My Life is a Japanese Gangster Movie

[Professor Smooth]

The current mayor of my city has been trying to rid the place of yakuza. And he's doing it just about the most oblivious way possible. Which I'll get to in a moment.

The yakuza are...weird. They get called the Japanese Mafia, but that's not even close to a reasonable comparison. It may be as close as you can get to a comparison, but it's still not even close.

For one, the Mafia generally don't have big offices marked "Mafia group" on the sign above the mailbox. Nor do their business cards read "Mark Johnson. Mafia Group." Nor would they go to the effort of having MAFIA lapel pins made. And, as a general rule, real Mafia affiliates tend to not want to be immediately identifiable as such. Full body MAFIA tattoos aren't generally something one sees on people not currently serving lifetime prison sentences.

But the Yakuza do all of those things. And, since Japan seems to operate almost exclusively on the honor system, that kind of thing has flown for a long time.

Don't get me wrong, there are some really shady, criminal things that a lot of yakuza groups are, shall we say, involved with. Some of it pretty much harmless (smuggling uncensored porno). Others pretty terrible (woman brought to Japan as indentured sex servants). Also, the yakuza are about the only people in Japan outside of certain cops who have access to firearms.

Well, the mayor decided he wanted the yakuza out of the city. So, he asked business owners to put "no yakuza" signs outside of their businesses. And, since the yakuza operate in the open (which, again, yes, is freaking weird) they have to obey the signs. Or, rather, they don't just ignore them.

This has lead to the most predictable outcome imaginable. Pissed off (and, probably drunk) yakuza attacking (but not killing, let me be clear) business owners and burning down buildings (very early in the morning, so there will be no casualties).

It's not just a few places putting up the signs, though. They're everywhere. And I didn't understand why. Yakuza or not, business is business. And the risk far outweighs any reward for the business owners.

So I asked a few people why they put up the signs. They confessed that the cops strongarmed them into doing it. Saying that, if they didn't put up the signs, their businesses would be shut down. You might recognize this as a tactic of ACTUAL MAFIA. The cops don't have that kind of authority and it's almost certainly illegal to threaten business owners like that.

In the meanwhile, the attacks continue. The yakuza "problem" is worse than it ever was before the mayor poked the bear. And it doesn't seem like either side is going to give in anytime soon. And, though it all, for some inexplicable reason, the yakuza seem to be concentrating their displeasure on the strongarmed shop owners rather than the mayor and the cops who forced them into it in the first place.

[Optimus Prime Rib]

This might have been the funniest thing i have ever read. Hope you stay safe man.

[saysadie]

I don't think it's funny, I think it's kind of ******, actually. :/

Well, I know nothing of Yakuza or Japan, really. Asides from what I've read about ancient Japan/Japan as it was a few decades ago. But it doesn't take an understanding of culture to see that that **** be crazy, dood.

[Professor Smooth]

I have one major problem with the yakuza and that's my undying interest in them. I find them unbelievably interesting. The world that they live in is so insane that I don't think it could exist anywhere else. And, right up until the mayor started his crusade to get them out of the city, that wasn't really a problem. Now, though, the crackdown is going to absurd lengths.

In the past, I've caught some flack (online, of all places) for sharing some of my yakuza stories. "The cities must be OVERFLOWING with yakuza," people say, dismissively. There are estimated to be about 1 yakuza member for every 1,000 "'civillians." So, in cities with a few million people, that adds up. And I'd wind up bumping into a few here and there. And, for one reason or another, we'd wind up talking. And it was always interesting. They have good stories and, again, because most of what they do exists in some quasi-legal netherworld, they will happily and openly chat about it.

There were a few places in the area I work that always seemed to have one or two of the older guys. Not the bosses. Not the young guys. Dudes in their 50's with heavy tattoos, tacky jewelery, and a great sense of humor. Well, most of those places recently up the "no yakuza" signs.

