Four people were arrested under Tokyo's strict Yakuza Gang law – but not for the reasons you think
Think of the famous Yakuza gang in Japan, you might think of a lot of tattooed men participating in a bloody battle – action movies and video games.
But last week, four men were arrested in Tokyo for their crimes more mundane – operating the Yakuza office is too close to the library.
Police said in a statement that the suspect “co-conspired” from June 2024 to February 2025, “although the area has a radius of no more than 200 meters around the library,” police said in a statement. The city has strict rules on where Yakuza offices can operate, as part of their campaign to eliminate organized crime.
The statement added that the oldest man was “a member of a group associated with the Sumiyoshi-Kai Organized Crime Group”, one of Japan’s largest Yakuza groups.
Yakuza is known for its strict hierarchy and code of honor – also known as Boryokudan – From ransomware and money laundering to drugs and sex trafficking.
Many are far from underground organizations, many are registered with police stations and have established presences all over the country.
The National Police Agency (NPA) even lists some of the business addresses of Yakuza organizations on its website; for example, Sumiyoshi-kai's main office is located in Tokyo's upscale Akasaka district, not far from the parliamentary building.
At its heyday in the 1960s, Yakuza operated internationally with more than 184,000 members, according to the NPA. But their numbers have steadily declined in recent decades after police crackdowns to curb their activities.
Although it is still legally allowed, regulations make it harder for gangsters to survive, as it becomes more illegal to recruit Yakuza, pay off Yakuza or share profits with them. Even getting a mobile phone contract and renting an apartment becomes more difficult.
According to police data, the number of members of organized crime groups fell below 20,000 for the first time in 2024, down from 18,800.
In Tokyo, Yakuza offices cannot operate within 200 meters of schools, children's welfare centers, community halls, museums, probation offices and family courts, as well as libraries.
Businesses cannot hire Yakuza members as bouncing players to provide them with the rewards of their services, nor can they sign any contracts to “encourage” their activities with Yakuza.
The result is a narrowing of today’s Yakuza community, which are primarily headlines for disbanding, pursuing a new law-abiding life or commitment.
In April, Japan's largest Yakuza criminal group, Yamaguchi-Gumi, promised to end its long war as a competitor after police stepped up surveillance and restricted its activities. Police told CNN that three senior members of the gang gave the police a hand to “end all internal battles” and “never cause trouble.”
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