Story Notes: Yakuza

Hierarchy:

Ranks in short:
1. Oyabun (Boss/Godfather) 1/1
2. Kanbu (Closest people to the Godfather) ?/3
3. Wakagashira/Shateigashira (Bosses over Kyoudai and Wakashu) ?/3
4. Junkosei/Shuhensha (Trainee and associates) Unlimited amount.
5. Kyoudai/Wakashu (The actual Yakuza family) Unlimited amount.
6. Freelancers/Bosozoku (People outside the yakuza, but involved in one way
or another) Unlimited amount.

Much like the rest of Japanese society, the yakuza have a strong emphasis on
loyalty and the importance of seniority. All members of the organization are
expected to obey their seniors without question, sacrificing themselves without
hesitation should the need arise. Yakuza culture states that all followers are
teppodama (lit. “rifle ball”), bullets to be fired by their boss. The bullet does not
think for itself; it is simply aimed and released.

To foster this kind of blind loyalty, it was necessary for the yakuza to
implement a system of reliance. This resulted in the oyabon-kobun relationship
(roughly father role - child role), popular among the bakuto already during the
seventeenth century. In such a relationship, the oyabun “adopts” kobun,
offering them protection, advice and work in exchange for servitude. This may
sound strange to a westerner, but in Japan such family loyalty is natural; a
father is simply meant to be obeyed.

RANKS:

Oyabun/Kumicho - head boss, leader of the clan, and handling the whole
organization. Starting from the very top of the pyramid, we begin with the
kumicho. As head of the family, his word is law and his actions unquestionable.
All members of the family are expected to revere and obey the kumicho, and do
everything in their power to ensure that he is untroubled. It is common for the
kumicho to not give literal orders but instead clue his officers in on what to do.
This way he cannot be directly connected to any crime, which ensures his safety
should the police come knocking.
(Not obtainable!)

KANBU:
Below the kumicho are the officers (kanbu), taking the form of executives,
advisers and lieutenants. The higher ranks (saiko-kanbu) are generally in close
relation with the kumicho. All kanbu are allowed to form families and groups of
their own, which means that hierarchies branch off from them as well.
Saiko-komon (Senior advisor) - This is a senior advisor to the Oyabun, aka,
the Oyabun’s “right hand”, when it comes to decisions and business. The
kumicho employs a number of advisers (komon) that assist him in matters of
business, diplomacy and war. Of this little council, the head advisers (saiko-
komon) are regarded as the senior members and are directly below the
kumicho. Most of the administration is handled by these advisers, with help
from specialists such as law advisers (shingiin) and accountants (kaikei).
(Saiko-komon - Obtainable, only one for each clan, but exceptions can be
made for two.
Shingiin - Obtainable, multiple amount, but limited.
Kaikei - Obtainable, multiple amount, but limited.)

So-honbucho (Headquarters chief) - Equal to the saiko-komon in rank, the so-

honbucho, or headquarters chief, takes care of the family’s main office and
logistics. The so-honbucho prepares vehicles and plans trips, and have been
known to serve as quartermasters when the organization goes to war.
(Obtainable, only one for each clan.)

Wakagashira/Shateigashira/Fuku-honbucho (Lieutenants) - The first tier of

officers below the kumicho and his advisers is comprised of gashira,
lieutenants. Of these, the kumicho chooses one as his second in command; this
individual is referred to as the wakagashira, or first lieutenant, and is
supported by a fuku-honbucho, who acts as advisor and assistant. The
remaining gashira are regarded as shateigashira, second lieutenants, and
operate in other areas of the organization’s territory.
(Obtainable, currently only one Wakagashira and Fuku-honbucho for each
clan, several but limited Shateigashira.)

Yakuza Apprentices and Partners

Jun-kosei-in (Trainee) - Being a jun-kosei-in, or trainee, is not the most

exciting way of life. Long hours, little to no pay, constant pressure from above
and thoughtless obedience is what can be expected by those aiming to join a
yakuza family. Hence, these people are yet not in the actual family. Used for
menial tasks and as tools, the jun-kosei-in have little else to do but work hard
and hope to be admitted into the organization.

Normally, a jun-kosei-in is not paid but rather taken on as a volunteer of sorts.

Due to the working hours being long (sometimes from six in the morning to
midnight!) and there being no salary, they often live with parents, girlfriends or
in one of the organization’s offices. It takes a long time to be accepted by the
yakuza, and some jun-kosei-in remain in their position for over half a decade.
Even after being moved up to the rank of kumi-in their salary is rarely above
minimum wage.
(Obtainable, unlimited amount!)

