Something interesting about Japanese organized crime

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Yakuza is the organized crime syndicates in Japan, like the triads in other Asian countries or Western mafia. However, the social organization and characteristics of the Yakuza is very different from other criminal groups, they even have their own office building, and their actions often and write openly in the press. Before you — ten unusual facts about the Yakuza.

1. Socia

Sakya is the name of the form of large-scale bribery practiced by the Yakuza. First, they buy shares of any company in a sufficient quantity to obtain a voice in the Council of shareholders. Then members of the Yakuza learn so much incriminating facts about the management of the company as you can. After that usually begin trading in the style of "or you pay us, or the shareholders ' meeting we are something about you will tell". In Japanese culture, the fear of shame is a great force, so this tactic usually works.

Really unusual in this Scam is that everything is done with utmost courtesy. And threats, and payments are made in a roundabout way: for example, the Yakuza organize an event like Golf tournaments or beauty contest and at inflated prices to sell to the victims of his blackmail tickets.

A similar fate was avoided and some major Japanese companies. One racketeer received eight months in prison after he tried to blackmail the leaders of the company "Mitsubishi", accusing them of the illegal deduction of lease payments for a holiday house.

By 1982, the ninth year of sokaiya has reached such proportions that it was necessary to introduce a number of laws prohibiting corporations to pay the Blackmailers. Use it brought a little, and the Yakuza had to come up with a more complex scheme to disguise their actions.

In addition, managers often have to tolerate the Yakuza because they in the disclosure of information will face criminal prosecution if they were involved in socia in the past. The most effective tactic against sakaya is the holding of shareholders meetings in one day throughout the country, as even members of the Yakuza can not be everywhere at once: for example, 90% of corporations on the Tokyo stock exchange hold their annual shareholders meeting on the same day.

2. Crackdown on the Yakuza

Yamaguchi-Gumi is the largest syndicate in Japan. Lately, he has become the object of sanctions by the U.S. government to combat organized crime. American citizens are no longer allowed to make deals with the leader of the syndicate, kanjite of the Synod, his Deputy Kiyoshi Takayama also hit the black list, the US government froze all U.S. assets. In this regard, in Japan, there were laws aimed at breaking ties between Yakuza and legitimate business.

Previous attempts of Japan to limit the influence the Yakuza have included introducing fines for businesses that willingly collaborate with the bandits. These efforts seem to have borne fruit — the number of representatives of the Yakuza at the moment fell to a record low over the last 50 years.

According to the synods, the disappearance of the Yakuza threatens the emergence of thousands of dangerous criminals, the unemployed, and if disband the Yamaguchi-Gumi, the public order will be instantly broken.

3. Auxiliary assistance to the Yakuza

When in 2011, the year Japan was hit by the tsunami, the Yakuza were among the first who rushed to the affected areas to help. This is not unprecedented: in 1995, the year when the earthquake occurred in Kobe, the fifth largest city in Japan, members of the Yakuza used scooters, boats and helicopters to deliver cargo to the dilapidated quarters.

Some people believe that the Yakuza always help the needy in case of need, because basically their members — the outcasts of society, sympathetic to people at risk of not receiving timely assistance from the authorities. Other people are more cynical and believe that such behavior — no more than effective PR: police harder to get public support for the fight against the Yakuza after such charity.

Also in these cases, the Yakuza can get a substantial financial benefit. A few months after the earthquake in 2011, the year belonging to the Yakuza organizations could compete for government construction contracts. The scale of the disaster led to the fact that the authorities are unable to keep the Yakuza in the side, especially the Japanese mafia often operates through front companies that are indistinguishable from legitimate. One such contract, the Yakuza, led to the fact that the head of a shell company went to prison — he was seen in the retention of part of the salaries of employees with the aim of making a profit, and believed that the Yakuza will cover it up.

4. Journal of the Yakuza

This year, the Yamaguchi-Gumi distributed newsletters almost all 28 thousand members. In the magazine called "Yamaguchi-Gumi, Sinpo" was, among other things, haiku and articles about fishing. Also, the editors on behalf of the head of the syndicate, talked about the difficult times for the organization. At this time the Yakuza really were in trouble, and the magazine became a way to raise morale.

However, some copies of the magazine fell into the hands of civilians. Experts believe that, despite the fact that the magazine was sent only to the members of the syndicate, the Yakuza knew that hearing about it will seep and outside the organization. Thus, the creation of a cultural magazine was supposed to weaken the connection between the Yamaguchi-Gumi and violence in the public consciousness.

5. Yubitsume

Members of the Yakuza, seen in the wrong from the standpoint of the Yakuza action must redeem himself by cutting off part of their finger — this ritual is known as yubitsume. For the first offense, it is sufficient to cut off the tip of the little finger, but further offenses have more serious injuries. As a result, many members of the organization partially or completely missing his left pinky, and in some cases other fingers.

