Japanese Kantei 2016 - Harvard Model United Nations

Japanese Kantei: 2016
Committee Update
Th e Ya k u z a: Ba c k g r o u n d
The long and varied relationship the Yakuza has held
with Japan may seem very strange to foreigners. The
term “organized crime” brings to mind images of mafia
godfathers, family-style organizations, and an underworld
network of influence by which the gangs intimidate their
way into money and power; all of these images apply to
the Yakuza, but these gangsters operate in a fashion quite
distinct among organized criminals. Their distinctive
culture, supposedly based in a rigid moral code and
traditional family values, combined with an interest in
influencing politics and racketeering, has made them an
intrinsic part of Japan, for better or worse. In these past
few decades, however, the sureness of their continuing
influence has been deeply shaken.
Although it may be a little fanciful, modern-day
Yakuza insist that their roots reach as far back as the
17 th century, when packs of newly unemployed samurai
(called “ronin”) began harassing small towns. Groups of
townsfolk, known as “machi-yokko” organized to resist
the onslaught; according to legend these were Robin
Hood-like figures who protected the helpless, strictly
adhering to the dual principles of “giri” and “ninjo” (two
Japanese concepts that have no true English translation;
the closest approximation is a sense of obligation or
being tied by fate, and compassion, respectively.) These
machi-yokko, honorable outlaws, came to be a cultural
phenomenon, starring in innumerable legends and tall
tales. Over time, however, the need for such vigilantes
passed and Japan was left with disorderly bands of young
men with a penchant for violence and the habit of being
able to do as they please. As the anxious government
began to crack down on such groups, their membership
shifted towards a rougher demographic, namely the
“burakumin” (Japan’s caste of ancestral outcasts, similar
to Indian untouchables; it is estimated that up to 60%
of modern Yakuza have burakumin ancestry.) In fact, the
term “Yakuza” is actually a reference to the worst possible
hand in a popular Japanese card game, indicating the
unlucky lot of these burakumin. These newer gangs,
deprived of their original function, turned to two main
illicit sources of income, depending on their location. In
the towns and cities, the “tekiya” sprang up – an umbrella
term for any of the various street vendors of shoddy or
illegal goods. Along the main highways, gangs of machiyokko
known as “bakuto” established a monopoly on
gambling dens. Both groups, tekiya and bakuto, still
mainly comprise the modern concept of the Yakuza.
The ideal Yakuza gang is a microcosm of Japanese
culture and values: its organization, traditions, and even
political affiliations all reflect the rich history of Japanese
society as a whole. Following the traditional Japanese
family dynamics, Yakuza gangs are organized around
father-son, or oyabun-kobun, relationships, with one
oyabun having many kobun, similar to the godfather and
family typical of American mafia. This creates a pyramidal
structure that may include sub-oyabun depending on the
size of the gang, as well as “older brothers” and “younger
brothers” among the kobun. Each oyabun-kobun tie
entails a deep, lasting obligation, including willingness to
sacrifice one’s life or go to prison for the good of the gang.
Besides these ties, gangs also participate in rituals (often
with Shinto elements) to mark members, from full-body
tattooing and removal of the final joint of the little finger
(this last ritual was based in the idea that the partially
crippled hand would decrease one’s sword-wielding
ability, forcing co-dependence among gang members.)
Although it would be impossible to generalize the
ideologies of all of the many Yakuza throughout history,
typically Yakuza have maintained a strong nationalist
affiliation, beginning with their traditional Shinto regard
of the emperor as a divine being, a belief which over
time progressed into an anti-communist and anti-liberal
stance. As a result, conservative and even ultra-nationalist
and fascist leaders of Japan have come to see the Yakuza
as a powerful tool, a physical means for ends with which
politicians wish not to be tied. This tie between the Yakuza
and politics began as simple offers from Yakuza bosses
to local politicians of discreet physical intimidation of
opponents, protestors, etc. With time and increasing
dependence on the success such intimidation brought,
Yakuza intimidation grew to massive proportions, from
violent strike-breaking and violent policing work to
even assassinations. Secret liaisons between politicians
and the Yakuza bosses, known as “kuromaku” (after the
name of the curtain-operator in Kabuki plays,) wielded
immense power and wealth, determining the outcome of
elections, public policy, and even foreign relations using
the politicians’ faces and coalitions of Yakuza strength.
Even the U.S. officers in charge of the Occupation of
Japan were not above soliciting Yakuza assistance for
intelligence purposes, despite the gangs’ opposition to
both foreigners and the democracy the Americans were
2 Specialized Agencies