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As far as I know from my thesis on organized crime, Yakuza is a different breed say than Hell's Angels, Mafia and Vor V Zakone (Russian "Mafia", although I use
by f4stjack 7y ago
As far as I know from my thesis on organized crime, Yakuza is a different breed say than Hell's Angels, Mafia and Vor V Zakone (Russian "Mafia", although I use the word mafia here tentatively because with the exception of providing illegal goods and services they have nothing in common).
The difference is yakuza is accepted as a semi-legal entity in the minds of the people.
Historically first yakuza (which were proto-yakuza, like nobody used the term yet) protected the city against ronin (masterless) samurais who came to loot the city. (Kaplan & Dubro, p.12) In addition to this they carry a Robin Hood-esque theme and one of the well known histories about them involves Chobei Banzuiin who, supposedly, repaired the roads and walls in Tokyo and opened up a casino.
But the word yakuza appears after a century more or less. Their origins involve traveling gamblers and street sellers. Even the word itself, yakuza, is a term for losing hand (ya-ku-sa, cards of 8-9-3)
Another term that's important, and unique if I may say, in Yakuza is the relation of oyabun-kobun. Oyabun acts as a father figure and kobun is the child figure. Kobun provides service and commitment to the Oyabun with no questions or hesitation. and Oyabun protects and helps the Kobun.
Everybody knows about the tattoos so I'll pass this.
Yakuza formalized in the beginning of 1960s with the help of Yoshio Kodama. He was charged with creating a spy network in China and given the rank of Admiral for his war effort even though he was a criminal.
If you want to read more about this, these were the books I've used in my Thesis on this section
Amaruso D. Gangster Incorporated. Glencoe:Free Press
Kaplan, D, Dubro A. (2003) Yakuza: Japan's Criminal Underworld. California: University of California Press
Lyman M. & Potter, G. (2009) Organized Crime, New Jersey: Prentice Hall
- ninjin 7y agoThank you, your comment really adds a whole lot of context missing in the article. Your description of the oyabun-kobun practice (親分子分慣行) also made me realise why to me “I give you my life” feels like such a weird translation for “命預けます”, the feeling that springs to mind is more akin to “I leave my life in your care” which clearly highlights that the relationship does not only go one way.
- f4stjack 7y agoGlad to be of assistance. Thank you for your comment!
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- newswriter99 7y ago"Yakuza is a different breed say than Hell's Angels, Mafia and Vor V Zakone" That's because Hell's Angels is a 1970's outlaw motorcycle group of misfits, the "Mafia" is (I assume you're reffering to the Italians) is a virtually defunct organized crime group who haven't been relevant for 60 years, and Vor V Zakone is a prison group. They're ALL different breeds from each other.
- lawlessquestion 7y agoThe Italian mafias peaked 60 years ago or so, but they have been very relevant the past 60 years, just maybe not as open 1963 mafia killed JFK 1980's stole massive amounts in gas taxes https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://mobile.nytimes.com/1989/02/06/nyregion/mafia-aided-scheme-evades-millions-in-gas-taxes.html&ved=2ahUKEwjK_uGS_O3hAhVHCKwKHWPkA5gQFjAAegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw3X8XfcupWIlRCMn1vLJQWv https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://... Early 90s window scheme where mafia received kickbacks from all large developers in nyc https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://mobile.nytimes.com/1991/04/24/nyregion/us-says-mob-gained-grip-on-window-trade.html&ved=2ahUKEwiL6_i8_O3hAhVCXKwKHWDqCSUQFjALegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw2c7B1BG3Zefx4tuqw-X6vq https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://...
- tomatotomato37 7y agoI thought the mafia was still influential in Italy, albeit less as a criminal organization and more a system of business cartels?
- barrkel 7y agoMafia is very much not defunct in Italy.