crime

Yakuza member arrested for having honest job, dishonest application

16 Comments
By Dale Roll, SoraNews24

The Japanese mafia, known as the Yakuza, have a pretty notorious reputation. Although they try to keep a positive image by handing out candy on Halloween, their association with prostitution, drugs, and gambling is their most pervasive impression.

Such as their reputation is, members of organized crime are rather frowned upon by Japanese society, which leads them to be unwelcome in many organizations and public spaces. One 60-year-old man in Kasugai City, Aichi Prefecture, found this out when he tried to work part-time at the post office, but instead ended up fired and arrested for being paid for his work.

Now you may ask, what’s so wrong with a man earning an honest wage at a part-time job? Well, it seems that in order to get a job at the post office, you have to sign a contract that says, “I am not a member of an organized crime group” which the man did when he took the position. Unfortunately, he was associated with the Yamaguchi-gumi, the most powerful yakuza gang in the country. Naturally this meant that the man violated his contract with the post office, and of course once his secret was out after just four days of working there, he was immediately fired.

But why was he arrested? The details are not exactly clear, but it seems that it’s because he received pay under fraudulent conditions. The police were searching the Yamaguchi clan office, where they found records that he’d received a direct deposit of pay from the post office to his bank account. Police then arrested the man, who admitted to his crime, and are now conducting an investigation into the man’s motive for taking a job at the post office.

Japanese netizens’ responses were a mixed bag of sympathy and criticism, but most of the responses seemed concerned about the money, with many saying, “He worked, so he should get paid, shouldn’t he?”

“It’s just part-time wages, why not give it to him?”

“He didn’t scam anything lol”

“He was arrested for working earnestly lol”

“It’s fine if he actually worked, don’t you think?”

“It’s okay if they fired him once the secret was out, but aren’t they supposed to pay him for the time he worked? This is weird.”

While others were completely unsympathetic:

“That’s definitely scamming. Besides, he caused the post office to ruin their good image because they hired a yakuza member.”

“That money would have been paid to the government in some other kind of crime, so we have to have harden our hearts and take care of the problem now.”

“I have no sympathy for this guy. It’s all his fault since all he had to do was just quit the mafia.”

“It’s because companies aren’t supposed to associate with organized crime.”

Source: Yahoo! News via Itai News

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- 23-year-old Tokyo policewoman falls in movie-style love with yakuza member, real life ensues

-- 50-man yakuza brawl broken up by 100 police leads to four arrests

-- Taxi driver’s tip to stay safe: “The one thing you should say if you run into yakuza”

© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

16 Comments
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Over the years, I have met several Yakuza at the beach in the summer. They have always been extremely polite and friendly, and loving parents to their children.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

LOL, sensei258. If you are a white foreigner, you are certainly not on their target list. So to you they'll just be pretty regular folk.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

you have to sign a contract that says, “I am not a member of an organized crime group

I’ve had to sign this document a few times when applying for teaching positions. It always gave me a chuckle.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

@spinningplates

How do you know he is a white foreigner? I'm sure the yakuza are friendly to the locals as well. I think you should have said, if you don't have business with them, you'll be OK. Yakuza aren't in the business of stirring up trouble where it isn't needed...anyone who's been in Japan for an extended period of time would be able to come to that conclusion.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

 I'm sure the yakuza are friendly to the locals as well. I think you should have said, if you don't have business with them, you'll be OK. Yakuza aren't in the business of stirring up trouble where it isn't needed...anyone who's been in Japan for an extended period of time would be able to come to that conclusion.

Ore-Ore fraud, illegal drugs, prostitution, Yakuza are always there stirring up trouble where it isn't needed.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Over the years, I have met several Yakuza at the beach in the summer. They have always been extremely polite and friendly, and loving parents to their children.

From my experiences, I would have to agree with you. Many years ago, before the law about the Yakuza association in buildings and offices, I saw a few. Yes, they were polite with me, too. One of them, who looked like the head of the section by his size and tattoos, was walking his dog and came up to me while I was waiting to cross the street. He said "Good morning" in his Japanese English accent and tried his English with me. He seemed nice like any other guy from the neighborhood.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

@showchinmono

I hardly call that stirring up trouble. Prostitution in Japan usually goes unheard of in the media, as well as illegal drugs. Besides, the only people that would be involved in yakuza trouble concerning these things would be the one's doing illegal drugs and going to brothels. So your argument has nothing to do with mine, relating to the average Japanese person who doesn't get involved with those things...So again, they aren't stirring up trouble where it isn't needed.

The ore-ore fraud, I don't really think it's usually yakuza. I assume any one can pull it off...it's just theft. Happens in the states too among the elderly.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Right. Ordinary people hardly have to deal with such trouble in person. But Yakuza, Gangsters, Boryoku-dan whatever they are called, often behind those scenes just not showing up forefront, stirring up troubles ruining society as a whole. Even some extreme right wingers in loud-speaker-black-van is linked to them too.

You will find out if you want to try, if you don't want to mess with them, try not to miss TV news about those crimes.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Japanese are a little behind the times, there are many kinds of Yakuza. In the 21st century, the new generation of yakuza or mafia are educated at the best universities in the world. They have choices in their lives as they are humans too. Pls stop with behind times idea. In Japan, the Japanese that are Yakuzas used keep the balance in unstable times. Who in their lives want to be hunted & outcast by the rest of the world ??? In the world, it is always the same, good people, bad people and the rest. Pls stop being stereo minded.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Because the Yakuza are 'honst' folks, but they control politicians, prostitution, drugs, the porn industry, money laundering, loan sharking, yep 'honest little bees'

5 ( +6 / -1 )

So.. what if the man was looking to just make an honest living and some positive changes in his life? He's not allowed to do that? It's akin to tarring and feathering. 'Yakuza' is such a vague term anyway, it's ridiculous that they can somehow be formally processed and labelled in society. They can be found guilty by association and nothing else. It's because of this simple-mindedness that even foreigners with tattoos are looked upon as potential criminals.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Japan is in need of more workers...................yet they fire and arrest you because you kick it with some dirty people.

Good job Japan. If all companies knew the truth of their employees, at least 50% of the work force would also be fired and arrested.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Lie on the application; get fired when it is found.  Simple, fair.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Idiotico - if the former Yakuza are not allowed to have a normal job, they have no choice but to return to being again Yakuza! Don't be surprised if this former Yakuza shoots your rear one day...

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Although they try to keep a positive image by handing out candy on Halloween

They get trick or treaters?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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