The People Vs The Yakuza

[Mulboyne]

Independent: The town that took on the yakuza
Japan's mafia seemed untouchable – until a group of residents risked everything to launch a court fight to drive the gangsters out. By David McNeill in Kurume City. "Get lost." Not a promising start to an interview but this is hardly a standard interviewee – a flint-eyed gangster sporting a crew-cut and a boiler suit. His two colleagues glower from behind oversized sunglasses and thick layers of suspicion. Rippling tattoos snake out of the rolled-up sleeves of Goon No 1. "Kieusero" [fuck off] he growls before slamming down the shutter of his office garage. A well-earned reputation for unpredictability and violence keeps journalists away from the Japanese mafia, or yakuza, but a vicious turf battle between two rival gangs in Kyushu, southern Japan, has made them reluctant media fodder. The two-year war has caused six deaths and two dozen shootings and bombings. Now, in an act of collective courage that has electrified the fight against organised crime in Japan but divided this city, local people are taking the gangsters to court...more...

[Buraku]

I wouldn't say "people" as most of Japan suffers the Confucian ostrich head in the sand syndrome

But the Kyushu folks are tough fuckers, they are willing to rock the boat and stand up for their community and I respect them for it. Back in 2003 these crazy Yakuza assholes tried to get in on the turf, running protection rackets by first having one of their psychos starting sudden trouble that suddenly needed protecting against. It started with gun and grenade attacks at a local clubs. Of course the NPA (keystone cops) did nothing and were happy to take money and kowtow to the new crime boss. The unarmed Kyushu locals, tired of the bullshit cornered the yakuza psycho after the attacks and then choked him to death. Finally after anti-yak protests in the streets the heroic NPA tried to save face a few months later by cracking down on Yakuza illegal parking

[pheyton]

Interesting. I wonder how long it will take them to make a TV drama out of this story?

I have to say I never had any run ins with the Yakuza, despite being a DJ/club promoter in Tokyo. I do know that one big, well known club had Yakuza ties though. I did have run ins with the Iranians though. Nothing too major, but enough to worry me and cause me to watch my step, avoid them. Especially after one of them had their heads partially hacked off in Shibuya.

I'd be interested in hearing other's Yakuza stories.

[Behan]

A boring yak story....

A lot of the Kujukuri umi no ie are gone now but I know of two that were run by yakuza families. One was run by my wife's friend's family and the other one by a family whose three sons came to my English school.

There were some other umi no ie near where we lived that charged people to park in the free public parking lot in front of their businesses. There were signs saying that the parking lot was free but the workers would come out and ask you for money anyway. I noticed that one of the signs had the word muryo painted over but it was still barely visible.

Perhaps some people didn't know that they didn't have to pay but I would suspect other people paid because they were yak run and they worried about the safety of their cars and themselves.