Now, you'd THINK the yakuza guys would be like "Yeah. Nice sign. Give me a beer, please." But, no. I haven't seen a single member in any of the places that put up the signs. Again, absurd, right? But there are also "no graffitti" signs. And there's never any graffitti near them. I've also seen, hand to God, "No Terrorism" signs. So...if it works...I guess...

But that leaves only ONE of these little bars without the sign. And that place is now PACKED with yakuza every time I walk past. Now, again, I find them really interesting. It's usually fun having the occassional beer or shochu with them and listen to stories from the good ol' days ("And then we figured, why not just make our OWN porno? Then we don't need to import it! Haha, that was a good time, sensei!")

But pack a dozen or so into a small place? That's less "interesting" and more "...no." And I honestly feel BAD about it. I bumped into one of the regulars a week or so back and he asked why I haven't been around much. I said I'd been busy, but we both knew the real reason. Not even that it's dangerous, but that I could, theoretically, get in trouble for being seen talking to them.

Today, though, I noticed that a LOT of places have taken down their signs. There were still a few on the strip that I walked past, but they were less common than the white sticky residue where the signs had been ripped off.

The strange legal position the yakuza exist in barely makes sense to me, and I've been around it for more than half a decade, so I get that it sounds almost silly. But there was a quote from one of the local bosses in the paper that had me kind of worried.

It was something along the lines of "We have always operated the way we have out of respect for the laws and people of Japan. But if the government is going to change the deal, we will take ourselves underground and simply do as we like."

[ruby_moon]

That's just so back-asswards. I had to re-read this thread to make sure I read it correctly. I can't even imagine it. The only thing I can really relate it to is when my Fiance and I moved into our first apartment together, the guy up the road was mafia, always had people in and out. So I keep trying to apply your story to the formula our neighbor set forth in my brain.

[Professor Smooth]

When I first moved to this city (the first time, anyway) my company tried to set me up in an apartment that was absurdly expensive (but would rent to foreigners without too much of a hassle). I declined on the grounds that...I did not have anywhere near enough money to cover the rent, bribe money, deposit, and other expenses. So, they found me another place that was dirt cheap. I mean $600 to move in, $250 a month type cheap.

BUT, the first level was a bodega/porno store. Weird, but not a deal breaker. The top level was an "adult actress training school." Which I honestly didn't find out about until years later (since the sign was just typical white sign with kanji). And most of my neighbors were just recruited yakuza. They were the guys who would try to get drunk guys to visit their sex clubs.

Their (just sort of kinda legal because of certain loopholes and forms filed with the proper authorities) sex clubs.

You know how some gangs will charge for "protection" right? That happens with the yakuza...only they actually PROVIDE the protection! Let's say you run a love hotel (which is a whole other thing) and you encounter a problem. You don't necessarily want to get the police involved, but something needs to be done. So you pay a yakuza group for protection and they protect you. Strangely, I've never heard of anybody getting "shaken down" for protection from a yakuza group. Maybe in Tokyo.

But, basically, they provide quasi-legal services. And, unlike in some (western) movies, even the criminal element of their business isn't super terrible...to people who don't have it coming. If you step on a gangster's shoe or spill his drink, he's not going to cut off your pinkie finger. Unless he's a dick. Then it's really more of a "dick" thing than a "yakuza" thing.

They didn't start acting openly violent to "civillians" (katagi) until those civillians started putting "no gangsters" signs outside of places that they liked going to. And those civillians didn't start doing that until the cops (illegally) strongarmed them into it.

And the craziest part is, I don't think any of the people committing the crimes know the whole story! I think they took the putting up of signs as directly insulting of their years of patronage, and, while drunk, lashed out. Which, again, not really an organized crime thing. It'd be like if your favorite bar, that you'd been going to for years, suddenly put a sign on the door saying people from your company were no longer allowed inside. You'd be kinda pissed, right? And if you were angry pissed, drunk pissed, and armed, you might be inclined to do something stupid.