Shuhensha (Business associates) - There is another group of individuals that

share the “rank” of jun-kosei-in. These are the shuhensha, associates that enjoy
a business relationship with the organization while remaining outside it. The
most common group within the shuhensha are the kigyo shatei, business
brothers, who profit from maintaining various deals with the yakuza. They act
as fronts, run legit businesses with yakuza funding, handle the economical
aspect of cons and extortionist practices, and so on. Informers, black market
contacts and enterprising politicians fill out the shuhensha ranks.
(Obtainable, unlimited amount!)

LITTLE AND BIG BROTHERS (Shatei(Wakashu)/Kyodai - The family)

Beneath the high ranked officers, the Oyabun has his children(Wakashu) and
brothers(Kyodai). These are not his real children and brothers, only
designations of rank and position they have within the clan. All the members in
the clan obey the Oyabun and in return he protects them against all dangers.
Oyabun is almighty within the clan and his words is the law. All obey him
without hesitation or concern for their own life. The Kyodai and Wakashu take
up 80% of the whole clan.

The children’s (Wakashu) boss is called Waka gashira. He is number two in the
clan after Oyabun, not in rank but in authority. He acts as a middleman to see
that the Oyabun’s orders are being accomplished.

The children leaders over their own (sub) gangs and over time can move up in
the structure. In that way the clan becomes a ramification with several sub
families. The Oyabun’s “brothers” or Kyodai, boss is called Shatei gashira.
Shatei gashira is of higher rank than Waka gashira but doesn’t have more
authority.

“The Brothers” (Kyodai) have their own “children” or “younger brothers”

(Shatei). Shatei are just slightly above Wakashu, but are generally the same
rank. Shatei has its own sub gangs etc. Everyone obeys its gang leader, but it’s
always the Oyabun’s word that counts.

Kyodai - (Obtainable, unlimited amount)

Wakashu/Shatei - (Obtainable, unlimited amount)
Shatei’s gang leader - (Obtainable, one for each clan)

FREELANCING YAKUZA/FREELANCERS AND BOSOZOKU.

(People not actually in the yakuza, but are linked to it. Some of this information
is fictional, and made up to make it easier for roleplayers outside of the
yakuza to be a part of this directory and interact with yakuza/crime muses.)

BOSOZOKU
Bosozoku, or better known as “biker gang people” are rebellious people that
have an interest in customized motorcycles and are affiliated with the yakuza.
These bosozoku groups also engage in dangerous or reckless driving, such as
weaving in traffic, not wearing motorcycle helmets, and running red lights.
Many girls tend to join this subculture as there are so few women within the
yakuza itself. Therefore, it is common for the bosozoku girls to be involved
with the yakuza, whether it is romantically, sexually, or for favors. These girls
have been portrayed in many movies, the most famous one being Kamikaze
girls.
Bosozoku (Men and women) - (Obtainable, unlimited amount!)

FREELANCING YAKUZA
These people are generally a wannabe type of yakuza that do not commit
serious crimes and can be seen as a group of hustlers. They have however
some difficulties surviving since the clan yakuza does not give them any
protection or assistance and generally do not allow them to operate within their
territories. The clan (original) yakuza can tip the police about crimes that the
freelance yakuza commit.

If the freelance yakuza earns too much money, the clan yakuza kills the
freelancing yakuza or makes him disappear without a trace. The clan yakuza
does however have certain uses for a freelance yakuza. If the clan yakuza needs
something done that they do not want the clan to be associated with, they can
turn to a freelancing yakuza that, for a sum of money, does the job for them. A
freelance yakuza can also be used as a scapegoat for crimes. A freelancer can
truly be a genius; if he can manage to begin his own clan and stay alive. Usually
a freelance yakuza becomes a clan member unless he gets killed.
Freelancing Yakuza - (Obtainable, unlimited amount!)

FREELANCERS (CUSTOMERS)
People buying and borrowing money from the yakuza, and are involved with
them due to favors and services, are called the Freelancers.
If you apply as a member wanting to get a hold of drugs and money only
through the yakuza or have connections to the yakuza but your muse is
NOT in the actual yakuza, you will apply as a freelancer!

*Freelancers do not exist in real life, only Freelancing yakuza and Bosozoku
girls. Please keep this in mind.

Freelancers - (Obtainable, unlimited amount!)

ACTIVITIES:

Some yakuza groups are known to deal extensively in human trafficking. The
Philippines, for instance, is a source of young women. Yakuza trick girls from
impoverished villages into coming to Japan, where they are promised
respectable jobs with good wages. Instead, they are forced into becoming
prostitutes and strippers.

