About the Yakuza

What does yakuza mean?
The literal translation is 8-9-3; Ya is 8, ku 9, za 3. This originates from a card game called oicho-kabu, a Japanese version of blackjack except in order to win you need 19 instead of 21. 8,9 and 3 add up to 20, which for oicho-kabu is worthless. Therefore, Yakuza means society's outcasts ¾ those who are worthless to society.

How do men become Yakuza?
Yakuza take care of the misfits of society. They see themselves as helpers and problem solvers, using violence to achieve results. They take in abandoned children, runaways, delinquents, refugees, etc. and make them Yakuza. Once a Yakuza becomes part of the organization they have a new family, their boss becomes their father and their fellow Yakuza become their brothers.

What are the different types of Yakuza?
The first type is a freelance Yakuza: an independent Yakuza with no clan that is usually involved with petty crimes and street hustling. The second type is a clan Yakuza: a Yakuza that is with a certain clan or family (similar to the Sicilian mafia). Clan Yakuza sometimes utilize the services of a freelance. For example, if they want to bump someone off but do not want their clan associated with the crime, they might hire an outside freelance Yakuza to take care of the job.

What does the word 'brother' mean to a Yakuza?
Brother is one of the rankings within the Yakuza clan. The head of a clan is called oyabun, which means father. Their are three groups of men ranked below him. His kyodai or aniki are his brothers; wakashu are his children; and saiko-komon are his advisors, with a staff of accountants, advocates and secretaries. Wakashu are the lowest in rank, but have the most authority after oyabun – they act as his henchmen to insure that his orders are followed. Oyabun has the ultimate say on everything and his word is law.

Are there any Yakuza trademarks or rituals?
There are two major Yakuza trademarks:

TATTOOS: Yakuza often tattoo their entire bodies starting with their backs. It dates back to the Bakuto Yakuza who used to tattoo their arms with a black band for each crime they committed. In order to tattoo their whole bodies, they must endure over a hundred hours of pain. The tattoos signify two things: That the Yakuza are rebelling against society's rules by marking their bodies; and that the Yakuza are strong and willing to endure any pain.

YUBITSUME: Yubitsume is the act of cutting off one of your fingers and sending it to the yakuza boss. This is usually done as an apology for an act of wrongdoing or disobedience. It starts with the fingertip, but with each wrongdoing you go further down: tip, forefinger and so on. The tradition is derived from the Bakuto Yakuza. When these gamblers couldn't pay back their debt, they paid the damage with their fingers.

Where did the Yakuza originate?
Dating back to the early 1600's, the first Yakuza were known as Kabuki-Mono (literally the crazy ones). They were masterless samurai and ronin dressed in unusual clothing and distinctive haircuts, who robbed and pillaged villages and small cities. Out of this came the Machi-Yakko (city servant), who defended the cities against the Kabuki-Mono. Machi-Yakko were storeowners and barkeeps who were the inspiration for many folk tales and plays. As the middle of the 17th century rolled around, two different divisions came to be of what we consider modern day Yakuza: Bakuto, who were the gamblers and Tekiya, who were the street vendors dealing with the black market. Then, as today members of the Yakuza were usually from poor families.

When did Yakuza begin to gain influence?
After World War II as American troops rationed out food, a black market began to flourish with both liquor and specialized foods. Yakuza began to dress in black suits, white shirts, cropped hair and black sunglasses: an homage to the American gangster. Knives and swords were replaced by guns and other firearms and no one was safe as violence began to spread to ordinary civilians. Between 1958 and 1963, Yakuza membership increased over 150%. Territories were marked and bloody gang wars began.