I've been to these "no gangster" places. They weren't being used as fronts or hangouts for criminal activities. They were places where gangsters would stop in for a drink and a bowl of soup after work.

While this (easily predictable and preventable) "gang violence" has been flaring up, I've kind of watched from the sidelines (although after they cut one lady's face with a box cutter, I did have a short talk with one of the people I drink with on occassion). But some guy recently set fire to a row of vending machines in front of a "no yakuza" sign building that was less than 10 minutes walk from one of the places I work. I bought coffee from those vending machines. And I don't want that kind of **** happening near my students.

So, I'm annoyed. Annoyed with the people doing it. Annoyed with the people illegally getting others to post provocative signs. And annoyed with the guy who is more worried about how having peaceful gangs in the city LOOKS than how PISSED OFF gangs in the city actually affects people.

[Metal Vendetta]

Fascinating.

I don't have anything constructive to add apart from the vague notion that the solution probably involves schoolgirls and giant robots

[Brendocon]

Or maybe a giant radioactive lizard.

[Shanti418]

So here's a random question that probably interests only me: what is the masculinity of the yakuza like? Is it the same as normative Japanese masculinity? Is their status based on wealth? Violence/power? By themselves or compared to normal Japanese men, what is their attitude towards women?

[Professor Smooth]

So here's a random question that probably interests only me: what is the masculinity of the yakuza like? Is it the same as normative Japanese masculinity? Is their status based on wealth? Violence/power? By themselves or compared to normal Japanese men, what is their attitude towards women?

Let me preface this by saying that what follows is just my personal experience. So, if you know somebody from Tokyo who says something else, they're probably also right. Or they're blowing smoke. Either way.

Masculinity is REALLY weird in Japan to begin with. At least in comparison to in the US. You've probably figured that out from whatever Japanese entertainment you've consumed over the years.

The younger yakuza guys (who I, and maybe I alone) call "yaks" walk around more sure of themselves. They don't look down or straight ahead as they go from here to there. They're more likely to look at your face when talking to you. They also tend to be louder, more outspoken, and laugh more than other "typical" Japanese in their age groups. They're young, feel they have the backing of higher powers, and...typically act like what I remember "the cool kids" acting like in high school. Only they're usually in their early-mid 20's. The guys in this group that I've known are always very respectful to their girlfriends. I've NEVER seen one hit or even yell at a woman. This includes women who work for them and bar hostesses.

Two words. One you probably know (giri) and one you might not (jingi). Giri means debt or obligation to society (or the Burden Hardest to Bear). Jingi gets translated to "Honor and Humanity." That's what the yakuza believe and advocate. Albeit, sometimes through unconventional means. I tossed "giri" in their faces when people started getting attacked for posting anti-yakuza signs. And the older guys swore that they didn't approve either.

Then you've got your slightly older guys. The guys I've known were in their late 30's and early 40's. These dudes just looked cool. Always smartly dressed. Very respectful (if not overly polite). Towards women, they have always seemed to be perfect gentlemen. Gentlemen to the point where it almost appeared out of character. These are the guys that, decades ago, would have been wearing the outlandish suits. They're also from the generation where it's not uncommon to be missing a digit or two. You will VERY rarely see these guys sporting short sleeves as nearly every one I've spoken to sports ankle-to-wrist tattoos.

Probably not a huge surprise, but the higher level guys? I'm not around them much. They tend to not hang out in the same blow-off-steam-after-work type places. On the rare occassion that I've been around people anywhere near that group, I'm too dumbfounded to be in the situation to really notice anything other than my immediate surroundings.

Favorite line from one of those nights: "We're going to get a decanter of brandy from the Shouwa period. Is that alright with everyone?" That decanter cost more than I make in a month. And it was just the first bottle of the night. I wound up that establishment because of a weird six-degree-of-separation thing that could have only happened at one specific minute of one specific day and one specific location.

