Yakuza to the Rescue

BBC ^ | March 18, 2011 | Jake Adelstein

[decimon]

Even Japan’s infamous mafia groups are helping out with the relief efforts and showing a strain of civic duty. Jake Adelstein reports on why the police don’t want you to know about it. Plus, more coverage of Japan’s crisis.

The worst of times sometimes brings out the best in people, even in Japan’s “losers” a.k.a. the Japanese mafia, the yakuza. Hours after the first shock waves hit, two of the largest crime groups went into action, opening their offices to those stranded in Tokyo, and shipping food, water, and blankets to the devastated areas in two-ton trucks and whatever vehicles they could get moving. The day after the earthquake the Inagawa-kai (the third largest organized crime group in Japan which was founded in 1948) sent twenty-five four-ton trucks filled with paper diapers, instant ramen, batteries, flashlights, drinks, and the essentials of daily life to the Tohoku region. An executive in Sumiyoshi-kai, the second-largest crime group, even offered refuge to members of the foreign community—something unheard of in a still slightly xenophobic nation, especially amongst the right-wing yakuza. The Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan’s largest crime group, under the leadership of Tadashi Irie, has also opened its offices across the country to the public and been sending truckloads of supplies, but very quietly and without any fanfare.

The Inagawa-kai has been the most active because it has strong roots in the areas hit.

[Billthedrill]

A BTT. When I was new to Japan I was walked by a certain office building and told that it was owned by the Yamaguchi-gumi. In my innocence I asked what they made.

[Frantzie]

I expected to see this headline soon. As much as they are bad guys - they have money and they can get things done.

[coloradan]

What’s the difference between the Mafia and the US government?

1. The mafia only wants 10%.
2. If you buy protection from the Mafia - you actually get protected.

[DTogo]

Good article by a well-informed individual. I doubt the Yakuza had any problems getting their delivery trucks to where they needed to get to.

日本　ピング　 (kono risuto ni hairitai ka detai wo shirasete kudasai : let me know if you want on or off this list)

[mad_as_he$$]

So the “criminals” were more effective than the “criminals”.

[catbertz]

Interesting read. They sound very corporate.

[gaijin]

INSTANT REPLAY OF KOBE..!!!

ahahhahahahh!!

[gaijin]

This journo Adelstein’s specialty is the Yakuza. he’s lived over there a million years, though I think he was born in the USA.

If he writes it (about the 893) then I believe it for SURE.

[struggle]

Like this is any surprise. When I lived in Wakayama, I went to a huge fireworks display in Gobo Town. Who do you think paid for the huge festival?

A Wakayama division of the Yamaguchi-gumi.

As a Osaka and Wakayama bar frequenter, you meet quite a few yakuza if you know which bars to go to. They always are willing to contribute to society, as long as they can use it to squeeze a buck out of you later. All of this support is going to lead to them squirming their way into the community once it gets onto its feet again with a bunch of semi-legal prostitution brothels, pachiko shops, loan services, and extortion.

[AmericanInTokyo]

It certainly isn’t altogether totally altruistic, I will say that. “Tada no mono hodo takai mono wa nai.” But a hungry stomach won’t argue with a box full of cup ramen delivered on the doorstep.

[struggle]

>>“Tada no mono hodo takai mono wa nai.”

I’m guessing it’s ok to say this now, because I live in America and I’m guessing the guy won’t read this (because he doesn’t speak English), but yeah anonymous aniki of the Tanabe, Wakayama Yama-gumi, I really enjoyed your half Japanese-half Brazilian tart of a girlfriend, for free.

And one of your Ukranian hostesses said you were “ossan kusai.”

[dsc]

“Japan’s infamous mafia groups are helping out with the relief efforts and showing a strain of civic duty”

Well, of course they did. Shimizu no Jirocho banzai!

[luvbach1]

Reminds me that John Gotti used to hand out stuff occasionally. Got him quite popular in his neighborhood.He also ordered death by torture for the man who accidentally ran over a son.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Oh, they can be real sweethearts, can’t they! /sarc

[Jack Hydrazine]

More effective than those in the District of Criminals!

[Quix]

INDEED.

[VanShuyten]

In my innocence there, I stepped on a subway car that was full of guys dressed in black. No one else wanted to get on, but the car was pretty empty, so I got on.

I described the lapel pins to my co-workers when I was telling them about that and they said that was a Yamaguch-gumi funeral train,

Sometimes it's good to be a gaijin!

[Grizzled Bear]

Bump

[snowsislander]

A well-written article, and one well worth reading.

The drive from Tokyo took them twelve hours. They went through back roads to get there. The Kanagawa Block of the Inagawa-kai, has sent 70 trucks to the Ibaraki and Fukushima areas to drop off supplies in areas with high radiations levels. They didn't keep track of how many tons of supplies they moved. The Inagawa-kai as a whole has moved over 100 tons of supplies to the Tohoku region. They have been going into radiated areas without any protection or potassium iodide.

The Yamaguchi-gumi member I spoke with said simply, "Please don't say any more than we are doing our best to help. Right now, no one wants to be associated with us and we'd hate to have our donations rejected out of hand."

Yakuza also aided the public after the 1995 Hanshin disaster.