Yakuza to the rescue in Japan

[Bradtemple87]

Very cool read

[Breetai]

It costs you nothing and makes everyone more likely to ignore your killings, extortions and robberies.

A criminal with good publicty is still a criminal.

I'd wouldn't say a few hundred truckloads of supplies "costs you nothing."

I haven't heard of many (any?) killings, extortions or robberies by Yakuza that was random. It all had a purpose or reason behind it.

I've only ever read one book on the Yakuza, "Confessions of a Yakuza: A Life in Japan's Underworld", but I thought it was a great read. It describes the life of someone involved in that sort of life in Tokyo decades ago, not the current Yakuza in any form. Still, it gives an interesting view of how they operated around Tokyo 50-75 years ago.

I have only met a couple Yakuzas in my life. I was staying at an Onsen and went to the hot tub area. There was only one other man in there. He was an older gentleman, probably in his 60s or 70s, with most of his body covered in awesome tattoos. I sat down in the same bath as him, and he said hello in Japanese and asked me a few basic chit-chat questions (where are you from, what do you do, etc.). When he found out I spoke English, I guess he thought it was a good opportunity to get some English practice in. We just talked about what I was doing in Japan, how his grandchildren were, etc. It was just light chat, but I thought it was kind of cool.

The other one... ummm, I learned that checking my email on a Yakuza's personal computer without his permission is a very bad idea. It resulted in me having to find a new job and a new apartment.

[dedalusdedalus]

The other one... ummm, I learned that checking my email on a Yakuza's personal computer without his permission is a very bad idea. It resulted in me having to find a new job and a new apartment.

Now that's an interesting story. I'm imagining a Japanese version of Tommy DeVito from "Goodfellas."

[Erik_Twice]

I'd wouldn't say a few hundred truckloads of supplies "costs you nothing."

It's a manner of speech, meaning that the cost is very little for them, specially since it makes everyone more tolerant of their crimes so they can keep doing them.

Also giving supplies with the money they have obtained in their crimes is kind of ironic, to say the least.

I haven't heard of many (any?) killings, extortions or robberies by Yakuza that was random. It all had a purpose or reason behind it.

Nobody claimed that they were random. However that doesn't make killing people something good.

[AppleQueso]

General Norris has a very valid point. They may be relatively upstanding criminals, but they're still criminals nonetheless. It's important not to forget that.

[Breetai]

General Norris has a very valid point. They may be relatively upstanding criminals, but they're still criminals nonetheless. It's important not to forget that.

To be a devil's advocate; I can think of quite a few governments, western governments, who could be considered criminal (killings, extortions or robberies). I won't name any, because this isn't the place, but surely most people here can think of some as well. I'm not justifying things, just trying to put things in perspective.

[benderx]

The Yakuza has done this before in the past that I recalled.

[AmishSamurai]

The Yakuza has done this before in the past that I recalled.

This is pretty standard of them.

[Hobie-wan]

Well of course if they don't help the people, then they have less uh, 'customers' later. It is in their interest to help the people and make them stick around.

[Luke]

Well of course if they don't help the people, then they have less uh, 'customers' later. It is in their interest to help the people and make them stick around.

Hobie hit this perfectly.

It's not about the Japanese, it's about the Japanese business that the Yakuza control.