Yakuza frequently engage in a unique form of Japanese extortion known

as soukaiya. In essence, this is a specialized form of protection racket. Instead
of harassing small businesses, the yakuza harasses a stockholders' meeting of
a larger corporation. They simply scare the ordinary stockholder with the
presence of yakuza operatives, who obtain the right to attend the meeting by
making a small purchase of stock.

Yakuza also have ties to the Japanese realty market and banking,
through jiageya. Jiageya specialize in inducing holders of small real estate to
sell their property so that estate companies can carry out much larger
development plans. Japan's bubble economy of the 1980s is often blamed on
real estate speculation by banking subsidiaries. After the collapse of the
Japanese property bubble, a manager of a major bank in Nagoya was
assassinated, and much speculation ensued about the banking industry's
indirect connection to the Japanese underworld.
As a matter of principle, theft is not recognized as a legitimate activity of
yakuza. This is in line with the idea that their activities are semi-open; theft by
definition would be a covert activity. More importantly, such an act would be
considered a trespass by the community. Also, yakuza usually do not conduct
the actual business operation by themselves. Core business activities such as
merchandising, loan sharking or management of gambling houses are typically
managed by non-yakuza members who pay protection fees for their activities.

ARGUMENT FOR EVIL:

This shouldn’t be too hard, right? The Yakuza are criminals. They are a gang
that commits many illegal activities, partly because they are allowed to do so. It
is interesting to note that Yakuza offices are out in the public. This helps them
mark their territory and no doubt is an ego boost for the local bosses. Yakuza
are not going around and telling every person walking down the street of the
crimes they commit. Yet even if the crimes are reported, Japan does not have
legislation similar to the US RICO Act, thus it is much harder to tie gang leaders
to crimes their underlings participate in. Growing amounts of legislation are
putting a damper in gang activities, but the mere fact they can have public
property openly shows the Yakuza do not consider the police a real threat.

The Yakuza tend to be more sophisticated in the crimes they indulge in. It is
true things like shoplifting or muggings are happening with a bad economy that
has affected everyone, but things like credit fraud or business takeovers are
becoming more common. This is done through various blackmail, extortion,
money laundering attempts and some greased wallets of police or community
organization. This shows a step away from their traditional and still much more
popular bread and butter of drug dispensing, prostitution and sex industry
services, gambling and hitting up local shops for protection money. Semi-legal
tactics of playing loud music, constant harassment at inconvenient hours, or
refusing to leave businesses are also a well used tactic for Yakuza to get what
they want.
In a way, Yakuza are contractors. They do jobs for money, yet the jobs are not
always legal. They provide a service for the public, but then attack them for not
making payments on high interest loans or compensating them for false
grievances. In a hard hit economy, people and businesses can turn to Yakuza
for money that banks would never loan. If paid back, this can be seen as a
positive attribute of the gang’s services, but more often than not something
“happens” where the Yakuza need more money than before and then the real
trouble starts.

ARGUMENT FOR GOOD:

The Yakuza have done their best to portray a noble image within the public
sphere. They dress nicely, are respectful, and talk politely–when not trying to
make money. Violence for the most part happens between gang branches or
non-Yakuza gangs within Japan. The Yakuza punish their own, sometimes
infamously forcing the person who did wrong to remove the tip of a finger as a
form of apology. The Yakuza are even known to reduce some crime. The
Japanese Mafia, as they are sometimes called, will often police themselves. Have
you ever been through Tokyo’s Kabukicho entertainment district? Take a look
next time. For such a crowded place you might expect an iconic police box or at
least cops patrolling, but nope. Yakuza do protect places they collect money
from because they don’t want other people to take that money. A petty thief or
drug dealer looking for a new territory often thinks twice before operating in
Yakuza turf. The police catching you may be scary to a criminal, but worse is
considering what the Yakuza might do to you.

CLOSING WORDS:

Are the Yakuza more than mere criminals? By reducing petty crime and violence
they often make local streets safer. They also were there in some of the darkest
moments of Japan helping out fellow citizens. At the same time they murder,
sell drugs and firearms, and practice extortion, human trafficking, and scare
tactics. Even with a mountain of politicians, lawyers, police, and organizations
trying to expel the Yakuza from society, they are not leaving. In fact, because
the crime syndicate turns so many wheels in Japan from gambling and sex paid
by demanding Japanese customers, to raising funds for political parties, it is
hard to imagine society able to operate if the Yakuza did not exist. So are these
well dressed thugs good or bad? For the time being, the Yakuza in Japan find
themselves a necessary evil.