In this superb book Peter Hill challenges prevailing interpretations of the yakuza and, in doing so, explores the pathology and dynamism of contemporary Japan. He dismisses the widely held view that the yakuza and police maintain a quasi-symbiotic relationship and points to legal and economic changes that are undermining their presumed role in crime control. As with many other aspects of contemporary Japanese society, what were once considered ineradicable verities are now yesterday's news.
Hill writes with authority and panache, demonstrating a command of the literature while alerting readers to the pitfalls of various data. In looking under this rock, he tells a compelling story about Japan's underworld, showing us how it is far more significant and changing much more rapidly than is commonly assumed. A wry wit and judicious doses of colorful anecdotes leaven this complex and revisionist interpretation of the relationship among the yakuza, law and the state. "The Japanese Mafia" explains why monolithic views of both the yakuza and police obscure significant differences within both organizations that have influenced evolving relationships and the impact of recent anti-yakuza legislation.
The yakuza's high-profile ties within the corridors of political power during much of the latter half of the 20th century are remarkable. Hill writes, "The links between the postwar yakuza and, usually rightwing, politicians are well known. This is not so much due to fearless investigative journalism or mass arrests of corrupt politicians as to the extraordinary degree to which these links were openly displayed for much of this 'period.' " Politicians have relied on the yakuza to help battle radical groups ("hammer of the left") while also using them in campaigns for fund raising, voter organizing and digging up dirt on rivals.