportedly gathered, sparking calls from police to cancel such events, which funnel funds to the group.

This makes it sound like the police funnel funds to the yakuza, but i think the yakuza funnel funds to the police.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Shiga temple bans visits by gangsters

Then where would politicians, TEPCO and Olympus and other multinational executives go to pray?

For me the word gangster carries a meaning ; people who gather in a group, gang, to commit crimes by violating or neglecting the law for personal gain.

Oh, or do they refer only to one specific gang, the yakuza? Trying to discriminate the smallest and less harmful one criminal gang?

4 ( +10 / -6 )

"The yakuza have been closely monitored but largely tolerated by the authorities and operate out of corporate headquarters that are listed in phone books."

Ah, Japan. This temple will still let the Yakuza in... this is just lip-service.

-1 ( +8 / -9 )

@The Munya Times

Shiga temple bans visits by gangsters

Then where would politicians, TEPCO and Olympus and other multinational executives go to pray?

For me the word gangster carries a meaning ; people who gather in a group, gang, to commit crimes by violating or neglecting the law for personal gain.

Oh, or do they refer only to one specific gang, the yakuza? Trying to discriminate the smallest and less harmful one criminal gang?

EXACTLY!!!! Magnificent post, my friend... It is so true.

-1 ( +9 / -10 )

One question: If the police know who these thugs are and their operations why are they still in business? To me, it is a choice of two answers, either the j-flops don't have the aggets to shut them down or they are on the payrol.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

Disillusioned: Why only a choice? My guess is it's both. Only in Japan do the politicians and police attend parties for Yamaguchi-gumi members and call them a week beforehand and ask them to arrange a scapegoat for something.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

Me thinks plenty of Japanese police must be on the Yakuza payroll to and this so called temple down there in Shiga is just acting as if they do not want the Yakuza to come in and pray$$$$ at there temple, because the police asked them to not make it so obvious that this evil form of Buddhism actually condones the Yamaguchi gumi kai, because in the end they all want??? $$$$$$$!!!!!

-7 ( +5 / -10 )

Cutting off anyone...

An individual that deliberatly cuts off a person's legs, knowing full well that at least someday that they might need them, is called a sadist, correct?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Yakuza don't need no religion.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Their headquarters are well known and very well protected. I'm thinking they would need to be gassed out or starved out, anything else would result in a lot of people getting shot, especially if they had advance notice. (smartest thing to do really is use the headquarters as a decoy) Although some individuals do stupid things at times, collectively they are very smart as you should expect from professional criminals. If it wasn't for the shakedowns, I'd almost respect these guys, but knowing what they do - they can burn in hell as far as I'm concerned. Good on the temple for keeping the lice away.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

@Elbuda Mexicano Um yeah, let's overlook nationalities for the moment - they only need one or two informants with access to the right information. What the Japanese police need however are proper orders, organization and political backing. We're not talking about dropping in and making a few arrests before the shift is over. The Yamaguchi-Gumi are a considerable force to be reckoned with. Mind you, I hear they are mild and meek compared to some unmentioned country's gangsters who have been the news a lot recently.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Denial of access to facilities of religion in no way implies a crack down in general.

But this is the Internet. So, go ahead and fantasize.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

dharmadan Yakuza don't need no religion. In the yakuza have their very, very ancient religion. And if the Japanese will not yakuza, the crime will be like in America. The Japanese want it?

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Yakuzas are human beings too. Why should they be banned in paying homage to any deceased yakuza friend or mentors? Without this news I wouldn't have known that there are groups who visit the temple to pay respect to fellow yakuza. Is consoling and paying respect to the dead been out of fashion now? Or the shrine staff fear gang wars would destroy a world heritage site? And to Boris Yarovoy, Yakuza don't need no religion? Yakuzas are human beings too. I think human beings who are in any kind of religion believe in a Supreme Power that is God and for that no matter how bad they are, they are still redeemable. After all the Yakuzas are plain workers on the other side of the fence.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

It really stinks to me.Why not ban Anyone who has any hint of being criminal from The Temples?-Absurdity as only politicians in japan can be.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Where would the politicians be without the Yakuza and the Yukuza without politicians? At least one group is honest about what they do. Both groups give money to others by taking it from someone else. While one group is "noble" and the other has no pretends. Yes they should be able to pray.