Then you've got the retired guys. These guys are awesome. They're finished with the group and just your typical happy retired old guys. Again, super polite. Great sense of humor. Their wives talk among themselves while the old dudes share stories from years ago. When drunk, they're even more of a blast. They'll "accidentally" let their tattoos show and then, when somebody notices, they'll go on about what it was like back in the day. Although, admittedly, some guys will sometimes slip in a story "borrowed" from a Japanese gangster movie.

For what it's worth, I've never had a problem with any yakuza member, with the exception of the one young guy who lived next door to me. And he ceased to be a problem when he found out who his neighbor was. Besides, it was just a young dude coming home drunk at 4:00am. It's not like you could expect him to tiptoe quietly home.

Got invited out for sushi by a retired yakuza guy a few years back. Older dude. Awesome tattoo. No pinkies. He picked me up in a beautiful black car with tinted black windows. I got in the back seat and found that the entire interior was decorated with Hello Kitty stuff. Seat covers, stearing wheel cover, air freshener, plushies in the back seat.

"This is my wife. She likes Hello Kitty. Let's go eat sushi."

[bumblemusprime]

This is blowing my mind. Tell us more. And I thought I ran into bizarre cultural differences at work.

[Professor Smooth]

This is blowing my mind. Tell us more. And I thought I ran into bizarre cultural differences at work.

This was my first experience with the yakuza. It happened before I knew anything about them except for what I'd seen in American movies.

I was at a little bar with my friend, who had been in Japan for about a week. We were having fun with the bartender (young guy who, along with his friend, started the bar across the street from "companion bars" with the intent of getting laid every night). At around midnight, a dude with a dark suit, nice ring, and black glasses walks into the place. The bartender leans in and says "He is BIG yakuza. Japanese mafia." Which was funny, because, if you saw him in an American movie, that's what you'd have assumed.

He sits down next to me and says, in English, "Can you speak Japanese?" I said that I speak a little and my friend doesn't speak at all. He says, "Understand this. Tonight. You speak English. You drink. Ok?" I replied, in English, "okay."

He snapped his fingers and, immediately, there are shots in front of my friend and I. Not "the bartender poured shots." I mean, they were there as if they'd always been there. Yakuza magic? Trick he's used before? I'll let you decide (it's the second.) My friend asks, "What's this?" I said, "That's what you're going to drink unless you want this guy to shoot us."

And so it was, that we spent the evening trying to speak and understand Japanese (back in the days where every phone didn't have a translator in it, we had to use a pocket dictionary) drinking mystery whiskey.

That was the only place I can remember running into the "BIG" suit sporting yakuza in that city. And, sadly, the place closed about a year later. After that, I didn't spend much (read: any) time in bars across the street from companion bars that existed purely to keep the owner laid every night.

Those are the people I think most people think of when they picture yakuza. And, yeah, they're out there. Guess I'll call them "movie standard" yakuza. They're the most "mafia-like" in appearance. But they're not, at least as far as I've seen, the "norm." Then again, maybe they're the standard and I just don't frequent the right places.

As it turned out, there is an easier way to spot these guys. Their lapel pins. Many (most? all?) have lapel pins with their group affiliation on them. Some of them are really nice. Gold and/or gold plated. I really can't stress enough that they don't try to HIDE their affiliation. They don't go out of their way to advertise it as much as they used to (loud suits and regent hairstyles, for example) but it's not a secret. And that's one of the things I find so interesting about them. Just how casual they can be about it. They pay taxes! On BRIBES! How much did you make from bribes last year? 40 million yen? Okay, you owe the government 15 million yen. Sure, we take bank transfer. Take care now.

Their existance is above ground and legal. For the most part. And I love hearing stories from these guys. And they love telling them. Especially, it seems, to ME. Here's the basic conversation I've had at a bunch of the little dives we patronized.

Y: You speak Japanese?
S: A little bit.
Y: I am Japanese mafia.
S: I guessed. Nice you meet you.
Y: Do you like Japanese liquor.
S: Yeah. It's great.
Y: Do you drink it with water?
S: No. On the rocks.
Y: Wow! You have Japanese soul!
S: I would like to die on tatami.
Y/S: Chat, chat, chat.
Y: I don't like America. WWII. And I don't like Americans. The soliders have a habit of raping girls near their military bases. But you? I like you! Please come back, sometime!
S: Thanks!

