Tag - yakuza

 
 

YAKUZA

A sketch of Shinichi Mitate, a key suspect in a 2012 murder case, created by police investigators imagining his current appearance
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 30, 2024
Tokyo police release new sketches of 2012 nightclub murder suspect
The police are calling for information on the suspect, saying the 2012 murder should not be forgotten.
A police officer distributes leaflets on Osaka's revised ordinance to eliminate organized crime groups in the city's Minami entertainment district on July 1.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 28, 2024
Osaka steps up drive to ensure expo and casino resort free of organized crime
The revised ordinance also targets the sex work industry, street solicitation and scouting.
Actors Kento Kaku (left) and Ryoma Takeuchi star in Amazon Prime Video's new show "Like A Dragon: Yakuza," which is based on a hugely popular Sega video game series about Tokyo crime gangs.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jul 29, 2024
Japan TV can catch 'Shogun' wave, says 'Like A Dragon' star
Kento Kaku says it is important for Japan to seize the opportunity to create more shows that are recognized internationally.
Akira Otani's "The Night of Baba Yaga” explores the boundaries of finding one's place in society as it questions ideas of violence, love, family and honor.
CULTURE / Books
Jun 27, 2024
‘The Night of Baba Yaga’ weaves a yakuza thriller into a meditation on queerness
Translator Sam Bett gravitated to the Akira Otani novel for its refusal to adhere to established genre conventions.
Ryoma Takeuchi (right) will star as the protagonist in an upcoming adaptation of the Like a Dragon game franchise directed by Masaharu Take (left).
LIFE / Digital
Jun 6, 2024
When will a Japan-made game have a breakout TV adaptation?
There are far too many gems in the Japanese gaming world for there not to be even one capable of translating to success as a TV series.
The National Police Agency coined the term "tokuryū" to classify individuals involved in dark part time jobs and quasi-gangsters, using the words "tokumei" (anonymous) and "ryūdo" (fluid) to reflect their characteristics.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
May 6, 2024
Tokuryū, a new crime menace in Japan, emerges from the shadows
Unlike the yakuza, which have a hierarchical structure and strict codes of conduct, they lack a clear organizational structure and thrive on anonymity.
Customs officials at Narita Airport discovered stimulants inside a conveyor belt roller that was shipped from Mexico to Japan in June last year.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 23, 2024
Six arrested on suspicion of smuggling stimulants
The suspects, including a senior figure in a crime syndicate in Saitama Prefecture, allegedly hid some 15 kilograms of drugs inside a conveyor belt roller.
A court sketch shows Satoru Nomura, head of the Kudokai crime syndicate (center), and Fumio Tanoue, the group's second-in-command (right), during their sentencing at the Fukuoka High Court on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 12, 2024
Death sentence overturned for Kudokai gang boss
The criminal mastermind remained expressionless and stared directly at the judge as it was announced that the death sentence had been overturned.
Takeshi Ebisawa poses with a rocket launcher during a meeting with an informant and two undercover Danish police officers at a warehouse in Copenhagen, Denmark on Feb. 3, 2021.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 22, 2024
U.S. charges criminal group leader over conspiring to sell nuclear material
Prosecutors allege that Takeshi Ebisawa "brazenly" moved material containing uranium and weapons-grade plutonium from Myanmar.
Shigeyuki Kin
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 1, 2024
Wanted gang member Shigeyuki Kin held by Nagano police
The suspect in a 2020 attempted murder was alone at the time of the arrest and did not resist, admitting to the police that he was indeed the fugitive.
Executive officer, producer and director Masayoshi Yokoyama poses next to a promotional poster for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. The Yakuza gangster series has long been seen as a Japanese version of Grand Theft Auto, but Yokoyama dismisses any such comparison.
LIFE / Digital
Jan 25, 2024
'We don't hit women': How Yakuza differs from Grand Theft Auto
Designer Masayoshi Yokoyama sat down to discuss video game violence ahead of the Jan. 26 release of the latest in the Yakuza series.
A man walks out of a game store displaying a promotional poster for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the latest in the Yakuza series of video games. Behind the worldwide success of Japanese video games lies a delicate task: appealing to overseas players whose expectations on issues like sexism are increasingly influencing the content of major titles.
LIFE / Digital
Jan 25, 2024
From Japan to the world: how to translate a game
Everything from slang to costumes needs to be considered in an era where international success is crucial to making a blockbuster.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 27, 2023
Man arrested over fatal shooting in western Tokyo
The victim, who may have been connected to a gang, was apparently shot at least three times and died after escaping from a restaurant where he was initially shot.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Feb 10, 2023
What’s a Japanese mobster to do in retirement? Join a softball team
The members of the Ryuyukai have done nearly 100 years of hard time, now they're just looking to stay out of trouble.

Longform

A store clerk tries to cool things down in front of their shop by spraying a hose.
Is extreme weather changing the way Japan shops?