Japan's gangs find themselves in a losing battle to mark territory
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.”
Examining the legal definition of a virus
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
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
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 ...
The importance of defining organized crime in Japan
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
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
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
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
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
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 ...
As Japan prepares to open casinos, gangs won't be afraid to test security
Japan is currently creating a legal framework to operate casinos via a system of integrated resorts, but concerns persist that they'll be prime targets for organized crime once they're finally up and running by 2024. "The yakuza have changed over the years, but one thing ...
Historic justification for Japan's tattoo ban is no longer relevant
With the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games a little more than a year away, it's time for Japan to turn the page on tattoos. It's hard to argue with a straight face in this day and age that tattoos are exclusively used by ...