I've had some variant of that conversation a dozen times. I'm still a bit irked by the "I don't like Americans, but you're okay." But, when they explain why (The ongoing rapes/assaults by US soldiers moreso than WWII) I at least understand it.

[Professor Smooth]

Back to the insane, gangster-movie like feel to the current situation. As you understand by now, the yakuza occupy a legitimate place in Japanese society. What the mayor of my town (and, to some extent a lot of the national government as well) is trying to do does not make a lick of sense if you pause to think about it.

In the US, there are some groups in power (or with a voice) that advocate gutting programs that act as social safety nets. They operate under the belief that if those programs (food stamps, welfare, etc) didn't exist, people who use them would be forced to go out and get jobs. That ignores that there simply aren't enough jobs available (and also that most people on government assistance are either children, elderly, or disabled).

But look at the few people who are able bodied, unemployed (for whatever reason) and still depend on government assistance. If you cut those safety nets, people who can't find a job aren't just going to allow themselves to be kicked out of their homes and then starve to death in a gutter. They are going to do whatever it takes to provide a roof and food for their families. And, if it comes down to letting themselves (and/or their families) starve or mugging somebody on the street, the the second option is ALWAYS going to be chosen before the first.

And that's where the yakuza are now. This isn't "we don't want them here." This is a misguided assumption that, if the government completely destroys their ability to operate and even to be allowed to patronize businesses, that they'll just go and do something else. If that line of thinking had passed through ANYBODY who gave it more than a few seconds of thought, it'd have been tossed before any damage was done.

It'd be like the government decided to destroy Wal-Mart and everybody who works in any capacity for the company. If I had to make an estimated guess, I'd say that Wal-Mart is probably involved in more questionable practices than the yakuza. The Yakuza don't generally depend on Chinese slave labor, for example...

Let's say though, that some long-time yakuza members decided to seek employment elsewhere? That's not super-likely considering forces in the government advocate discriminating against anybody who has ANY connection to the groups. So, if you've been in the group for years and have a full-body souvinir, your options are SEVERELY limited. Missing a finger? Good luck.

Now you've got the government trying to shut down "legitimate" businesses, advocating/forcing discrimination of people currently (or FORMERLY) associated with those businesses, and honestly expecting those involved to just, somehow, go off and do something else (while all-but completely prohibiting them from doing so.)

And those particular businesses are owned and operated by the most confident, strong-willed, and WELL ARMED people in the country. What a brilliant idea that is! Can't you see where that would work out great for everybody?

And the police! Oh, the police are the best! Statistically the best in the world. Something like 99.9% conviction rate. Based almost entirely on signed confessions. Ever wonder how, with an organization like the yakuza, so many members wind up in jail? And, unlike "I ain't sayin' nothing" members of the Mafia, they'll confess to whatever the charge is. That's really convenient, right? "Hi! I'm Shozo! I totally attacked that bar owner last night. I can't stand the guilt. Please, put me in jail for three years. I insist." Wanna guess how that happens?

Shozo didn't do anything. Somebody with the skill set to commit whatever crime did it. But somebody's got to go to jail, so somebody volunteers to take the fall. They are compensated for it (and, get me started on THAT sometime), of course. But they didn't actually do the crime.

Now, what happens when you, the cops, have pissed off the group and openly declared that you want to put them out of business (the legitimate kind, not just the illegal stuff that happens)? Well, DUH! They stop offering patsies and just let the cops try to do some actual police work. And here's the best part, to the best of my knowledge, that still hasn't caught on.

