Yakuza

The Japanese mafia are known as the Yakuza (ヤクザ/やくZ) or gokudō (極道). While Western media often calls them the "Japanese Mafia," they are organized crime syndicates with a long history in Japan. Police officially refer to them as bōryokudan (暴力団), meaning "violent groups". The Yakuza are transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan, known for strict, family-like hierarchies and over 300 years of history. Often involved in gambling, extortion, and construction, they have declined significantly, with membership dropping below 24,000 in 2023 due to strict 1990s anti-organized crime laws.