The puzzle of yakuza’s longevity: the endurance of the yakuza and its implications for theories of organised criminality

Baradel, Martina (2020) The puzzle of yakuza’s longevity: the endurance of the yakuza and its implications for theories of organised criminality. PhD thesis, Birkbeck, University of London.

Abstract

While mainstream criminology has traditionally considered Japan a low-crime, law-abiding society, the Japanese crime syndicates collectively known as the yakuza have been active since the 17th century. Despite their longevity, research has often neglected this form of organised crime, both domestically and abroad. This study aims to solve the puzzle of the endurance of the yakuza within what is regarded as one of the safest societies in the world. Through recourse to government documents and primary bibliographical sources, as well as interviews with both current and ex-yakuza, researchers and journalists, this research explores the historical, social, economic, political, and legislative roots of the yakuza’s resilience. This study considers the role of social capital and ethnicity, the impact of 25 years of economic stagnation, the part played by emergent neoliberalism, as well as the ways in which corruption and ideological positions have connected the yakuza to other elements within Japanese society, in explaining the yakuza’s endurance. Moreover, the study also explores the significance of the increasingly restrictive anti-yakuza countermeasures that have been introduced in recent decades, and reflects on how these have variously impacted on the evolution of the yakuza and its prospects moving forward.

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