Yakuza

[minervasirius]

Who are the Yakuza?
The yakuza is a blanket term for Japan's organized crime groups: The country's mafia. They were traditionally federations of gamblers and street merchants, but while the yakuza like to tout their history as going back hundreds of years, the oldest continuous group is, author Kazuhiko Murakami estimates, probably the Aizukotetsu-kai in Kyoto, founded in the 1870s.
While many yakuza groups started as loosely run gambling associations, they really came into their own in the chaos after World War II, first running the black markets, providing gambling, and entertainment -- even managing some of Japan's top post-war stars and singers -- before moving into construction, real estate, and engaging in extortion, blackmail, and fraud. And then of course, politics.

[Ishigochan]

I've read in an article online that the yakuza are not really who they seem to be. The article was an interview of the yakuza's favorite tattoo artist. He mentioned that the yakuza who's been his clients for a long time are actually very helpful to the community. They are even the first ones who rush to the scene and bring aid during natural calamities like tsunamis and earthquakes according to the artist. I guess history has cemented their bad reputation and no matter what they do, being helpful and all that in this day and age doesn't really help at all. I'll try to find that article and post it here. It's a really good read.

[Thanh Binh]

Yes please, I want to read it too, I also hear that they are brave people who always the first to protect other @@ I do not know why they have such a bad reputation but from my perspective, Japanese people- normal people do not like or have a very bad impression with people who has tattoo... so that might be the reason people scared and made bad stories about them.