These sleeves hide the tattoos on his arms, which reveal his previous life with an organized criminal gang in Japan, the Yakuza. Shindo said he joined the yakuza as a young man because, “I was looking ...

A former yakuza member who retired in his 70s ... Hyogo Prefecture is home to two major organized gangs, the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan’s largest crime syndicate, and the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi, which ...

Gangs affiliated with the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan’s largest organized crime ... Tomohiko Suzuki, a journalist who specializes in yakuza organizations, said Yamaguchi-gumi’s order “may be ...

There are thought to be nearly 100,000 Yakuza members in Japan. When they enlist in individual gangs they are taken to a secret location where they are trained in hand-to-hand combat and meditation.

Japanese society is a much safer society than most. The "institutionalisation" of crime in the form of about 80,000 registered gang members may play a role in that. The yakuza are suffering along ...

The Yamaguchi-gumi was founded in 1915 in Hyogo prefecture, western Japan. It expanded significantly from the late 1950s to the early '70s, becoming the most powerful yakuza gang in Japan.

3. South Korea — Gangs known as "Kkangpae" operate in South Korea. Like Japan's Yakuza, they also often have tattoos that identify their affiliation. Korea sits in 83rd place on the rankings.

Japanese role-playing game Yakuza: Like A Dragon follows one such ... beloved boss and father-figure Masumi Arakawa. Unfortunately gang politics have changed significantly since Kasuga was locked ...