Yakuza Barred From The Philippines

[Mulboyne]

Manila Times: Japanese lead aliens kept out of country
JAPANESE have topped the list of aliens barred by the Bureau of Immigration from entering the country during the first six months of 2006. Immigration Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr. on Monday said a total of 797 aliens were turned back at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and other ports of entry from January to June, compared with 682 who were refused entry in the first semester of 2005. Nearly a third, or 222, of that number were Japanese nationals suspected of being Yakuza gang members. Except for the suspected Yakuza, the other Japanese who were turned back were caught either using tampered passports, fake visas or other spurious documents...more...

They've got a long way to go to clamp down on yakuza activities there. A few paragraphs in this link gives some background. Japanese tourists are the third largest group (after Americans and Koreans) in the Philippines: 2005 saw 415,000 visitors, up 9% from the previous year and the tourist board is trying to attract Japanese women by promoting the country as a health and wellness destination.