This has led to a great demand for artificial fingers. The missing fingers are a kind of blot, and their absence to hide difficult, but necessary, as most Japanese people know about this ritual. Professor Alan Roberts (Alan Roberts), an expert on the skin from the UK, exported to Japan quite a lot of realistic prostheses to among former Yakuza earn the nickname "Mr. Finger".

6. Tattoo

One of the iconic images of the Yakuza are their intricate colored tattoos all over her body. The Yakuza use the traditional method of manual entry of ink under the skin, known as irezumi — the tattoo serves as a proof of courage because this method is very painful. In recent years, the increased popularity of this style among the Yakuza. Most popular drawings usually consist of dragons, mountains and women.

Despite the trend of tattoos spread among non-Yakuza, these signs are in Japanese society still indicate it on the members of the syndicate. The mayor of Osaka introduced a ban on such tattoos for government employees, asking them to either reduce a tattoo, or to look for work elsewhere.

7.The Yakuza in court

This year, the restaurant's owner began the court process with kanjite Synod — thus extremely dangerous head of the crime syndicate Yamaguchi-Gumi, which we have already mentioned. She claimed that the Synod is responsible for his people, who demanded her protection money and threatened to burn her place if she doesn't pay. So it is judicially demanded damages in the amount of 17 million yen, or about $2.8 million.

She is not the first person who filed on the Yakuza in court. In 2008, the year a group of residents sued to evict the gang Donkey from their headquarters in the city of Kurume. The group broke up after a dispute over the leadership that led to a brutal war between the two sides. Residents claimed to have earned the right to live in peace, so insisted on the resignation of the gang from their city.

But the Yakuza are not always the defendants. At the beginning of this year, the Kudo-Kai Yakuza syndicate in the South of Japan, has been named by law enforcement "dangerous" — they were involved in a series of attacks on the headquarters of another syndicate with a grenade. Lawyer Kudo-Kai said that such characteristics of the syndicate at least unfair, because Kudo-Kai — only one of the five competing syndicates in the South of the country, and the status was assigned only to them, so that there is a violation of the Constitution of Japan.

8. Exams

In 2009-m year, the Yamaguchi-Gumi created a 12-page exam for their members. This step was taken after the government passed tough laws against organized crime. Examinations were positioned as an attempt to protect the members of the syndicate of trouble and make sure they know the laws. The questions in the questionnaire touched on a variety of topics — from waste disposal to vehicle theft.

Although the thought of tattooed gangsters sitting in the examination hall after a day of cramming may seem funny, surrender of such tests gives an idea about the Japanese economy as a whole. The Yakuza have long been a barometer of the economy and culture: if criminals think that fell on hard times and are doing everything possible to reduce losses to a minimum, and the rest are in the same position.

9. The initiation ritual

Converts the Yakuza are forced to be subordinate to the more experienced members of the organization. They are called kobun, literally "the role of the child." Over the years, the Yakuza has developed a complex leadership structure, and need to go through many steps to reach the top.

The basis of the initiation ritual for the beginner lies is based on a sake ceremony called zakazukha. Dedicate sits in front of his oyabun — member of the group performing "the role of the father", while other people prepared the drink. Newbie gets a smaller share of the beverage, while the bowl of his "teacher" is filled to the brim, to reflect its status. Each takes a SIP from her Cup, and then they exchange them, and then the ceremony is concluded. This ritual means creating a connection between kaboom and kaboom that is similar to the relationship of adoptive father and son.

The ceremony of drinking sake is traditionally used in Japanese culture to create a connection. Sake is seen as a bridge between humans and gods, derived from the divine blessings of a good harvest, and this relationship can strengthen the relationship between people. Such historicity gives the initiation ceremony of religious significance, so the place of the ceremony is often a Japanese Shinto Shrine.

10. The Yakuza in politics

In 2012 year, the Minister of justice of Japan Keisha Tanaka was forced to resign because she became aware of his connection with the Yakuza. However, these relationships were not always so undesirable for Japanese politicians.

The liberal democratic party (LDP), which manages Japan during the 54 years of the last 58 years, often cooperated with the Yakuza. The first Prime Minister of the LDP Nobusuke Kishi collaborated with Yamaguchi-Gumi: in 1971, the year he along with other politicians bailed the leader of the Yamaguchi-Gumi, convicted for the murder. He also participated in the weddings and funerals of members of the Yakuza.

During the election of members of the Yakuza often act as bodyguards and propagandists. In addition, the gangs, the Yakuza is able to provide a certain number of votes to their favorite candidates. The head of the Yakuza gang in Kyoto claimed that he was able to provide 30 thousand votes to elect a particular Governor.

At least four other Prime Minister had ties with the Yakuza, including those who came to power in 1987, Noboru Takeshita. Shortly before the elections he faced harassment by far-right opponents, therefore appealed for support to the largest Yakuza group in Tokyo — Inagawa-Kai. Of course, they corrected the problem, but in the end there was a lot of rumors about how feels comfortable ruling elite of Japan under the auspices of the organized crime.

источник:publy.ru

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