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

What's wrong with crooks praying? Crooked politician are allowed to go to temples and pray. What's the difference between them. Hahahaha !

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Ridiculous lip service and a piss poor attempt to distance themselves from such people. The temple will accept money from any organization so long as they don't have to take a picture together. Nobody in this country goes after the Temple.

They need to stop using the word "Yakuza" or even "Gangsters". Aside from old movies, most of here wouldn't even be able to spot a so-called "Yakuza" member or organization. The ultimate goal of any organized criminal organization is to gain access to legitimate markets by bypassing the bureaucracy that would have let them die on the street.

It is and always has been a "class war".

Gangsters?.....they just don't exist in Japan.....sorry. Come to Los Angeles. Let me drop you off on "The Shaw" at night. I'll let you walk home. Or I could take you on a bus tour of East Los Angeles on a bullet proof bus.

Bosozoku are a misdirected mob at best. You have members in those groups who are just in it for the good times and riding. They're not gangsters.

You eyeball no one in Los Angeles. Some 15 year old kid trying to earn his street cred will pull out a Glock on you. WTF???

If the Temple is really interested in distancing themselves from corruption you need only ask the National Police Agency from coming around. They extort more money from the honest than ANYONE in the nation.

Shame on any of you to think a well organized crime syndicate is making billions of yen through street "yatai's" Japanese politicians are the bosses. We know who they are. Unfortunately we aren't banded together strong enough to call them out. The real gangsters wear uniforms and have badges and guns.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Re: my previous comment about their HQ "defences", I wonder about sonic weapons? Like I say, I expect they're ready for a number of contingencies and are not stupid enough to have all their eggs in one basket (otherwise I'd be simultanoeusly ecstatic and disappointed). Be nice to see them raided though.

The "interesting" point is they're right in the middle of suburbia. Which is a good tactic but hardly a new one.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

@netninja, just because America society is different doesn't mean the yakuza still aren't gangsters.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Does Japan no longer have freedom of religion?

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

WTF, you talking about?

"Freedom of Religion" and "Right of Admission reserved" are way different concepts.

All Shrines and Temples in japan are now privately owned(they do practice real separation of church and state/as do most countries).

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Why gangsters enter the Monastery, there should be no politics in the monasteries. it spoils the Buddhism and the Buddhists.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

If so much is known about the Yaks and which buildings they go to pay respects to dead members, why is no real effort made to eradicate them? This is a question I would love the senior members of the keystones and politicians to answer.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@NetNinja

You bring up some interesting points. I agree some people might join the Yakuza out of desparation but the fact remains that they ruin other peoples lives. They might make a show of helping others in disasters but why do they need to justify themselves if they are so lilly white? Most people, incuding blue collar, dont want anything to do with them.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Its still a remarkable thing to me, that they actually know who the gangsters are....

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Allowing the Yaks into shrines is like letting child rapists into a school. The Yaks are parasites on society and should be treated as such. The comments on this board that laud the Yaks are sadly misplaced, you have watched too many fake movies about them.

Also the bigger point here is that for law abiding folks who go to the shrine and get forced out by the Yaks there, well that is not a pretty picture at all. Normal Japanese law abiding folks do not like being around Yaks, period. Why should their shrine visit include fear of being there if the Yaks show up?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Enryakuji informed the Yamaguchi-gumi of its decision in late June and received a reply in July that the syndicate accepted it, he said.

I wasn't aware that they had a choice in the matter.... I guess just another "only in Japan" practice.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

They'll probably wear disguises and sneak in. Yaks are very sneaky.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Enrayku-ji does not want, nay, need friends in Kobe? I guess they have - so to speak - no monetary problems then.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

OREYAAA ^_^

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Gangsters are people too, with souls. No reason to boot them from mourning their dead in the Buddhist way.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

smithinjapan: The temple is not allowed to ban visits by specific groups of people, that would be discrimination, which while widespread IS illegal in Japan. Interesting though that the police is encouraging this behavior. (The discriminated group in this case is people who are suspected to be criminals but haven't been proven so yet, or ex-cons who have served their time. I have no love for the Yakuza, but unless we follow the law ourselves, how can we demand that others do?).

