Yakuza

Yakuza (Japanese: ヤクザ; IPA: [jaꜜkɯ(d)za]; English: ), also known as gokudō (極道; "the extreme path", IPA: [gokɯꜜdoː]), or simply the Japanese mafia, are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media (by request of the police) call them bōryokudan (暴力団; "violent groups", IPA: [boːɾʲokɯꜜdaɴ]), while the yakuza call themselves ninkyō dantai (任侠団体; "chivalrous organizations", IPA: [ɲiŋʲkʲoː dantai]). The English equivalent for the term yakuza is gangster, meaning an individual involved in a Mafia-like criminal organization, but is generally used in English-speaking countries to refer to the criminal organization as a whole. The yakuza are known for their strict codes of conduct, their organized fiefdom nature, and several unconventional ritual practices such as yubitsume, the amputation of the left little finger. Members are often portrayed with heavily tattooed bodies and wearing a fundoshi, sometimes with a kimono or, in more recent years, a Western-style "sharp" suit covering them. At their height, the yakuza maintained a large presence in the Japanese media, and they also operated internationally. In 1963, the number of yakuza members and quasi-members reached a peak of 184,100. However, this number has drastically dropped, a decline attributed to changing market opportunities and several legal and social developments in Japan that discourage the growth of yakuza membership. In 1991, there were 63,800 members and 27,200 quasi-members, but by 2025, only 9,400 members and 8,200 quasi-members. The yakuza are aging because young people no longer readily join, and the average age of members at the end of 2022 was 54 years. Of that, only 5% were in their 20s, while 13% in their 30s, 26% in their 40s, 31% in their 50s, 13% in their 60s, and 12% in their 70s or older. More than half of the members were at least 50 years or...