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DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN

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Nonaffiliated gangs seek to exploit vacuum left by the yakuza’s declining influence

National / Media | DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN Jul 4, 2020

Nonaffiliated gangs seek to exploit vacuum left by the yakuza’s declining influence

by Jake Adelstein

Violent gangs are starting to make their presence felt in western Japan, with incidents of armed robbery and violent crime clearly on the rise.

Crime syndicate puts brakes on fraudulent activities during pandemic

National / Media | DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN Jun 6, 2020

Crime syndicate puts brakes on fraudulent activities during pandemic

by Jake Adelstein

Gang leadership says it's wrong to “rob (elderly) individuals of the money they need to live.”

Japan's gangs find themselves in a losing battle to mark territory

National / Media | DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN May 2, 2020

Japan's gangs find themselves in a losing battle to mark territory

by Jake Adelstein

Carrying a business card bearing a gang crest is "effectively a license to collect cash,” a former gang member says. “Without the crest, it’s just a sheet of paper.”

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Examining the legal definition of a virus

National / Media | DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN Apr 5, 2020

Examining the legal definition of a virus

by Jake Adelstein

Law enforcement agencies in Japan are struggling to define exactly what the new coronavirus is, and what it is not.

Criminals are taking advantage of fear over COVID-19

National / Media | DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN Mar 2, 2020

Criminals are taking advantage of fear over COVID-19

by Jake Adelstein

Where some people see calamity, criminals see opportunity. As concern grows over the outbreak of COVID-19 in Japan, the denizens of the underworld haven't lost any time trying to find a way to profit from the situation. Crime, like the virus, never sleeps. The Japan ...

What's in a name? For the yakuza, quite a lot

National / Media | DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN Feb 1, 2020

What's in a name? For the yakuza, quite a lot

by Jake Adelstein

The Yamaguchi-gumi is one of the most feared crime syndicates in Japan and yet its name may become a relic of the past in 2020 if recent reports are to be believed. In terms of size, the Kobe-based Yamaguchi-gumi is already on the wane. The ...

National / Media | DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN Jan 4, 2020

The importance of defining organized crime in Japan

by Jake Adelstein

The definition of a crime is a critical part of law enforcement. After all, what constitutes a crime such as theft is fundamental to working out whether or not someone is ultimately guilty of committing the offense. With this in mind, the administration of Prime ...

Telephone manufacturers unveil the perfect Christmas gift to combat bank transfer scams

National / Media | DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN Nov 30, 2019

Telephone manufacturers unveil the perfect Christmas gift to combat bank transfer scams

by Jake Adelstein

Furikome sagi (bank transfer scams) have become such an entrenched part of life in Japan that you can't even make a bank transfer via an ATM these days without first acknowledging a notice reminding you to refrain from sending money to people you don't ...

It's illegal to pay gangs ... but that's not the point

National / Media | DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN Nov 2, 2019

It's illegal to pay gangs ... but that's not the point

by Jake Adelstein

A set of revised organized crime ordinances went into effect on Oct. 1 in Roppongi, Kabukicho, Shibuya and 26 other designated special districts in Tokyo. Under the law, any individual or group in these districts who pays protection money to anti-social forces — crime syndicates, ...

Rip-off bars are taking advantage of Japan's tourism boom

National / Media | DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN Oct 4, 2019

Rip-off bars are taking advantage of Japan's tourism boom

by Jake Adelstein

With the number of foreign tourists to Japan increasing by the year, authorities are warning visitors to steer clear of so-called rip-off bars. Such establishments have been a problem for a number of years but police are no closer to being able to shut them ...

Police warn Olympic ticket lottery winners to be vigilant

National / Media | DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN Aug 31, 2019

Police warn Olympic ticket lottery winners to be vigilant

by Jake Adelstein

The second ticket lottery for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics closed on Aug. 19 for an estimated 4.16 million residents of Japan who came up empty-handed in the initial draw. The results are expected to be announced on Sept. 11 for an additional 700,000 or so ...

Re-examining 2001's fatal Kabukicho blaze in the wake of the Kyoto Animation attack

National / Media | DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN Aug 3, 2019

Re-examining 2001's fatal Kabukicho blaze in the wake of the Kyoto Animation attack

by Jake Adelstein

Police have described the torching of Kyoto Animation, which killed 35 people, as the worst case of arson in postwar Japan. Given the shocking details of the attack that have emerged since July 18, it's certainly not hard to believe. For me, the fire brought ...

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