How many Yakuza families are left?

Four largest syndicates

Although yakuza membership has declined following an anti-gang law aimed specifically at yakuza and passed by the Japanese government in 1992, there are thought to be about 25,900 active yakuza members in Japan today. The Yamaguchi-gumi is the largest yakuza family, with about 8,200 members.

How many yakuza families are there?

Yakuza syndicates are composed of groups tiered in a pyramidal structure, where the head family is comprised of members who are bosses of second-tier groups. The senior executives of second-level groups are in turn bosses of third-tier groups. There are an estimated 3,000 yakuza groups and subgroups based in Japan.

Are there any active yakuza?

Contrarily, the yakuza are a confederation of criminal syndicates active throughout Japan. According to Japanese law, their status is not illegal: they have offices and a yakuza presence is still noticeable in many cities.

Who is the current leader of the yakuza?

Kenichi Shinoda (篠田 建市, Shinoda Ken'ichi, born January 25, 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.

Are there yakuza in the US?

But since many of Yakuza-clans have fronts as companies, it is highly probable that there are some type of presence in the US. They do (or did) have a financial presence in the US as the US Department of Treasury initiated sanction in 2015, for example.

The Yakuza - Mafia of Japan

Is it illegal to join the yakuza?

These activities make the relationship between yakuza and police in Japan a complicated one; yakuza membership itself is not illegal, and yakuza-owned businesses and gang headquarters are often clearly marked. Gang whereabouts and activities are often known to Japanese police without the latter's taking any action.

Where is the yakuza most active?

The largest Yakuza syndicate today is the Yamaguchi-gumi, based out of Kobe. They currently number around 8,000 and focus primarily on gambling, trafficking, and the sex industry. Despite their gradual decline, many members of the Yamaguchi-gumi still rank among the world's wealthiest gangsters.

What is the most powerful yakuza family?

The Yamaguchi-gumi is the largest yakuza family, with about 8,200 members. The Sumiyoshi-kai is the second-largest yakuza family, with 4,200 members. Sumiyoshi-kai is a confederation of smaller yakuza groups. Its current head (会長 oyabun) is Isao Seki.

Are there female yakuza?

The Yakuza is populated almost entirely by men and the very few women who are acknowledged are the wives of bosses, who are referred to by the title ane-san (姐さん, older sister).

Is the Yakuza still powerful?

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.

Why do Yakuza cut off pinky?

Yubitsume (指詰め, "finger shortening") or otoshimae is a Japanese ritual to atone for offenses to another, a way to be punished or to show sincere apology and remorse to another, by means of amputating portions of one's own little finger.

Can you quit the Yakuza?

Can you ever leave the yakuza? It's certainly much easier these days, with government crackdowns falling on the syndicates like hammerblows. But yes, in most cases, it's been fairly acceptable to resign from a gang. Unlike some criminal organizations, they're surprisingly understanding.

Are Yakuza shunned by society?

Rejected by mainstream society, they support themselves through such criminal activity as drug dealing, extortion, burglary, robbery, and fraud. As Diet Member Mataichi predicted, social ostracism and exclusion are driving ex-yakuza to desperation and fueling an increase in crime.

Do yakuza families work together?

Some clans have a different structure -- they act as broad alliances that bring many smaller gangs under one umbrella [source: Kaplan]. The key to the hierarchy is the oyabun-kobun relationship, a set of father-son roles that binds all Yakuza clans together.

Who is the most famous yakuza?

Secret Wars/YouTubeKenichi Shinoda, a Japanese gangster and leader of the Yamaguchi-Gumi, the largest of the Yakuza gangs.

How does a yakuza family work?

Yakuza groups are headed by an oyabun or kumichō (組長, family head) who gives orders to his subordinates, the kobun. In this respect, the organization is a variation of the traditional Japanese senpai-kōhai (senior-junior) model. Members of yakuza gangs cut their family ties and transfer their loyalty to the gang boss.

Can you talk to Yakuza?

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.

Do Yakuza have mistresses?

The wives, daughters, and mistresses of the yakuza are not considered true members of the organisation, even though they play an important role within it. To function in this world, they must develop a unique strength and character.

What language does the yakuza speak?

If you've ever watched Japanese gangster movies, or had the misfortune of running into a yakuza in person, you know they speak a seemingly incomprehensible form of Japanese.

Who is the highest ranking yakuza?

Immediately under the kumicho (supreme boss) are the saiko komon (senior adviser) and the so-honbucho (headquarters chief). The wakagashira (number-two man) is a regional boss responsible for governing many gangs; he is assisted by the fuku-honbucho, who is responsible for several gangs of his own.

How do you join yakuza?

Recruitment is frequently through gambling or in recent years, motorcycle gangs. In the last few decades, yakuza have expanded into drugs and other more serious criminal activity. They have also moved into sophisticated activities.

How rich is the yakuza?

The Yamaguchi-gumi, which Morgan Stanley analyst Robert Feldman once called Japan's second largest private equity group, operates in 44 of Japan's 47 prefectures, with a yearly net revenue at $80 billion, as estimated by Fortune magazine.

Is The Yakuza Dying Out?

Numbers are shrinking because fewer young people see yakuza as an enviable career path, existing members are aging and earnings are shrinking as a result of a number of legal changes that have given the police far greater powers to bring the gangs under control.

What is the Yakuza 5 year rule?

The banking industry has a rule prohibiting former yakuza from opening bank accounts until five years after they leave a gang. This forces former gang members to explain to employers why they cannot open bank accounts, and makes job hunting harder.

Are yakuza tattoos illegal?

Although they may not be illegal, tattoos are often associated with the Yakuza, a Japanese gang that covers their entire body with tattoos.