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Calling the plays on the new anti-gang law

21 Comments

For its Jan 28 cover story, the weekly business magazine Shukan Toyo Keizai ran a 34-page section on the current status of organized crime, with articles and sidebars running the gamut of everything from corporations' compliance to the new anti-gang law to a blow-by-blow account of the latest bloody turf war that's been raging in Kyushu.

With the new laws in effect from last October, business dealings with members of Japan's designated criminal syndicates, the "boryokudan," are illegal -- except when they're not. The magazine asked experts to give their opinions on where the lines are drawn, tagging each point with the "safe" and "out" call, like those made by baseball umpires.

Safe: Are convenience stores obliged to refuse to sell daily necessities to yakuza? Apparently not. In the case of non-specific items that involve small expenditures, the kombini are allowed to let the sale go through. Even, it seems, if a suspicious-looking tattooed character with a missing pinky comes to make a purchase, it's simply not realistic to expect the cops to come running. Nobody will begrudge them a humble "obento" (boxed meal), beverages or daily items.

Out: What's the deal on providing preferential seating to gangsters at sports and entertainment events? In October 2010, the Japan Sumo Association, which was particularly badly stung by links to organized crime, publicly vowed to keep gangsters away from the hallowed straw ring. Other showbiz facilities are expected to fall into line.

Safe: Worship at temples and shrines? Since the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, it's difficult to exclude individual yakuza from worshipping, but efforts are being made to discourage them from gathering on the premises. In 2012, the Gokoku Shrine in Kobe requested the top leaders of the Yamaguchi-gumi to refrain from making their traditional "hatsumode" (New Year's worship). The Hieizan Enryaku Temple in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, has issued notice that gangsters are henceforth persona non grata.

Out: Security firms, be forewarned. If a gang wants to install monitor cameras at its entrance, it will have to look elsewhere. The ban is likewise in effect for companies that install bulletproof glass windows.

Safe: Car rental companies that unknowingly rent out vehicles to gang members are off the hook. As far as private ownership is concerned, a number of unresolved issues remain. A spokesperson for the Japan Automobile Dealers Association tells the magazine that his organization is mulling how to manage such situations as vehicle safety recalls, warranties and mandatory safety inspections when yakuza car owners are involved.

Out: Printing companies are prohibited from producing business cards, New Year's greeting cards and certificates known as "hamonjo" that are used to notify gang members they have been formally expelled from the gang.

Safe: Makers of copiers and other office equipment that have ongoing leases with gang offices are permitted to let the leases continue until their expiration. The law is not clear, however, about supplying such consumables as paper and toner cartridges, and performing periodic maintenance.

Out: Parcel delivery services are banned from calling on gang offices to pick up shipments. The rationale here is that in some circumstances this may involve abetting their illegal activities. An executive at Yamato transport tells the magazine, "We will refuse parcels on which the voucher forms bear the gang name or a gangster's title." Similar compliance is also required from department stores when accepting orders for seasonal gifts.

Out: Gangsters seeking to take out life insurance policies are out of luck. (Considering that being a yakuza is a high-risk profession, the insurance firms are no doubt pleased to be off the hook.)

Safe: Businesses that arrange weddings and funerals for yakuza and their family members may continue to do so. However, operators that permit yakuza to create a public spectacle during such functions risk losing their business licenses.

For those not sure where they stand relative to the new laws, Toyo Keizai provides a box with the names of four organizations that will provide consultation on such matters, including a 24-hour toll-free hotline operated by the Tokyo metropolitan government.

© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

21 Comments
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With the new laws in effect from last October, business dealings with members of Japan’s designated criminal syndicates, the “boryokudan,” are illegal

I hope this new law also includes the political parties within it's cope. After all, they are the biggest crooks of all in Japan and need to be FULLY investigated and prosecuted.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

typo in my post above - scope not cope :)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

-Lets all see how this plays out in the Real World,and not in some government wish list. Be careful what you wish for when it comes to these" Men of Honor"!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It still amazes me that the yakuza have been allowed to operate in the open for as long as they have. Only NOW the laws are being put into place?!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

This law really puts the onus on businesses to do what the police are supposed to be doing, but don't.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Interesting. The danger is that an innocent business could be snagged by conducting business with gangsters without knowing they're gangsters.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Not to worry, the missing fingers are usually a pretty good clue.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

This is one of the funniest, most ridiculous, childish things I have yet to read. Let's play cops 'n robbers, kids, and here are the rules.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

This is stupid.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Printing companies are prohibited from producing .... and certificates known as “hamonjo” that are used to notify gang members they have been formally expelled from the gang.

That's so funny.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

So in short: If it could be construed as yakuza business related, it's taboo, but if it's stuff for the individual then it's OK.

There. I just paraphrased the entire article in one sentence.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Now if only they did something about those yanki bosuzoku fools on their idiotic looking bazooka muffler scooters who don't seem to know how to change gears...

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Ridiculous rules, basically it's just generating another cash grab for the police. Now you'll have a dude standing behind a box looking at a kombini watching for a ride to pull up so he can run in and bust a teller ! Meanwhile dude gets back in his car because he's scary looking and missing threefingers drives away with his egg salad and a coffee !

It's about as ridiculous of having gyms refuse gaijin because of tattoo's .

Ridiculous solutions for problems they really don't want to face .

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I agree with Ted ! North America style throw a spike strip down ....stop following them around shouting through a speaker that's just as annoying as the bikes themselves ! They obviously don't respect police and won't stop no matter how much you turn the volume up on your speaker !

Take the bikes away ....send them withthe bikes to watch them crush them up into little cubes of steel. They could remanufacture it back into something for useful ...more spike strips !

4 ( +4 / -0 )

@ Crazedinjapan This may be a nice earner for the gangs. They can look threatening, provide 'deniability', and coerce business into accepting them as customers and then send a friend around "from a rival gang", who "just happend to have been bugging/watching the transaction" (or with enough evidence to overcome the 'deniability' initially provided) to blackmail the business that they know accepted their custom.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Timtak, wouldn't surprise me there have been countless stories over the last ten years that have shown heaps of corruption here. Either way what you described just completed the circle of payments to either group. Pay a yakuza collector get charged and pay the police full loop !

Sorry money ...

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Great, more places that can refuse me for having a tattoo. Thats apparently how you spot a gangster. Im a friggin kindergarten teacher. I have no problem with the gangsters as they tend to not directly attack "normal" people and there existence scares away a lot of potential street crime offenders. Organised crime is incredibly difficult in england yet the street crime is theough the roof. Maybe theres a connection?

But seriously, punish the companies? Why not punish the bloody gangsters!?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Your views of gangsters and Yakuza and Mafia, etc. cannot mix in Japan.

Please do some research and NOT take hearsay or what you saw and heard about in the movies or media production as the basis for determining what a "gangster" or "gangster organization" is all about. Do you know how many different "gangster" types there are in Japan and in other countries?

Each group plays a different role in society. Do you know what they are?

There are "internal" and "external" gangsters.... did you know?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

No matter how they define themselves they are all still gangsters. Look up the definition.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

such down the front companies and remove their presence from the market.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The only difference between the Japanese bureaucracy and the yakuza, is that the Yakuza is openly honest that they are a criminal organization.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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