The cops are laughable. Since the arson last Tuesday, there have been groups of three cops patroling the area from afternoon until around 10pm. That's great. Except the attacks happen between midnight and four am, where there are no cops anywhere. When asked for more protection from pissed of yakuza, store owners were told that they were responosible for any reprisals visited upon them. So, it was with just a small bit of enjoyment that I read that, rather than another small business, the latest target was the local police box. Then I remembered that this kind of **** never endsd well.

Over the last week, I've been visiting the "anti-yakuza" places more frequently. Just for a beer or a glass of shochu. Mostly because I want the yakuza who know me (or know of me) to leave those shop owners alone. It's my hope that, if, while stumbling home drunk one night, they see that anti-yakuza sign on a place and, before they do anything rash, say "Oh, sensei drinks here. Leave this place alone." Characteristically arrogant as that sounds, it's not out of realm of possibility.

[ruby_moon]

Mind blown.

So what I'm getting from this, (and please correct me if I'm wrong) is that the Police are not only sub-par, but they are trying to intimidate shop owners so the law is enforced (thus breaking several laws.)

The Yakuza are more like the local law enforcers that function outside of written law, but within certain guidelines that are upheld by honor. This includes following the signs that say "no Yakuza," despite the power and influence they hold. To prove a point, they burn down the building, but make sure no innocents are hurt.

So the police are the bad guys and the Yakuza are vigilante justice (kinda.)

This is all so intriguing!

[Professor Smooth]

Mind blown.

So what I'm getting from this, (and please correct me if I'm wrong) is that the Police are not only sub-par, but they are trying to intimidate shop owners so the law is enforced (thus breaking several laws.)

The Yakuza are more like the local law enforcers that function outside of written law, but within certain guidelines that are upheld by honor. This includes following the signs that say "no Yakuza," despite the power and influence they hold. To prove a point, they burn down the building, but make sure no innocents are hurt.

So the police are the bad guys and the Yakuza are vigilante justice (kinda.)

This is all so intriguing!

The part about being local law enforcement isn't exactly accurate. If I had to compare them to something else, it'd be to body guards or paid security. Other than that, you've pretty much hit it on the head.

Yakuza (or, rather, people with tattoos, wink wink) are banned from most public baths. There are signs posted barring such people. I once asked somebody (I forget who, exactly) why, if they wanted to entire, didn't they just say "who's going to stop me?" The only answer was, "but...there's a sign..."

[saysadie]

Uncle Smooth, you have the best stories.

[ruby_moon]

Gotcha. I suppose that the reason the signs work is the culture of respect. I love it! I listen to (or read) first hand stories from different cultures all day long.

[Professor Smooth]

Here's one of my favorite yakuza stories. It happened a few years ago, shortly after I moved to a new city. I'm notoriously shy in unfamiliar places, but I kept passing this little place and finally worked up the nerve to go in.

This place might as well have had my name on it. They specialized in a local dish called tsukemen (dipping noodles) and shochu (a non-sake Japanese liquor). Tsukemen is a cold dish of noodles, pork, scallions, cabbage, and a boiled egg, all of which you dip into a sauce that can be ordered anywhere from mild to mind-shatteringly hot. They also had something like 400 different types of shochu from your typical Kurokirishima (350 yen per glass) to the be-all-end-all of shochu, Moriizou (1,500 yen per glass).

I went in and there were only a few other people at the counter. The dude behind the counter offered me a menu, which I looked over with great enthusiasm because, I mean, it was a menu full exclusively with my favorite stuff. Welcome to the neighborhood, sensei!

After a minute, the older guy next to me asked if I could read the menu in Japanese. I said that I could read most of it. He seemed impressed, and went back to his highball.

I ordered a glass of familiar shochu and an order of tsukemen at a spice level of 50. Most people tend to order spice levels at or below 5. But, I assured the guy behind the counter that I'd be okay.

It was AWESOME. Everything was fresh. It beat the hell out of the chain store version. After a few moments, the guy from before leaned over and asked if it was really level 50. I said that it was and he asked if he could try it. He'd never seen anybody order it that hot.

