How the Japanese feel about the yakuza, and what the legendary Japanese gangsters are doing today

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Despite the fact that the Japanese authorities today are fighting criminal groups, the headquarters of the yakuza are often decorated with neon emblems, and their addresses can be found in directories. The largest clan even publishes its own magazine, and once a year, at the Sanja Matsuri Shinto festival, everyone can contemplate criminal tattoos with symbols of various clans. In popular culture, bandits often act as noble robbers, and this tradition has a long history. The image of the first "boss" of the yakuza was glorified in the plays of the Kabuki theater.

The history of Japanese organized crime groups dates back to the early 17th century. It was during this period that, due to long internecine wars, a large number of armed and well-trained soldiers appeared in the country, who were left without patronage. These were either vassals who lost their lands and property at the behest of the shogun, or ronins - warriors who lost the patronage of the suzerain. These warriors, left without work in peacetime, strayed into gangs that roamed the roads of medieval Japan and "earned" mainly by robbery and terror of the local population. Historians often consider these formations to be the prototype of the yakuza, because it was at that time that many traditions of the "eastern mafia" were born. One of the secrets of the longevity and stability of these structures is considered the traditional system of family values, which organized gangs imitate: obedience to elders, brotherly attitude to equals, strict hierarchy and the cult of loyalty, much is taken from the samurai code.

However, the Yakuza themselves do not associate themselves with these robbers, but count their history from the detachments of the townspeople, which were formed in response to protect themselves from the outsiders. They were called machi-yakko - "servants of the city." These detachments united people of different classes: small traders, artisans, employees and clerks. They were popular among ordinary people, as they really helped to protect themselves from danger. Over time, these self-organized units adopted a lot from their enemies: jargon, structure and habits, but at the same time retained their "status" of people's defenders and noble robbers. However, this is only one of the variants of the story. It is known that already in the 17th century these "families" specialized in gambling, street trading and controlled the labor market.

Around 1640, the first major leader of the "mafia" appeared - the former samurai Bandzuyin Chbei, who is still the most popular hero of the Kabuki theater plays. According to these artistic sources, the first "boss" resembled Robin Hood and most often performed noble deeds. For example, he saved a girl from an attack by robbers or organized the marriage of two lovers who did not have the opportunity to get married, and answered those who thanked him:

Official sources provide less romantic information and say that Chobei, having become rich as the owner of a gambling house, received an order from the city authorities to hire labor to build roads and repair the walls of Edo Castle. The leader of the Yakuza built a very original scheme on this matter: he sent lost gamblers to work, who thus worked off their debt with huge interest, and the due payment went to the accounts of the mafia. Since then, by the way, labor recruitment mediation has been one of the spheres of interests of Japanese criminal structures along with drug trafficking, prostitution and gambling.

Over time, Japanese gangsters stopped claiming the role of "modern Robin Hoods", but in the mass consciousness they are still perceived as "keepers of order." In past centuries, there was a popular saying among the people: "During the day we are guarded by the police, and at night - by the yakuza." Interestingly, well-armed and well-organized detachments sometimes came to an agreement with the authorities and were recruited to pacify popular riots. This was the case, for example, in 1871, when the bandits were summoned by the manager of the imperial court, and at the beginning of 1946. The authorities then turned to the yakuza with a request to pacify the rebellious Korean and Chinese settlers, and the mafia even guarded police stations for some time.

In the 20th century, the yakuza had a new "singer", thanks to which Japanese gangsters became popular heroes of books, films and comics. Noboru Ando was born into a family of samurai descent, but from early childhood he "went down a crooked path." By the age of thirty, he managed to create his own criminal family (it united former college students) and earn credibility in criminal circles. However, after "working" as a mafia boss for about ten years, Ando dismissed his "family" and wrote a memoir entitled "The story of a man is written on his face." In 1965, they decided to film the book and invited the author to play the main character. So the former bandit became a popular and sought-after actor. He has starred in over 70 films in total and has written many novels. Mostly about Japanese criminal groups.

Today, despite the fact that the official authorities are trying to limit the influence of the mafia on all spheres of society and are taking rather cruel measures for this, members of the yakuza are becoming more and more popular literary and cinematic heroes. They can be found in both mangas and cartoons, where the images of bandits range from noble heroes to dishonest traitors who betray their families. Chronicle serials are also popular, which tell about real historical events, and sometimes even with the mention of real names and dates. It is believed that many of these works are created with the money of the mafia itself and form a favorable image of these structures in the mass consciousness.

People often tend to idealize criminal groups. Thus, many popular stereotypes have developed around the Italian mafia. And only the initiated know what Italians are really proud of, and why the mafia is immortal.