There are currently 24 recognised groups and roughly 26,000 active yakuza members in Japan right now. The most dangerous group is the
Kenichi Shinoda (篠田 建市, Shinoda Ken'ichi, born August 29, 1942), also known as Shinobu Tsukasa (司 忍, Tsukasa Shinobu), is a Japanese Yakuza, the sixth and current kumicho (supreme kingpin, or chairman) of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan's largest yakuza organization.
The Yamaguchi-gumi is the largest Yakuza family, accounting for 30% of all Yakuza in Japan, with 3,800 members and 4,300 quasi-members as of 2022. From its headquarters in Kobe, it directs criminal activities throughout Japan. It is also involved in operations in Asia and the United States.
The yakuza have been described as a “necessary evil” – while their involvement in criminal activities has always been recognised, their ability to monopolise and control the underworld, curbing the excesses of less-organised gangs and foreign groups, was seen as reassuring.
On January 26, 1985, Yamamoto sent a team of hitmen to Takenaka's girlfriend's home in Suita. While waiting for an elevator, Takenaka, underboss Katsumasa Nakayama, and one other member of the family were shot dead, sparking a bloody nationwide conflict that came to be known as the Yama–Ichi War.
Over time the yakuza have shifted toward white-collar crime, relying more and more on bribery in lieu of violence, and indeed in the early 21st century they were one of the least murderous criminal groups in the world.
Answer (1 of 6): Members of the Yakuza are strictly prohibited from hurting civilians. It's part of their core rules. The opposite is also a common Hollywood made misconception. If you as a civilian would be molested by a gang member in Japan the odds are considerably higher that he might be a ...
The game is set in 80s Japan during the bubble economy - which means that the backdrop is a time of sex, booze and gangsters. Which should be enough to keep kids away from the title.
One has to say no, because the Yakuza is an exclusive all-male organization. Within the organization many women can have business or managerial positions for different functions while working for the Yakuza but they cannot be members of the Yakuza.
Cutscenes depict intense acts of violence: characters shot in the head; a bound man tortured with a sledgehammer; a character impaled by spikes. The game contains some sexual content: men groping women's breasts in a night club; a man guiding a woman's hand over his crotch.
Despite the dropping numbers, the yakuza's strong influence is a force to be reckoned with. The four largest yakuza syndicates in Japan, as of 2021, consist of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Sumiyoshi-kai, Inagawa-kai and the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi [source]. The yakuza is generally regarded as a semi-legitimate organization.
Tadamasa Goto was a prominent figure in the Yamaguchi-gumi syndicate, and is considered one of the most notorious and controversial Yakuza bosses of all time. Born in 1942 in Tokyo, Japan, Goto began his criminal career at a young age and quickly rose through the ranks of the Yamaguchi-gumi.
Illegal gambling and prostitution are Yakuza hallmarks, while the smuggling of banned goods such as drugs, firearms and pornography is also profitable. The age-old protection racket, in which Yakuza threaten business owners and other citizens with violence unless they pay a tribute, is a common Yakuza tactic as well.
The Oyabun is seen as the father figure and guiding force within the Yakuza. Underneath the Oyabun is the Kumicho, or the supreme boss, and then there's the Saiko Komon – senior advisor – and the So-Honbucho – the chief of headquarters.
Japan's yakuza are putting away their weapons after an unprecedented death sentence was passed on a crime boss. Gangs affiliated with the Yamaguchi-gumi, the country's biggest crime organisation, have been ordered not to use guns “in public” after the conviction of the head of a rival crime group.
But yes, in most cases, it's been fairly acceptable to resign from a gang. Unlike some criminal organizations, they're surprisingly understanding. The issue, however, is what's going to happen once you leave.
A gaijin in the organisation? Straight away, the strangest thing is that a foreigner – a gaijin – gets to become a member of a Yakuza family. Not only that, but Lowell quickly rises to become a member with key responsibilities – at one point he becomes the main boss's bodyguard.
Once you complete Togo Atatsuma's task, you may speak to the Yakuza in the alleyway of the town. The first time Ryoba speaks to him, he will give you a free gift. The second time you speak to him and onwards, Ryoba can pay him to do various favors for you.
The Japanese public recognizes them through their tattoos
For the Yakuza, tattoos are used to recognize members, demonstrate commitment, and boast about their wealth. They are designed using an extremely painful process called irezumi, in which the tattoos are hand-poked.
While it may seem surprising, Yakuza: Like a Dragon has six different romance options that you can pursue. Most of these romance options have a reward, but there's also a big bonus that you'll get from dating them all.
A Great game but not for kids!
The game is set in 80s Japan during the bubble economy - which means that the backdrop is a time of sex, booze and gangsters. Which should be enough to keep kids away from the title.
Parents: According to the ESRB this game is rated M and contains Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, and Use of Alcohol. No kids, please. This is violent even by Yakuza standards.
Cement shoes, concrete shoes, or Chicago overcoat is a method of murder or body disposal, usually associated with criminals such as the Mafia or gangs. It involves weighing down the victim, who may be dead or alive, with concrete and throwing them into water in the hope the body will never be found.
Crime syndication is illegal in America, and organized mobsters conceal their activities to fly under the radar of RICO laws. Japan recognizes yakuza membership as a legitimate right to assembly.
The yakuza worked with the Japanese government during World War II to provide Imperial soldiers with “comfort women.” From there, the yakuza expanded into sex tourism, human trafficking of women to Japan, pornographic enterprises, etc. in addition to gambling businesses and the trafficking of drugs and weapons.