I obliged the gentleman and, about 2 seconds after the sauce hit his toungue, he turned red and shouted, "argh! Argh! That's painfully hot!"

Pride forced me to disagree, and say that, while it was spicey, it wasn't painful. The guy disagreed and pulled up his sleeve, revealling some really impressive ink.

Oh, I disagree, he said. I got a tattoo over my entire body. THAT was not painful. He displayed his hands, both of which had pinkie fingers missing their last joint. I cut off my own fingers. THAT was not painful. Those noodles? PAINFUL!

"Uh..." I said.

"Oh," he explained. I am "Japanese mafia." You didn't know? This is yakuza bar. Everybody here is yakuza. I am yakuza. The bartender is yakuza. The guy over there is little yakuza. He only has his shoulder tattooed.

"I'm new!" he protested.

"Huh." I said. "Question, okay?"

"Sure!"

"Is it cool for me to be here?"

"Haha! Yes! I like you! Let's go out for sushi, sometime! Can you meet me back here on Thursday?"

[Professor Smooth]

Things seem to be calming down in the area I work. I have read any stories about any attacks, arson, or other related activities. Although, things still aren't what I'd call normal.

In one of the stranger nights of the last few months, I found myself at tachinomi (liquor store with a bar you can stand and drink at) with an older yak and a younger punk (called "yanki"). I've known the older guy for awhile. We get on fine. The younger guy I've run into a few times. He doesn't like me.

So, we're all talking, and I made some comment about one of my "yanki" students. The young guy turned to me and said, "What do you know of Japanese yanki?"

"Well, from personal experience, even though they don't act like your typical Japanese, their hearts have always been in the right place. So, I guess, I'd say that they're not like everybody else, but they're good people."

"I was wrong about you," he said. "You get it. That's perfect."

We finished up at the tachnomi, and I went with the older guy and his wife back to his karaoke snack bar (which is absurdly expensive unless you're the guest of the owner and his wife.) When we got to the door, I noticed that his place had one of those "No Yakuza" signs up.

"What the hell, man? How can you, of all people, possibly have that sticker on your door?"

"Sensei. It's just easier that way. The cops leave me alone because I have the sticker. And everyone just ignores it. The only people that sticker keeps away are on-duty cops."

So, it seems like it's begun. These people who, traditionally, have been bound by honor, have started simply paying lip service to authority. It'll be interesting to see where things go from there.

Oh! Wait! Nope!

A few weeks back, two yakuza members were arrested for golfing at a golf course that had a "no yakuza" sticker. And they were arrested A YEAR AFTER THE FACT. The cops used the two gangsters' attendance at the course as an excuse to raid their offices. That is such an incredible abuse of authority that I honestly CAN'T help but take the side of the gangsters on it. Try to imagine that scenario playing out in a western country.

Put out a sign saying "no mafia allowed."
Somebody who patronized the establishment is revealed to have, well, patronized the establishment.
ARREST THAT PERSON A YEAR LATER.
Raid the mafia offices.

That is beyond insane. And, if everything keeps going the way its going, I'm going to predict the following will happen during the new year. And, forgive me for such a bold prediction.

Organizations that have certain extra-legal operations will stop keeping documentation (of their activities and their members) at their public offices.

There. That may blow up in my face. But I can honestly see it happening.

As a consequence of that arrest, as well as all the other "anti-yakuza" stuff going on, my wife and in-laws have formally asked that I immediately stop hanging out with known gangsters in places owned, operated, and/or frequented by yakuza groups. And, since "stop hanging out with gangsters, you idiot!" is something that's been long overdue to be said to me, I have agreed.

So, from now on, I'll only deal with gangsters in places where I can maintain plausible deniability. Which, by the by, is something that those gangsters should have been doing ****ing years ago!

[Professor Smooth]

Fukuoka Prefecture has instituted harsh new anti-gangster laws in an attempt to keep gangsters out.

In what is surely a completely unrelated incident, something like 30 official cars were vandalized, with six being set on fire. Twice.