With the country’s largest underworld organisation, the Yamaguchi-gumi, fast approaching its centenary year, Japan’s yakuza criminal fraternity finds itself and its activities under ever increasing pressure.
ncreased levels of scrutiny from both the authorities and the wider public are symptomatic of a wider public image crisis for the yakuza in recent years. The gangs have long enjoyed a ‘Robin Hood’ status with their violent criminal activity played down or justified by the supposed existence of a rigorous moral code – a sort of honour among thieves. In a country where the dominant social discourse stresses harmony and conformity, the free spirited, devil-may-care yakuza of popular culture has, at times, been afforded a romanticized, even heroic image in the popular consciousness. Indeed, the position of the gangs has, on occasion, been raised to that of national cause celebre – In the wake of the massive Kobe earthquake of 1995, a clumsily handled response on the part of municipal and national government saw local yakuza groups the first to mobilise aid efforts for the victims of the tragedy, seeing praise for the gangs reach unprecedented levels.
In recent years however, with the economic reality of total stagnation taking root in Japan, the tide appears to have turned with a series of measures designed to force the gangs out of business. With the July 26th passing of the Organized Crime Group Countermeasures Law, Japan’s toughest ever anti-gang legislation, the yakuza’s longstanding position of privilege now appears to be under serious threat. Long tolerated by officials on the basis that their domination of criminal activity denied overseas gangs a foothold in Japan, the bread and butter of yakuza operations has always been rooted in the grey and black economy – gambling, prostitution and drug trafficking are staples.
Nonetheless, the gangs also operate legitimate business interests. In a country where politics and business are famously and intrinsically linked, the yakuza have exploited corrupt back room dealings to infiltrate both government and business at local and national levels, through both manipulation of public works contracts and involvement in private industry.
The new legislation, apparently an effort to break this pattern, raises new difficulties for gangs seeking to operate in this way. Certainly, the power base of the major yakuza organisations is too broad for this change to significantly weaken their interests, but it certainly has the potential to alter the thier patterns of activity. The most likely scenario seems to be an expansion of Yakuza involvement into neighbouring countries, particularly the emerging economies of South East Asia, where minimal investments could reap significant rewards for underworld operators.
The flashy, boisterous yakuza with tattoos and gaudy suits as visual signifiers of his criminal status is largely a figure of the past – the changes of recent years have meant that advertising oneself as a gangster is no longer possible as criminal organisations have been driven further underground. While these latest efforts to remove criminals from the world of business are certainly commendable, they are unlikely to completely dismantle the gangs – they are simply too well established. If, as seems likely, new legislation simply drives the yakuza to operate on an increasingly international scale, the moves could end up as counterproductive in the extreme, leading to a new era of prosperity and violence for Japan’s shadowy underworld.
by Sam Jones
