Giant Robot Store and GR2 News

Justice Minister, Keishu Tanaka and his yakuza ties has led to his demise. It’s not the first time a politician has an underworld connection. In fact political parties get the endorsements of crime groups. The best part is learning about the semi-popular ex Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s grandfather was once ties to a crime group and had tattoos, yet he was the Minister of General Affairs and known as “the tattooed minister.” (The Daily Beast – Yakuza Politicians)
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It’s a bit scary to think that Yakuza, the gangsters in Japan are public, but like the leader of a gang in southern Japan says about the recent crackdowns as written in the NY Times, ““If they crush us, organized crime will just become harder to see, and more violent, like in Mexico,”” They’re throwing grenades as seen in Outrage, the gangster film by Takeshi Beat Kitano. The issue with the crackdown is sort of a breaking with tradition. (NY Times – Yakuza)
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The crackdown on Yakuza gangs in Japan is slowly underway. Of course as soon as something like this gets publicized, the gangs will just change their ways and adapt to whatever is made. They’ll adapt faster than the changes by society so will the gangs really slow down? It’s the public ridicule that’s hampering companies such as Olympus and the many government agencies who are Yakuza fronts helping out the earthquake / tsunami clean up. Kenichi Shinoda, head of the Yamaguchi Gumi, the largest gang in Japan, said, “The result, he warned, would be the creation of a population of dispossessed mobsters who could turn to violent crime to make a living. “Yakuza gangs are amazingly gentlemanlike,” he said, citing the traditional respect for seniority that binds gangs together. “[We] adhere to those values more than ordinary people do.” (Guardian UK – Yakuza)  
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  A book released has the huge title of Yakuza and The Nuclear Industry: Diary of An Undercover Reporter Working at the Fukushima Plant (ヤクザと原発-福島第一潜入記-鈴木-智彦). With that title you can figure out that it’s a tell all. Yet today, theatlanticwire published an article that is frightening. It tells of the corruption that takes place in a company (TEPCO) that’s partially responsible for the nuclear meltdown. Yes you can’t prevent a giant tsunami wave that crashed your buildings and caused three meltdowns, but you can come clean about what’s going on and who you’re hiring – which then translates into where the donation money is going. Yet, it’s been going on for years, and only now that this problem occurred is it something we care about. Who are these yakuza members? Supposedly 3 of the Fukushima 50 are Yakuza members and their relationship with nuclear companies is nothing new. The reconstruction efforts are all joint with Yakuza based construction companies. (Atlanticwire – TEPCO Yakuza)
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Yakuza who frequent the Enryakuji temple on Mt Hiei, a traditional and historical temple are no longer allowed. While the temple is in a location that’s fairly remote, the amount of yakuza in the largest crime family, “Yamaguchi Gumi” located a distance away in Kobe with 78,000 members spread out! This is partially happening because of the Olympus Camera Company problems and scandal that involve yakuza. (FT – Enryakuji)  
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