1 ( +1 / -0 )

smithinjapan: The temple is not allowed to ban visits by specific groups of people, that would be discrimination, which while widespread IS illegal in Japan. Interesting though that the police is encouraging this behavior. (The discriminated group in this case is people who are suspected to be criminals but haven't been proven so yet, or ex-cons who have served their time. I have no love for the Yakuza, but unless we follow the law ourselves, how can we demand that others do?).

Discrimination or no discrimination. Does not matter. The Yamaguchi-gumi accepted the so-called ban in respect for the temple. Here they wish to keep a low profile, I suppose.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I don't think it matters if they let the Yakuza in the shrine or not.

From what I see, in many cases it seems that the Shrines and monks are the biggest extortionists in Japan... many Japanese people have said the same thing to me.

But on the other hand, the shrine looks nicer than the headquarters of Yamaguchi-gumi, so that's a point in the monks' favor.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

if they can & do ban gaijin from some restaurants, & its "ok" then why Not ban gang members from shrines? the yakuza have imported alot of drugs in Japan & have been guilty of many crimes. on a Large scale. they giving japan a bad name & are a menace to society

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Sorry I meant temple

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Raymasaki

they giving japan a bad name & are a menace to society

I think the Japanese politicians and corporate deep pockets are the ones giving Japan a bad name. I think they have plenty of rope and they'll hang themselves.

Here on JT, we have often debated the laws and practices of other countries. Raymasaki brings up a very interesting point. I quote him "The yakuza have imported alot of drugs in Japan". If we had laws that were like Malaysia where the smuggling of drugs equaled the death penalty we wouldn't have such drug problems.

The reason why Yak groups thrive is because their mechanisms that allow them to function are already in place. Like cogs in a clock they have mechanisms set so they can continue to do illegal activities. Mechanisms = Politicians. That's why you don't have capital punishment for drugs. The politicians keep it off the table. It's easy to spot which politician is working with the mob. It's the guy who tries to leave the loopholes open.

When you do find out which guy is the REAL Yak, you'll be surprised to see he looks just like your neighbor. Still rather conservative, goes to the office everyday, has a family and he'll say "Ohayo" in the morning. He's not going to drive a pimped out Hummer with TVs in the headrests. That's not the Yak, that's his son.

If you see a guy with a lot of tattoos he might not be a Yak, he might be a NBA fan. Someone just trying to look like Allen Iverson.

These people that you define as the enemy of Japan and society are blended into this society just as smoothly as a Frappucino at Starbucks. You wouldn't even recognize them. Who knows really? The guy sitting behind me earns pretty much the same salary as I do. He's driving a Lexus. He's a decent bloke. Who's to say he isn't connected to a Yak in his life.

All in all, my point is this. The temple's ban on the Yaks is simply publicity cause the real Yaks are faceless and do not fit into the neat little category stereotype we've provided for them mentally.

I think many of us here are barking up the wrong tree and so is the Temple.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@net ninja..

If they are not gangsters, then what are they? As for your point about USA, LA or any states with organized gangsters, no need to talk about that cuz it's a fact when it comes to crimes.

Excuse me though but I can spot a yakuza in Japan espcially the chimpiras. The way they dress, walked and whatchamallit. You won't see them roaming around during day time. Try walking around at night in those Bars and Club areas. I bet my bottom yen you'll bumped into one.

"When you do find out which guy is the REAL Yak, you'll be surprised to see he looks just like your neighbor.When you do find out which guy is the REAL Yak, you'll be surprised to see he looks just like your neighbor." THAT's the Yakuza you don't dare to anger. If you see one like him, he is elite in the Yakuza world. I have met a lot of them during my performances in Japan. They are very courteous and polite. The termites (chimpiras) are the one destroying the Yakuza image with their scaring and rude tactics and manners.

As for the temple point, you have a point and others who dis agree. I guess it is fine for them to go to temples since it's a Japanese culture. But...but... they should come in a way that will not scare others.

Have you seen a yakyak group preparing for the aarival of their superiors? That preparation for their boss arrival could be the reason why some worshippers complained.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites