A classmate in university lived a while in Tokyo in the 00s or early 10s, and she told me a story about one of her friends when she lived there. He was a western guy, but he had cherryblossoms, or something, tattooed on his arms. Whatever his tattoos were they were at least symbolically charged for yakuza. So, one day, some guys just came straight up to him, and asked him to get into their car. He couldn't really refuse. They drove for a while and eventually they stopped and met with some sort of Yakuza boss. They were polite and at least not overtly threatening. The reason they wanted to meet him was only to find out just who he was, based on his tattoos. If he was a member of some other yakuza or whatever, or maybe they just wanted to make a statement about how that kind of tattoo was only for them. They let him go of course, nothing more happened. But that dude never wore short sleeves in public again.
People really forget these things. Same as if you have "russian prison tattoos" and they are visible in russia you are fcked. If you have a four leaf clover and happen to be in arian brother hood territory you are also in trouble.
I had something similar in Osaka in the late 90's. I am heavily tattooed, but nothing in a Japanese style. Yakuza approached me in a bar, and asked me the meanings of my tattoos (I'm from New Zealand). Once they heard me, they bought me a drink and went back to their table. Polite, no problems.
@Ruby Ramirez I'm interested to understand what that particular case has to do with my comment? Granted i see the Yakuza affiliation as a part of it but I'd like to know what your take on this is
I love the shots in between that portray the small gestures and atmospheres in each of the subject’s daily lives. I especially love 22:03. The cameraperson also did great capturing moments of subtle tension vs calm in the room. That along with the choice of interviewer, storytelling, and pace of the documentary all made this a great piece.
In the Yakuza game, when Kiryu are shown how to do business, you can see one of the most important thing to do when greeting someone is give them your card/business card.
There is a video on TH-cam where a British guy who lives in Japan (for five years when the video was published) explains that executive japanese treats their cards with Very high steem. I'll see if I can post it. About Yakuza games, If I am not mistaken there is a substory on Kiwami with some emphasis on card.
You can see on his face that he was carefull about what he was saying, especially if its about his Oyabun. Thats why it feels staged, no it definetly is staged.
@@hazelbasil6451 You don't get it do you? During the Trump administration Vice lost all of it's journalism integrity. It was pure "Orange Man bad" anti-trump propaganda. There was no balance. There was no realistic & rational journalism covering issues through a non-bias manner. VICE jumped on the "Orange Man Bad" bandwagon and totally lost what made it unique by covering pressing issues through a open minded approach and letting the audience reach their own conclusions. VICE became leftist anti-Trump propaganda. They added fuel & magnified the left wing medias narrative. VICE had a chance to garner viewers from both sides of the political spectrum all sides of the political spectrum but instead they went all in on one viewpoint. I have watched VICE for years. Well before Disneys acquisition of the company. I saw what VICE had become. I became very disappointed with its fall from grace. VICE was no longer unique. It simply became Libtard news on steroids and Its a choice they made thats still hurting them to this day. Nothing beats classic VICE in my opinion.
I really relate to when he was interviewing the ex member and he said “Organized crime members are not better than anyone else, but wall around like they’re better than everyone else” This shit is so true. I grew up selling drugs and really addicted to drugs and shit hanging out with gang bangers and just living the street life and the disrespect and egotism and nihilism and harm they were causing the community, is one of the main reasons I couldn’t take it anymore. It’s one thing to be an addict serving addicts, but it’s another when you get off doing it, and get an ego.
@@drill_don684 There will always exist the justification for the lesser of 2 evils. "Ah yes that gang did X, Y and Z, but we only do X and Y, its Z that is the real problem. If we were gone, everybody would have to experience Z and that's terrible!" You'll see it in every part of society and culture. Nobody really believes they're the bad guy, and when a group of people are there to reassure you of that, its easy to see yourself as noble.
@chaintech it yeah, but the whole point of all the ceremony and honor codes and etc is to reinforce that we (yakuza) are never the Z. If we became the Z, there are many psychological tools the group can use to “un-Z” themselves. Cutting off a finger, exile, or, best option if you can pull it off, redefine Z. If killing civilians is wrong but we need to kill one, then the rule just changed, and becomes no killing civilians if they pose no threat to the family. Boom, we became Z, but then added Z1 and we aren’t that, so yay!
@@Retr0_Blues It matters a lot if this person's employer finds out about these tattoos, not censoring the people in this documentary is simple malpractice
The hardest part about dealing with those you've known have done wrong is how utterly human they turn out to be when you sit down and talk to them. So often we make all those engaged in criminal acts out to be monsters. If only it was that easy.
Their is More than Meets the Eye,(Unless Living in their Shoes don't know what's going on inside their Head/Thought Process),Reminds me of a Quote "Everyone Makes Mistakes In Life,But that Dosen't Mean they have to Pay for them the Rest of their lives,Sometimes good Ppl Make Bad Choices But that Dosen't mean their Bad Ppl it Just Mean's their Human!", It's Easy to Look at Someone & Say your this & that you did A B & C it takes going through Something to understand it thoroughly.
I spent time with Italian mobsters years ago as my ex worked for one of their mainstream businesses. Rules were strictly enforced, only those allowed to know things knew, and proper decorum and taking care of family and friends came first. After a couple of years I was respected and protected since I was “ a good girl”, but I also saw some women treated badly for some perceived slights or rule breaking. They were careful to only allow me to see what they deemed appropriate, and I can remember some new employees getting dragged away into the side building after they apparently did something wrong. Most of the time I’d never seen whatever offense they had committed in the first place. While I knew of many things that I wholly disagreed with, they also joined together to help those in need or families facing serious illness. They always brought in huge trucks of turkeys and toys to give out, they really helped many poor people. That’s what I loved, despite the evil acts I know happened, children and moms who lost their father would never want for anything again- ever. There are always two sides to every coin.
@@chisomololo8406 Oh, it’s true. They were not in power like they were years before when I entered the picture. Mostly ran the businesses in the city. My ex worked in logistics for a trucking company, the stories from the older truckers were unreal. I asked why there were bullet holes in the bosses office, and apparently the old boss man who passed away called “Buddy” (😂) used to make drivers hold a phone book up while he shot it to discipline them. He’d been dead for years and they still were scared. I made a mafia joke once around some older men from the city at a Christmas party, and the room got dead silent. The oldest man said “Straighten her out.” My friend dragged me outside and explained I could NOT make mob jokes around them, they were made. I never did it again. The stories were endless, but they also helped any employees with health problems or needed help in any way. There’s dark and light in all of us, I started to see that people weren’t just bad or good. They did so much for the town people. When I drove from VT to Florida for college, I had escorts until Georgia. Some random guys tried getting out in traffic in NY to talk to me, next thing I knew every truck driver was around me with baseball bats. If I stopped for gas they’d tell me I was told to slow down by the boss, I didn’t get away with anything! I was scared and naive, so looking back I’m very grateful they were there!
I would like to add that how meticulously Vice selects their interviewers, in this case the interviewer is an ex Mongol himself, so he is wary of the criminal mentality. Also, the Yakuza will never give interview to a layman.
@@Darius10thP In addition to a biopic, this one is pretty much the story of how common sense legislation has helped lead to one of the lowest crime rate in the developed world. I think you're just being intentionally pessimistic.
To give the international audience some context: 17:49 The reporter said “It was the first time I have seen Jake anxious” Well Jake Adelstine is famous American journalist in Japan. In the early days he built a reputation of being the middle man between some of the Yakuzas and the Police to get some information to make cover stories for his local newspaper in Tokyo. After many years he became quite opposed to the active Yakuza groups and took a harsher stance to the point where one of the former bosses if I remember indirectly put a price on his head (In the Yakuza world it is not allowed to call for violence against a civilian). The situation was so dangerous that Jake had to bring the “Americans” to protect him while flying his family back to America. So it make sense he was so anxious. The people drinking with him were his enemies in a way. I am quite surprised they accepted the interview maybe they wanted to show their part of the story too…I am pretty sure they had a lot of respect for that Professor (Professor are a huge deal in Japan) Yet you can see here 19:58 Jake smiling and showing a genuine face of interest like a student in a table with his teachers (Yakuzas). Thats Japanese culture for you boys.
Well as a yakuza id have respect for that man, cause hes strong enough to survive that pressure and hes helping people get back into their normal lives. Maybe thats why in osaka they accepted him, even though he is calling them out.
I got a question if violence is supposed to be used on regular people why shake down shops? I get it for money but it’s a contradiction because I know also the yakuza killed a movie producer back in the day. I’m just confused as I know there bad yakuza and some not as bas
@@thanors2 well, that's kinda the point of the documentary. Money corrupted yakuza to the point they stopped following their own moral code. They stopped helping out the weak, and became just regular gangsters stealing money
@@cd.knuckles Thats what I always thought that Yakuzas were only at war with other organization but never hurt civilians and would protect their 'territory' for money but not exploitation type. I can see a major shift in its mentality.
During the end, I think we got very deep within a gang member's thoughts but I find it hard for them to really show how they feel when their boss is RIGHT NEXT TO THEM. Every answer seemed to go back to favoring the organization and the boss.
Yeah. Still, the canned responses and his body language do sort of tell us how he might really feel. Then again, he probably is extremely loyal to the boss anyway.
I have to say the interviewer was the best man for the job. Coming from a motorcycle club background I have often thought of the violence that surrounded my life and I think he said it best at the end "lost souls on the fringe of society looking to belong to family to give them higher purpose" that simple sentence made me understand my father in a different way.
My ex was a patch holder. I will not say to whom. He was not someone to be trifled with. None of them were. Normally when I watch documentaries on Mafia etc, I'm of a disbelieving frame of mind. Most are braggadocious or plain laughable. This is the first documentary I believe to be real.
A few years ago our local shop was bought by a new owner, it was a Japanese man, his wife and kid who bought the shop. Every day I went to the shop he was always wearing a long sleeve shirt buttoned up to the neck… during summer, one day I walked into the shop and can see that the shopkeeper had the collar unbuttoned and i could see a tattoo. When I asked what kind of tattoo it was, he buttoned it back up and kinda laughed about it and said it was a stupid one lol few months later when i started to know him more (being a regular customer) he finally showed me his tattoo across his chest and back and told me he was a member of the yakuza. The sad thing was, when he showed me the tattoo his wife was there and tearfully explained how bad life was like for them…and that they escaped Japan when she fell pregnant and he wanted out of the gang…unfortunately this meant the gang would kill him and her and their unborn child if he left the gang. So without letting anyone know, they saved to get out of the country and ended up in NZ. They still feared they would be found even in a country like NZ so he always covered himself up by wearing a shirt so no one could see his tattoo…but had since become comfortable bearing his tattoo because we literally have ZERO Japanese people in our community lol but sad to learn their ordeal and the terrible things that the yakuza got up to!
The one that has the most unique fashion taste in the group always the crazy one. Dont mess with the guy wearing stars jacket & shorts with pink tshirt.
The one with the outlandish fashion sense the senseless killer? Yes....... but if there is one person who i would not cross in this whole documentary (apart from Mahmood) the ex Yakuza who is now a Nurse........ He doesnt advertise that he is a killer.... but you can tell by his demeanour that he will end you, and make you disappear without any thought or hesitation if you cross him.
Criminal underworlds never go extinct, they just get replaced with new variants. Japan will still need gambling houses, prostitutes, and drugs. Someone will be there to fulfill those needs, whether we call them Yakuza or not, it is the way of this world.
Not necessarily. Take Amsterdam for example. A big part of the red light district there is without gangs or pimps, let’s say. Yes, the criminal underworld still exists there, but it’s been dimmed down a lot.
@@GinoNL Your choice of Amsterdam was pretty bad, a quick Google would have helped you avoid that mistake. Crime has not "dimmed" there, it has increased. I remembered a recent Vice story on the Netherlands that went over this. A quote: "In Amsterdam, there’s been a steady rise in underworld violence over the last eight years. In 2014, crime lord Gwenette Martha was mowed down in a hail of more than 80 bullets outside a kebab shop; a severed head was left outside a café in 2016; an anti-tank rocket was fired into the offices of a major newspaper in 2018". So basically you're dead wrong. Like I said- you don't eliminate crime and gangs, you just replace it with new crimes and fresh blood.
I would like have a comment here yakuza is already corrupted from being honoured bad to non honoured bad before the law exist, the time machii hisayuki is an oyabun in time of tosei-kai they no do drug,and children Po**. Even if they bad, they got the code not like yamaguchi-gumi who got the most quantity in member number but many of the small circle do not have a gentleman code i would say.
@@ighsight You misinterpreted my comment. I’m basically saying that most prostitues in Amsterdam are their own bosses. They are not part of a gang or anything. As you stated the unavoidable correlation of underworld crime and prostitution(which is not true), for example. You are generalizing crime. I’m dutch myself, it’s well known that numbers of (severe)crime here are increasing.
@@GinoNL I didn't misinterpret your statement. You said crime is "dimming" in Amsterdam but it is not, at least according to news reports. I never "stated" that there is an "an unavoidable correlation of underworld crime and prostitution", those are totally your words. I only used prostitution as one example of the vices that organized crime caters to. And in America most prostitutes are self employed as well but there are a host of other crimes that are still wrapped around the sex trade, such as human trafficking, drug sales, robberies, blackmail and extortion, credit card fraud, etc. I'd be willing to bet the same is the case in Amsterdam's red light district because these things naturally occur together. For example Johns being robbed and blackmailed, credit card numbers being stolen and sold, not to mention that illegal drugs are very often used by sex workers and as party drugs during encounters. Very not so simple to disentangle these things.
4:23 He says "the video game" implying that he expects everyone to know which video game he's talking about, which is cool. I do remember reading that the Yakuza themselves approved of the Yakuza games.
Yeah, it was actually Jake himself who showed the third game to actual Yakuza members. I remember that they all loved it for its accuracy, although one guy said he was disappointed that you couldn't take meth to power yourself up. Also, they said that they would just shoot the guys who randomly battle you on the streets
@@grizzlytusk7934 you probably already found out it wasnt a vid, but it was a piece that jake adelstein wrote when yakuza 3 or 4 came out, interesting stuff
imagine watching this after coming from the hospital and you remembered how bad you treated your nurse who's actually a former member of the most violent faction of yakuza.
Koyama is a brave warrior. To leave the yakuza knowing the penalties from both sides, his old family and society. To weather those burdens he shows it can be done. He leads by example on a path that is both strong and brave, and helps to protect others via leading by example.
Fun fact: the Japanese police calls the Yakuza, “Bōryokudan” (“violent groups”) while the Yakuza call themselves, “Ninkyō Dantai” (“chivalrous organizations”)
Growin up in compton ca, we had such an obsession with Japanese anime, Chinese kung fu movies, the Asian culture, the yakuza in Japan, seeing the real deal is so interesting.
The japanese people do this very often to bend the meaning of their words. Ex. Ask a japanese girl, "ぼくはすきですか。" "boku wa suki desu ka?" "Do you like me?" If she wants to politely decline you, she will say, "きらいじゃないです。" "kirai janai desu" "I don't dislike you." The culture of japan is that they rarely put their emotions on their sleeve. She couldve outright said no, but the average 日本人/ Nihonjin/Japanese person puts into consideration the individual theyre speaking to.
A friend of mine played rugby in Japan he came from New Zealand and had a lot of tattoos. He said people in public would always stare at him in public to the point he never wore short sleeve tops again and plus his coach told him in Japan people looked at tattoos and think you're yakuza!
Not fallen. 'Thugs' are a nuisance value. The era where loan sharks and racketeers used to harrass small businesses is over. Yakuza clans who survived simply evolved to the point they contribute to Japan's economic growth. The most active (and smartest?) Yakuza clans reorganized their criminal syndicate groups into different businesses such as politics for instance, which is actually very smart.
Yakuza used to hustle black market VHS tapes back in the day too when there was actually money distributing that sort of thing. Haha anywhere there's money they'll have their finger in it 😂
Lol, stfu. This is the same thing that the mafia did in the US and basically every other gang in the world has done. They put up front businesses like restaurants and shoddy construction companies to launder money from their illegal activities.
They have fallen honour wise, same as the italian mob in it’s beginnings they tried to improve their quality of life, and the quality of life of those around them. But ended up giving their moral code away in exchange for more fame, money and power.
@@jord1214 yep, just watch The Godfather. Corleone was popular because he was handing out money to the starving poor, creating jobs, and protecting the impoverished from a corrupt system that could throw you in jail for “vagrancy.” At its most basic The Godfather trilogy is a microcosm of capitalism on fast forward.
Whatever respect I had for the Yakuza, whatever fascination I harbored, died when I heard the story of Junko Furata. The Yakuza in recent years has been fictionalized and popularized by the masses in the form of video games and anime in a way that makes them seem “bad, but not that bad”. Bad guys with honor, with a code and morals. When I heard the story of 16 year old Junko and how, just because she dared to reject some Yakuza street kid wannabe when he asked her out, she was kidnapped and forced to undergo the most horrific and inhumane forms of torture and abuse for 44 straight days at the hands of over 100+ Yakuza affiliated people, before she finally died from her extreme suffering, I knew that any media portraying the Yakuza as anything but bad was so completely wrong. It’s like the retired Don in this vid said. “If my master could see what we have become, he would cry.” Any honor the Yakuza may have once had is gone, and all that remains is an ugly plight on the country of Japan, one that capitalizes on the exploitation of the weak (particularly women and children). There are dozens if not hundreds of Junko’s that have been victimized by the Yakuza whose stories will never be told, who will never receive justice for their suffering. I’m glad that journalists and anti-Yakuza advocates are joining forces to expose the association’s ugliness, and that Japan has realized what a plight the Yakuza has become on their society and is finally cracking down and punishing offenders. If only the Japanese judicial system could have the same for Junko Furata, instead of giving her torturers insultingly light sentences and allowing one of their families to desecrate her grave…At the very least, her story has been told, so that we may remember not just her suffering, but her immense willpower and strength in the face of the most terrible, hellish condition imaginable. Fly high, Junko. May your soul be free of this world’s suffering and find the peace it so deserves. You will never be forgotten. ❤️🙏🏾
The Yakuza never had any honor from the start. They were always bottom feeders who were given the thumbs up by the government to do their thing, and for much of Japanese history, they were deeply tied to right wing politics and thus the horrific war crimes of Imperial Japan.
@@interruptingcow2418 book smarts don't have the same value as street smarts. they're cautious with their answers because experience tells them to be careful what you say to anyone - anyone! - about what and how things are done. if you didn't already have that mentality, it's most definitely something that gets drilled into you when you're in the life.
feels like the group at the end was super careful what they talked about ,just like prisoners in a yard when the gang leader is near by, you could tell some questions were kind of danced around
It is very interesting to see that old-school members saw the Yakuza more as a community of people willing to protect and balance social homeostasis rather than just be organised crime syndicate (even if it's romanticised vision of self). They had different role in Japanese society at the time, therefore they were tolerated more by government officials and locals. Nonetheless, society evolved and Yakuza seem to grew into pastiche of itself, using the name behind the organisation to commit more and more atrocious crimes for gain rather to thrive on its principles. It is of course a bit cringy to consider one way or another, group of highly organised and hierarchical criminals as social equalisers. Despite all the good deeds they did (when it was necessary), at the end of the day, they were still above the law. Shift like that (newly introduced laws criminalising semi-legal status of the Yakuza) must hit hard, but with such a significant exodus of the members (100k), I am guessing that being powerful, wealthy or impactful can can be achieved using different measures than plain violence.
Thoughtful analysis. I enjoyed reading it. However, I would like to add that the parliament and ministers' cabinet of each nation, in principle, is also organized crime! A matter of perspective ...
Well, the origins of Yakuza is that of lower class people in Japan delegated to deal with "dirty work" i.e. gambling dens, prostitution, and racketeering. Imagine forming a group because you were ostracized and treated lower than others, and people wonder why those oppressed group of people try to take advantage of others when they themselves were exploited and shunned prior.
This is one of the best vice documentaries. I always respected the old Yakuza, they followed a code of honor and helped people in need. Like many things, power and time corrupt, I’m proud of these men for taking a stand and leaving.
@@MarkieOrMarc Harakiri/seppuku is ritual suicide through disembowelment. Essentially, you rip your own stomach with your blade. It was done by samurai as well as families during other periods in Japan. Traditionally because of dishonor (you made a mockery of your family name) or to prevent one's own execution (captured in battle). The examples I give are not the only times it's used but are examples of when harakiri can be used.
I'll tell ya, I like Koyama, who joked about how he still has all his fingers. He seems like a genuine guy who truly learned what respect is, at a late age
He's clearly old school street level yakuza. Seen many battles but opts not to talk as killing and intimidation are his strong suits. He's still alive for a reason and you can see the cunning on his face. He may not answer any questions verbally. But his reply is constantly worn on his demeanor as a silent objection to the interviewer and any would be viewers opinion of him, his boss and his brothers. Would they just show their face and sneer he would but have to sneeze to snub them out of existence. 😳😳😳 Or so I imagine 🤭😁
I like that the pauses before the answers are not always edited out, or that there is always unnecessary background music over everything. Sometimes those uneasy silences help us to understand, especially when something profound has shifted in the way we see the world. Also: I hope everyone who struggles to find their way in life, like these battle-scarred men, discover the much needed grace to do so. Life is too short to be burdened by dark thoughts.
Man, the former bike gang member as the interviwer was just the most amazing job ever! Someone from the same violent backround, who had a simmilar path, and could actually not only relate, but fully understand the emotions of the former yakuza - a brilliant intervie ("briliant" in the Amercain sense of the word, not the underwelming British one, to clairfy)!
I love at 23:10 the Yakuza member answers the power vacuum question by saying other semi gangs would be built on Chaos. These guys aren’t dumb… very precise and well put
when I lived in Japan, the yakuza were an open secret. We'd be driving in the car with my coworkers and they'd say, "Oh, a yakuza lives in this house over here." and I was floored that people just... knew. It was like, "watch out for that house" but it was also really blase.
It’s really enlightening to see this version of yakuza compared to what we often see in the media (whether it is making them appear wholesome or gruesome)
Bravo to Mahmood Fazal for turning his life around after leaving one of the most violent outlaw motorcycle gangs and positively contributing to society. I work in prison where OMCG violence is prevalent, so it's refreshing to see what is possible and assists me in remaining open minded and impartial. This was a well researched and informative insight into the Japanese underworld.
That wooden sword he has is a historical sword that was supposed to be banned and destroyed during the war. That’s one expensive sword he has. Easily hundreds of years old and could be worth thousands.
@@luxintelligentia4632 they are all worth a lot. Japan is trying to buy them all back and put them in the museum. They were thought to be all destroyed, but some smuggled them out, making them so expensive. It’s not just one, there’s a few thousand out there and they are rare.
I lived in Japan for 6 years. Never felt threaten by the yakuza. It's like the older ones say. Its they youth and the corrupted neo yakuza that's are bad ones.
I think thats where the nostalgia peeks through, when they say it is about protecting the weak and going after the strong. Organized crime is never like that, its always taking advantage of the weak, extorting shop owners, running drugs and things like running brothels always serves to take advantage of the weak. Weak shop owners, weak addicts often with mental health issues and almost the most vulnerable of society which is prostitutes who often suffer from drug addictions and were formally abused as children.
This! A lot of people think Yakuza supposed to be honorable but in reality they always do things that profit them the most. During WW2 Japanese govt use them as ruthless soldiers and allow them to loot people of their gold and other valuables. When Japanese lost the war the yakuza was the one who sold out to American govt first and let corrupt politicians to accept shoddy project from American companies. They're opportunists hiding behind a mask.
@@faizalf119 indeed, the idea that they're honourable and have that a sense of duty from the samurai era is just myth. They also tell themselves lies like if it wasn't for them there'd be chaos.
@@sunshineskystar lol you never know people like Yoshi Kodama, a politician that also a yakuza that willing to sell his country for a Lockheed contract.
@16:55, that really freaked me out. It's like he was reacting to sustaining a paradox in his head. He's clearly had a rough life. I hope he's able to enjoy the rest of his in peace.
18:23 "Hey obscure our boss's identity, ok?" "Ok, but we're going to give them hints like he was in prison and the approximate date of his release so people can find out anyway."
24:23 Is no one gonna talk about how the formidable looking Yakuza member with the cap is wearing a t-shirt saying 'pleasure, plop, revel, snug, flirt' with two cute bunny looking things on it lmao
Only 15 years ago, you could recognize yakuza members walking around the streets of Tōkyō and Ōsaka almost everywhere. Nowadays, this scenery has been replaced by foreign tourists, almost like one thing disappearing is a consequence of the other popping up.
15:30 It is because the pinky finger is like the base finger (it don't know what to call it) to hold a katana. So if you have lost your pinky finger, it is like you can't hold the katana in a right way anymore.
I mean, not too surprising. Pinky fingers are actually really important for holding most things. Its really wild how just losing a small thing can affect you so much.
@@lolmanboss Well yeah, the thug isn't gonna talk smack about the organization while all his buddies and his boss are there lmfao. Still, it's an interesting perspective into how they think
This interviewer is the best if seen on vice.He made this story so interesting and made the interviewy's at ease.That's talent that can't be taught.Wow.
I love this interviewer and his calm, soothing delivery. You know he’s done some straight unthinkable acts, yet he’s turned it around and is now asking all the tough questions. “The ones who get their hands dirty and are often left with nothing” Bob Dylan said it best “it may be the devil or it may be the lord, but you’re going to have to serve somebody.” Bravo vice
I lived in Japan for six years. The Yakuza aren’t falling. They’re evolving with the times now. Most no longer sport tattoos and the cutting of fingers is something that’s almost gone so they’re harder to detect.
I've only been to Japan once, and I couldn't explain it at the time, only feel it, but i could definitely tell some shit happens when the sun went down in Osaka. I never felt unsafe, but idk i could just tell it was grimey in the way that something else was happening behind the curtains. Very different vibe than Kyoto or even Tokyo.
@@gpl992 As someone who like to go to Osaka, and this is my personal opinion, I just felt the place is more.. wild. Tokyo people seems.. reserved, timid, and the ppl in Osaka just seem more outgoing, lively, might even considered rude to people in Tokyo. I actually met an Osaka native who even call the ppl in Tokyo stuck up, this is the general vibe I'm getting.
I've seen the numbers have decline again now the Yakuza only has approximately 28,200 active Yakuza members their really struggeling to find new blood in these modern times and it seems living in Japan during the Yakuza's pride would have been really scary knowing that there were Yakuza members everywhere and violence was all around especially during the Yama-Ichi War from 1985-89. I personally have a though as ever since the Yama Ichi war and the increasing police activity the Yakuza started to lose themselves lose their code of honor losed foresight on why they exists. And they only care about money which corrupted them and violence since its the only thing they've ever know.
yeah but for the most part in their prime they wouldn't attack civilians under normal circumstances, though obviously there were exceptions or people who didn't follow the rules
I liked this video a lot! This was extremely well put together. I liked the different aspects you hit, being the old Yakuza that have a different outlook on the new Yakuza and the new Yakuza and what their outlook is 🤷♂️ Extremely cool 😎 I think the New School kind of started to relax a bit once you had mentioned that you were in a serious gang war in your days. That was a good play. This video is a 10/10, all day long! 🙌
Great documentary! Would love to know what is the background song from 24:50 onwards? It adds an enchanting atmosphere to the conclusion of this inspiring work of art 🙏
Thanks for great content again vice. The reasons for joining and staying in Yakuza -- something greater than oneself (honour of organization), sense of belonging and deep human relationships in fast paced, volatile environment -- is so consistent around the world. This is simply a basic human condition. I encourage anyone interested to see the work of Deeyah Khan.
"Its easier to build stronger children, then to repair broken men"
This was actually deep, not like those cringe quotes 13 year olds relate to
@@Omar_05 just like this one?
@@pest174 no man, it’s not one taken out of a billie eilish song. I’m sure people involved in gangs and stuff will think about this
Frederick Douglas
Than
"If i shoot myself and survive, i get arrested for firing a gun"
That killed me
Well at least then someone died 🙃
Guess you're not getting arrested then
R.I.P RedSun
Most yakuza members use pen guns.. I think those wont kill you all of the times in the head
why? it's called gun control....american's should learn would be a hell of lot less killings
A classmate in university lived a while in Tokyo in the 00s or early 10s, and she told me a story about one of her friends when she lived there. He was a western guy, but he had cherryblossoms, or something, tattooed on his arms. Whatever his tattoos were they were at least symbolically charged for yakuza. So, one day, some guys just came straight up to him, and asked him to get into their car. He couldn't really refuse. They drove for a while and eventually they stopped and met with some sort of Yakuza boss. They were polite and at least not overtly threatening. The reason they wanted to meet him was only to find out just who he was, based on his tattoos. If he was a member of some other yakuza or whatever, or maybe they just wanted to make a statement about how that kind of tattoo was only for them. They let him go of course, nothing more happened.
But that dude never wore short sleeves in public again.
People really forget these things. Same as if you have "russian prison tattoos" and they are visible in russia you are fcked. If you have a four leaf clover and happen to be in arian brother hood territory you are also in trouble.
Just goes to show, in Japan respect and honour are everything.
I had something similar in Osaka in the late 90's. I am heavily tattooed, but nothing in a Japanese style. Yakuza approached me in a bar, and asked me the meanings of my tattoos (I'm from New Zealand). Once they heard me, they bought me a drink and went back to their table. Polite, no problems.
@Ruby Ramirez I'm interested to understand what that particular case has to do with my comment? Granted i see the Yakuza affiliation as a part of it but I'd like to know what your take on this is
"ayy how u doin bud? so uh, where u from huh? are ya part of a different group? 'ah shit we kidnapped a normal dude', aight man youre free to go"
I love the shots in between that portray the small gestures and atmospheres in each of the subject’s daily lives. I especially love 22:03. The cameraperson also did great capturing moments of subtle tension vs calm in the room. That along with the choice of interviewer, storytelling, and pace of the documentary all made this a great piece.
6:07 i love that one of the ex yakuza bosses are polite enough to give even the cameraman a card
In the Yakuza game, when Kiryu are shown how to do business, you can see one of the most important thing to do when greeting someone is give them your card/business card.
There is a video on TH-cam where a British guy who lives in Japan (for five years when the video was published) explains that executive japanese treats their cards with Very high steem. I'll see if I can post it.
About Yakuza games, If I am not mistaken there is a substory on Kiwami with some emphasis on card.
Here. The card part is around 04:38.
th-cam.com/video/0GCuvcTI090/w-d-xo.html
@@lucasfernandescorrea7711 I watched that episode too!!!
ur actually supposed to use both hands to exchange cards in Japan, that’s a fkn real life ex Yakuza Bousss😆😳
Man, the tension in room is just insane during the interview with the Yakuza sub-boss in Osaka.
Ha, the guy with the tatood moustach was like, "You say one wrong thing, I will give it to you!"
He had to follow the script and be careful with what to say
Probably due to the awkward questions of the interviewer
You can see on his face that he was carefull about what he was saying, especially if its about his Oyabun. Thats why it feels staged, no it definetly is staged.
The "mafia" looked comical... as if this was a parody on the Japanese version of "Godfather". The dude with the tats would make any child grin
"there used to be a great nurse themed sex club" yes a great tragedy indeed
@Noah dress up & suck up
@Noah true
pansy.....
@@RareTS he say...
:D
F...
9:35 "My heart goes far away when I think about him." Such a beautiful way of describing the emotion he feels.
"they would only agree to the interview if we promised not to air the documentary in japan"
Well shit, lets just put it on youtube
True tho lmaoo
they can block the video in japan though
@@ninanano Nah man, Vice Japan aired it.
@@acdplc Sorry for my bad English. But eveybody understand what the Yakuza mean when he said that.
@@acdplc So what you wanna prove here? I said that because I watch this on Vice Japan before, thats it. Okay?
I thought the bicycle smash in the Yakuza games was an exaggeration, I never imagined they'd actually do that lol
That's rad!
Bicycle smash is also a thing in south america, or was, before it got flooded with guns
Looking at the photos they showed, It really looks like that would fuck you up pretty badly lol.
@@peppermintnightmare4741 Well, if someone was strong enough to hoist one over their head, and slam it down on you, I'd imagine it'd hurt like crazy.
I kinda get the feeling there are more bicycle riders in places like Japan or China as well so more acess to bikes when your in a fight on the street.
Yes VICE returning to its older self!!! Love these documentaries.
Theyre owned by disney theyre garbage
Vice needs to stick to non political commentary.
@@TheSmartLawyer THANK You NON Political Commentary
@@TheSmartLawyer Why? Bc its politics you disagree with? Try Fox News!
@@hazelbasil6451 You don't get it do you? During the Trump administration Vice lost all of it's journalism integrity. It was pure "Orange Man bad" anti-trump propaganda. There was no balance. There was no realistic & rational journalism covering issues through a non-bias manner. VICE jumped on the "Orange Man Bad" bandwagon and totally lost what made it unique by covering pressing issues through a open minded approach and letting the audience reach their own conclusions. VICE became leftist anti-Trump propaganda. They added fuel & magnified the left wing medias narrative. VICE had a chance to garner viewers from both sides of the political spectrum all sides of the political spectrum but instead they went all in on one viewpoint. I have watched VICE for years. Well before Disneys acquisition of the company. I saw what VICE had become. I became very disappointed with its fall from grace. VICE was no longer unique. It simply became Libtard news on steroids and Its a choice they made thats still hurting them to this day. Nothing beats classic VICE in my opinion.
I really relate to when he was interviewing the ex member and he said “Organized crime members are not better than anyone else, but wall around like they’re better than everyone else”
This shit is so true. I grew up selling drugs and really addicted to drugs and shit hanging out with gang bangers and just living the street life and the disrespect and egotism and nihilism and harm they were causing the community, is one of the main reasons I couldn’t take it anymore. It’s one thing to be an addict serving addicts, but it’s another when you get off doing it, and get an ego.
Наличие мозгов вещь полезная.С ними как правило живёшь дольше.
At least you got out of it when you were able to.
Here's to your continued happiness as you build up something better and fulfilling for yourself
That beat reporter got balls for just saying the Yakuza is now an unnecessary evil, given how frequently he hangs with those guys.
I don't get it surely the Yakuza now see that they are just regular criminals and not noble robin hoods of Japan
@@drill_don684 There will always exist the justification for the lesser of 2 evils. "Ah yes that gang did X, Y and Z, but we only do X and Y, its Z that is the real problem. If we were gone, everybody would have to experience Z and that's terrible!" You'll see it in every part of society and culture. Nobody really believes they're the bad guy, and when a group of people are there to reassure you of that, its easy to see yourself as noble.
Japan has a very low crime rate and the Yakuza is on the decline, plus he's a well known foreigner in Japan. They are not going to do anything to him.
@chaintech it yeah, but the whole point of all the ceremony and honor codes and etc is to reinforce that we (yakuza) are never the Z. If we became the Z, there are many psychological tools the group can use to “un-Z” themselves. Cutting off a finger, exile, or, best option if you can pull it off, redefine Z. If killing civilians is wrong but we need to kill one, then the rule just changed, and becomes no killing civilians if they pose no threat to the family. Boom, we became Z, but then added Z1 and we aren’t that, so yay!
that reporter is as trash as a typical criminal, at least that is what he looked like to me, just trash, not a decent person with good intentions.
This reporter is the real deal..
So gentle the way he speaks.. and the ending monolog he gave clearly shows he is very intelligent and understanding.
Because the reporter was once a gangster
That reporter is probably the hardest person out of all the people in this documentary, yet he's the most soft spoken one.
@@dennischen8887 People change, it’s always awesome seeing former gangsters becoming wise.
and he was fooled?
"Has anyone at work seen your tattoos yet?"
"No, none have"
VICE: Lemme help ya with that.
I hate how vice never censors anything its so stupid i remember the prostitution one where they could have revealed so many people’s identities
Whereas in the West and even here in Australia you ain't "cool" till everyone sees your "hardcore" tatts! 🤣
@@TheAlmightyClipse well the Yakuza tattoos hold meaning , white people with kanji they don't understand is not that meaningful
@@Retr0_Blues It matters a lot if this person's employer finds out about these tattoos, not censoring the people in this documentary is simple malpractice
@@whilliamblamet187 agreed they haven't censored the identities for so long I don't understand their reasoning
The hardest part about dealing with those you've known have done wrong is how utterly human they turn out to be when you sit down and talk to them. So often we make all those engaged in criminal acts out to be monsters. If only it was that easy.
being a human being and having humanity are two different things...
Their is More than Meets the Eye,(Unless Living in their Shoes don't know what's going on inside their Head/Thought Process),Reminds me of a Quote "Everyone Makes Mistakes In Life,But that Dosen't Mean they have to Pay for them the Rest of their lives,Sometimes good Ppl Make Bad Choices But that Dosen't mean their Bad Ppl it Just Mean's their Human!", It's Easy to Look at Someone & Say your this & that you did A B & C it takes going through Something to understand it thoroughly.
I spent time with Italian mobsters years ago as my ex worked for one of their mainstream businesses. Rules were strictly enforced, only those allowed to know things knew, and proper decorum and taking care of family and friends came first. After a couple of years I was respected and protected since I was “ a good girl”, but I also saw some women treated badly for some perceived slights or rule breaking. They were careful to only allow me to see what they deemed appropriate, and I can remember some new employees getting dragged away into the side building after they apparently did something wrong. Most of the time I’d never seen whatever offense they had committed in the first place. While I knew of many things that I wholly disagreed with, they also joined together to help those in need or families facing serious illness. They always brought in huge trucks of turkeys and toys to give out, they really helped many poor people. That’s what I loved, despite the evil acts I know happened, children and moms who lost their father would never want for anything again- ever. There are always two sides to every coin.
@@FlawlessImperfectionBeauty I can't tell if you're telling the truth or lying.
@@chisomololo8406 Oh, it’s true. They were not in power like they were years before when I entered the picture. Mostly ran the businesses in the city. My ex worked in logistics for a trucking company, the stories from the older truckers were unreal. I asked why there were bullet holes in the bosses office, and apparently the old boss man who passed away called “Buddy” (😂) used to make drivers hold a phone book up while he shot it to discipline them. He’d been dead for years and they still were scared. I made a mafia joke once around some older men from the city at a Christmas party, and the room got dead silent. The oldest man said “Straighten her out.” My friend dragged me outside and explained I could NOT make mob jokes around them, they were made. I never did it again. The stories were endless, but they also helped any employees with health problems or needed help in any way. There’s dark and light in all of us, I started to see that people weren’t just bad or good. They did so much for the town people. When I drove from VT to Florida for college, I had escorts until Georgia. Some random guys tried getting out in traffic in NY to talk to me, next thing I knew every truck driver was around me with baseball bats. If I stopped for gas they’d tell me I was told to slow down by the boss, I didn’t get away with anything! I was scared and naive, so looking back I’m very grateful they were there!
I would like to add that how meticulously Vice selects their interviewers, in this case the interviewer is an ex Mongol himself, so he is wary of the criminal mentality. Also, the Yakuza will never give interview to a layman.
*selected here. They also have the most ridiculous, out of touch, tactless reporters on the face of the earth
Right they just put out fear porn
@@Darius10thP p*rn?
@@Darius10thP In addition to a biopic, this one is pretty much the story of how common sense legislation has helped lead to one of the lowest crime rate in the developed world. I think you're just being intentionally pessimistic.
Maybe helped get the interview. But the documentary was lame and the interviewer an amateur
That flower face dude had the most serious face and the best smiley face.
he looked scary.
@@manfreds.6384 Truuuue
straight up looks like a real life anime character
Low key meth user.
My boi, rose-mouth
To give the international audience some context: 17:49 The reporter said “It was the first time I have seen Jake anxious”
Well Jake Adelstine is famous American journalist in Japan. In the early days he built a reputation of being the middle man between some of the Yakuzas and the Police to get some information to make cover stories for his local newspaper in Tokyo. After many years he became quite opposed to the active Yakuza groups and took a harsher stance to the point where one of the former bosses if I remember indirectly put a price on his head (In the Yakuza world it is not allowed to call for violence against a civilian). The situation was so dangerous that Jake had to bring the “Americans” to protect him while flying his family back to America. So it make sense he was so anxious. The people drinking with him were his enemies in a way. I am quite surprised they accepted the interview maybe they wanted to show their part of the story too…I am pretty sure they had a lot of respect for that Professor (Professor are a huge deal in Japan) Yet you can see here 19:58 Jake smiling and showing a genuine face of interest like a student in a table with his teachers (Yakuzas). Thats Japanese culture for you boys.
Well as a yakuza id have respect for that man, cause hes strong enough to survive that pressure and hes helping people get back into their normal lives. Maybe thats why in osaka they accepted him, even though he is calling them out.
I got a question if violence is supposed to be used on regular people why shake down shops? I get it for money but it’s a contradiction because I know also the yakuza killed a movie producer back in the day. I’m just confused as I know there bad yakuza and some not as bas
@@thanors2 well, that's kinda the point of the documentary. Money corrupted yakuza to the point they stopped following their own moral code. They stopped helping out the weak, and became just regular gangsters stealing money
Is he not somewhat of a liar ?
@@cd.knuckles Thats what I always thought that Yakuzas were only at war with other organization but never hurt civilians and would protect their 'territory' for money but not exploitation type. I can see a major shift in its mentality.
During the end, I think we got very deep within a gang member's thoughts but I find it hard for them to really show how they feel when their boss is RIGHT NEXT TO THEM. Every answer seemed to go back to favoring the organization and the boss.
Yeah. Still, the canned responses and his body language do sort of tell us how he might really feel. Then again, he probably is extremely loyal to the boss anyway.
I must say, the dude and the cameraman has balls to actually talk to actual yakuza. I'll shit my pants if I even saw one
How do you know he didnt lol
That'd be one of the worst reactions you could have. Gotta stay calm, and not freak out.
It's just a guy man don't male it bigger than it ja
PUSSI
G8
I have to say the interviewer was the best man for the job. Coming from a motorcycle club background I have often thought of the violence that surrounded my life and I think he said it best at the end "lost souls on the fringe of society looking to belong to family to give them higher purpose" that simple sentence made me understand my father in a different way.
My ex was a patch holder. I will not say to whom. He was not someone to be trifled with. None of them were. Normally when I watch documentaries on Mafia etc, I'm of a disbelieving frame of mind. Most are braggadocious or plain laughable. This is the first documentary I believe to be real.
Lol
@@s.v.2796 ain’t nobody care what gang your ex belonged to 😂
@@wesleyswafford2462he was a very bad choice indeed
Interviewer looks like a cartel boss himself.
@@prashantparashar9599 for reals?! 😮
@@prashantparashar9599 source?
@@prashantparashar9599 He said he was a member of the mongols in austrailia not an IS fighter 😂😂
@@prashantparashar9599 🔥,💣
@@prashantparashar9599 He said that he was part of a street gang in Australia but nothing about ISIS.
A few years ago our local shop was bought by a new owner, it was a Japanese man, his wife and kid who bought the shop. Every day I went to the shop he was always wearing a long sleeve shirt buttoned up to the neck… during summer, one day I walked into the shop and can see that the shopkeeper had the collar unbuttoned and i could see a tattoo. When I asked what kind of tattoo it was, he buttoned it back up and kinda laughed about it and said it was a stupid one lol few months later when i started to know him more (being a regular customer) he finally showed me his tattoo across his chest and back and told me he was a member of the yakuza. The sad thing was, when he showed me the tattoo his wife was there and tearfully explained how bad life was like for them…and that they escaped Japan when she fell pregnant and he wanted out of the gang…unfortunately this meant the gang would kill him and her and their unborn child if he left the gang. So without letting anyone know, they saved to get out of the country and ended up in NZ. They still feared they would be found even in a country like NZ so he always covered himself up by wearing a shirt so no one could see his tattoo…but had since become comfortable bearing his tattoo because we literally have ZERO Japanese people in our community lol but sad to learn their ordeal and the terrible things that the yakuza got up to!
Don’t expose him
@@davidrios7962 how have I exposed him?
delete your posted story above about him please, leave no track.
Can you delete this your comment if you don't mind
Delete this
The one that has the most unique fashion taste in the group always the crazy one. Dont mess with the guy wearing stars jacket & shorts with pink tshirt.
Thats the killer. Lol
@@websurfer8670 yup lol
The one with the outlandish fashion sense the senseless killer? Yes....... but if there is one person who i would not cross in this whole documentary (apart from Mahmood) the ex Yakuza who is now a Nurse........ He doesnt advertise that he is a killer.... but you can tell by his demeanour that he will end you, and make you disappear without any thought or hesitation if you cross him.
crazy does not equal strong.
usually those who are the loudest are the weakest.
Goro Majima!
That guy Koyama, the nurse, seems to me the most potentially dangerous and scary of them all.
I think he was the most honest, he let us see a bit more and so we can see the danger more clearly
He went full Liam Neeson at the end, when talking about what would happen if someone came after his family.
@@Plafintarr imagine a Taken, but with a Japanese backdrop, would be cool
if you re watch it he chooses his words carefully
Really... he beat up and/or killed a Buddhist monk. What a tough guy.
"One of the classic ways when the Yakuza got in a fight is they pick up a bicycle and they smash it on someone"
Ah yes, Kiryu's ultimate weapon
KIRYU CHAN
long reach check.
heavy yet easy to handle check.
metal check.
big hit box check.
Random Cat used ctrl-f to hopefully see if The Dragon of Dojima was in the top comments :P Thank you for not disappointing me.
lolol
Mumen Rider
That Ex-Yakuza Boss has a presence that has transcended both time and distance.
I just bowed when he offered the camera man a business card.
Criminal underworlds never go extinct, they just get replaced with new variants. Japan will still need gambling houses, prostitutes, and drugs. Someone will be there to fulfill those needs, whether we call them Yakuza or not, it is the way of this world.
Not necessarily. Take Amsterdam for example. A big part of the red light district there is without gangs or pimps, let’s say. Yes, the criminal underworld still exists there, but it’s been dimmed down a lot.
@@GinoNL Your choice of Amsterdam was pretty bad, a quick Google would have helped you avoid that mistake. Crime has not "dimmed" there, it has increased.
I remembered a recent Vice story on the Netherlands that went over this. A quote: "In Amsterdam, there’s been a steady rise in underworld violence over the last eight years. In 2014, crime lord Gwenette Martha was mowed down in a hail of more than 80 bullets outside a kebab shop; a severed head was left outside a café in 2016; an anti-tank rocket was fired into the offices of a major newspaper in 2018". So basically you're dead wrong.
Like I said- you don't eliminate crime and gangs, you just replace it with new crimes and fresh blood.
I would like have a comment here yakuza is already corrupted from being honoured bad to non honoured bad before the law exist, the time machii hisayuki is an oyabun in time of tosei-kai they no do drug,and children Po**.
Even if they bad, they got the code not like yamaguchi-gumi who got the most quantity in member number but many of the small circle do not have a gentleman code i would say.
@@ighsight You misinterpreted my comment. I’m basically saying that most prostitues in Amsterdam are their own bosses. They are not part of a gang or anything. As you stated the unavoidable correlation of underworld crime and prostitution(which is not true), for example.
You are generalizing crime. I’m dutch myself, it’s well known that numbers of (severe)crime here are increasing.
@@GinoNL I didn't misinterpret your statement. You said crime is "dimming" in Amsterdam but it is not, at least according to news reports.
I never "stated" that there is an "an unavoidable correlation of underworld crime and prostitution", those are totally your words. I only used prostitution as one example of the vices that organized crime caters to.
And in America most prostitutes are self employed as well but there are a host of other crimes that are still wrapped around the sex trade, such as human trafficking, drug sales, robberies, blackmail and extortion, credit card fraud, etc. I'd be willing to bet the same is the case in Amsterdam's red light district because these things naturally occur together. For example Johns being robbed and blackmailed, credit card numbers being stolen and sold, not to mention that illegal drugs are very often used by sex workers and as party drugs during encounters. Very not so simple to disentangle these things.
4:23 He says "the video game" implying that he expects everyone to know which video game he's talking about, which is cool. I do remember reading that the Yakuza themselves approved of the Yakuza games.
Yeah, it was actually Jake himself who showed the third game to actual Yakuza members. I remember that they all loved it for its accuracy, although one guy said he was disappointed that you couldn't take meth to power yourself up. Also, they said that they would just shoot the guys who randomly battle you on the streets
@@CJ_Denton and Kiryu dressed up like a host
@@CJ_Denton what's the title of the video tho?
@@grizzlytusk7934 you probably already found out it wasnt a vid, but it was a piece that jake adelstein wrote when yakuza 3 or 4 came out, interesting stuff
@@Omenhachi is it the one in his book? Or any article that states it?
Wait, so the bicycle move from yakuza 0 was based off of real life yakuza?? Holy shit!
That's what I thought so too. Lmao.
Fun Fact the franchise was actually approved by actual Yakuza themselves
@@watchulookinat271 i already knew that, but I had no idea that these supposedly over the top action moves were actually based off of reality!
JUSTICE CRASH
That’s rad
imagine watching this after coming from the hospital and you remembered how bad you treated your nurse who's actually a former member of the most violent faction of yakuza.
It’s the lady feeding the each person buttered raisin for me
Someone had to say it. Couldn't agree more.
As said in the video itself it's not just organised crime it's like a clan a family a group a unique bond somthing which unites one to others
I raised self helped basil plants until they collapsed under regime
She’s such a sweetheart, doesn’t care how big and bad they are they will eat mommas cooking
Watching the gangster act like a young schoolboy trying to refuse the raisin butter, then the next scene boom back to business was an epic transition
Koyama is a brave warrior. To leave the yakuza knowing the penalties from both sides, his old family and society. To weather those burdens he shows it can be done. He leads by example on a path that is both strong and brave, and helps to protect others via leading by example.
Exactly
Какой воин?Он обычный отморозок не более.
"its like love, when one thing goes bad it all becomes bad" lots of powerful quotes in this episode. much appreciated
Fun fact: the Japanese police calls the Yakuza, “Bōryokudan” (“violent groups”) while the Yakuza call themselves, “Ninkyō Dantai” (“chivalrous organizations”)
Growin up in compton ca, we had such an obsession with Japanese anime, Chinese kung fu movies, the Asian culture, the yakuza in Japan, seeing the real deal is so interesting.
Ay sup uce, didn't know there were hamos out in Compton lol
@@davidsavelio6492 Malo! Compton, Carson & Long Beach get plenty!
@@davidsavelio6492 Lots of Tongan catz out in stockton too
That’s probably one of the most surprising facts I’ve ever read
To be honest they ain't tough shit....
'Was it fun?'
'It was not unpleasant'
Well, that scared me
14:55
His answer was literally "I didn't dislike it" (嫌ではなかったです)
The japanese people do this very often to bend the meaning of their words.
Ex. Ask a japanese girl,
"ぼくはすきですか。"
"boku wa suki desu ka?"
"Do you like me?"
If she wants to politely decline you, she will say,
"きらいじゃないです。"
"kirai janai desu"
"I don't dislike you."
The culture of japan is that they rarely put their emotions on their sleeve. She couldve outright said no, but the average 日本人/ Nihonjin/Japanese person puts into consideration the individual theyre speaking to.
I like the fact that most of them took seconds to think before answer the question
it seems like that because after the interviewer asks a question there is a translator repeating it in japanese and they cut the video
@@mattia7277 nope
@@trubadorn8573 yep
Don’t see that much california lol
A friend of mine played rugby in Japan he came from New Zealand and had a lot of tattoos. He said people in public would always stare at him in public to the point he never wore short sleeve tops again and plus his coach told him in Japan people looked at tattoos and think you're yakuza!
“They pick up a bicycle and smash it on someone”
HEAT actions are REEEAAALLL !!
When I heard “Bicycles” that’s the first thing I’ve thought of
Beast style
But Kiryu would NEVER kill
@@sheevpalps3846 yeah that squirt of blood you see after is just a scratch
@@onebigburrito2031 Tis but a scratch
Not fallen. 'Thugs' are a nuisance value. The era where loan sharks and racketeers used to harrass small businesses is over. Yakuza clans who survived simply evolved to the point they contribute to Japan's economic growth. The most active (and smartest?) Yakuza clans reorganized their criminal syndicate groups into different businesses such as politics for instance, which is actually very smart.
Yakuza used to hustle black market VHS tapes back in the day too when there was actually money distributing that sort of thing. Haha anywhere there's money they'll have their finger in it 😂
MAFIA style.
Lol, stfu. This is the same thing that the mafia did in the US and basically every other gang in the world has done. They put up front businesses like restaurants and shoddy construction companies to launder money from their illegal activities.
They have fallen honour wise, same as the italian mob in it’s beginnings they tried to improve their quality of life, and the quality of life of those around them. But ended up giving their moral code away in exchange for more fame, money and power.
@@jord1214 yep, just watch The Godfather. Corleone was popular because he was handing out money to the starving poor, creating jobs, and protecting the impoverished from a corrupt system that could throw you in jail for “vagrancy.” At its most basic The Godfather trilogy is a microcosm of capitalism on fast forward.
Respect to the former boss who realised he could do more to help society outside the Yakuza than from within it.
Whatever respect I had for the Yakuza, whatever fascination I harbored, died when I heard the story of Junko Furata. The Yakuza in recent years has been fictionalized and popularized by the masses in the form of video games and anime in a way that makes them seem “bad, but not that bad”. Bad guys with honor, with a code and morals. When I heard the story of 16 year old Junko and how, just because she dared to reject some Yakuza street kid wannabe when he asked her out, she was kidnapped and forced to undergo the most horrific and inhumane forms of torture and abuse for 44 straight days at the hands of over 100+ Yakuza affiliated people, before she finally died from her extreme suffering, I knew that any media portraying the Yakuza as anything but bad was so completely wrong. It’s like the retired Don in this vid said. “If my master could see what we have become, he would cry.” Any honor the Yakuza may have once had is gone, and all that remains is an ugly plight on the country of Japan, one that capitalizes on the exploitation of the weak (particularly women and children). There are dozens if not hundreds of Junko’s that have been victimized by the Yakuza whose stories will never be told, who will never receive justice for their suffering. I’m glad that journalists and anti-Yakuza advocates are joining forces to expose the association’s ugliness, and that Japan has realized what a plight the Yakuza has become on their society and is finally cracking down and punishing offenders. If only the Japanese judicial system could have the same for Junko Furata, instead of giving her torturers insultingly light sentences and allowing one of their families to desecrate her grave…At the very least, her story has been told, so that we may remember not just her suffering, but her immense willpower and strength in the face of the most terrible, hellish condition imaginable.
Fly high, Junko. May your soul be free of this world’s suffering and find the peace it so deserves. You will never be forgotten. ❤️🙏🏾
Very well written.
i didn't know that her assailants were yakuza affiliated. they really are scum
There are more than one gang
Just like people some are shittier than others
The Yakuza never had any honor from the start. They were always bottom feeders who were given the thumbs up by the government to do their thing, and for much of Japanese history, they were deeply tied to right wing politics and thus the horrific war crimes of Imperial Japan.
I read about Junko Furata. I didn’t know Yakuza were involved, may I ask where you found that?
Its kind of fascinating how contemplative and thoughtful they are of their answers.
Honest, raw and insightful
Well. It is Japan. Even gangsters have better education and morals than their other counterparts around the world.
@@interruptingcow2418 book smarts don't have the same value as street smarts. they're cautious with their answers because experience tells them to be careful what you say to anyone - anyone! - about what and how things are done. if you didn't already have that mentality, it's most definitely something that gets drilled into you when you're in the life.
@@interruptingcow2418 Yeah, ok get off their nuts
@@interruptingcow2418 right...
Oh yes they’re wonderful 😅
feels like the group at the end was super careful what they talked about ,just like prisoners in a yard when the gang leader is near by, you could tell some questions were kind of danced around
For sure. He was kissing his boss ass.
It is very interesting to see that old-school members saw the Yakuza more as a community of people willing to protect and balance social homeostasis rather than just be organised crime syndicate (even if it's romanticised vision of self). They had different role in Japanese society at the time, therefore they were tolerated more by government officials and locals. Nonetheless, society evolved and Yakuza seem to grew into pastiche of itself, using the name behind the organisation to commit more and more atrocious crimes for gain rather to thrive on its principles. It is of course a bit cringy to consider one way or another, group of highly organised and hierarchical criminals as social equalisers. Despite all the good deeds they did (when it was necessary), at the end of the day, they were still above the law. Shift like that (newly introduced laws criminalising semi-legal status of the Yakuza) must hit hard, but with such a significant exodus of the members (100k), I am guessing that being powerful, wealthy or impactful can can be achieved using different measures than plain violence.
Great comment
Thoughtful analysis. I enjoyed reading it. However, I would like to add that the parliament and ministers' cabinet of each nation, in principle, is also organized crime!
A matter of perspective ...
Couldn’t have said it any better
that's call copium
Well, the origins of Yakuza is that of lower class people in Japan delegated to deal with "dirty work" i.e. gambling dens, prostitution, and racketeering. Imagine forming a group because you were ostracized and treated lower than others, and people wonder why those oppressed group of people try to take advantage of others when they themselves were exploited and shunned prior.
This is one of the best vice documentaries. I always respected the old Yakuza, they followed a code of honor and helped people in need. Like many things, power and time corrupt, I’m proud of these men for taking a stand and leaving.
Yeh but a lot of them left because the laws have made it damn near impossible to be one in modern times..
@@azziek3246 That’s true too. Just like the RICO law in the US affected crime organizations also.
Dom would approve of the Yakuza if it’s all about family
Pockets aren’t empty cuhh
Idk why but I lol’d at work @ this.
Did you say.. family?
You shouldn't worry about what others approve of, even Dom
nothings more important than family
Everybody gansta until an ex-Yakuza brings out his Japanese sword
Lol everthing is gangsta until USA brings out nukes 😂
@@jah_gamingyt5989 lol usa is gangsta until 🇷🇺russia pulls doing its own shit and us has to go to tucking UN lol🤣
@@minH-pj9jp Taliban Will make Russia cry again 😂😂😂
@@jah_gamingyt5989 wtf ate u taking about USA just pulled out of afghan yesterday 😑lmao🤣🤣🤣
@@minH-pj9jp yep same goes either way
This Don is a true Yakuza. He's still keeping his short sword for harakiri. Much more respect for him, even he has resigned.
Absolutely agree. That was my thought.
What's harakiri n why has the Yakuza fell apart. I thought they were the most influential Asian organized gang.
@@MarkieOrMarc I think harakiri is the suicide done by samurai
@@MarkieOrMarc Harakiri/seppuku is ritual suicide through disembowelment. Essentially, you rip your own stomach with your blade. It was done by samurai as well as families during other periods in Japan. Traditionally because of dishonor (you made a mockery of your family name) or to prevent one's own execution (captured in battle). The examples I give are not the only times it's used but are examples of when harakiri can be used.
@@alwaysneutral2100 thank you
Can't leave without commending whoever worked on the audio/music for this.
I'll tell ya, I like Koyama, who joked about how he still has all his fingers. He seems like a genuine guy who truly learned what respect is, at a late age
The guy with the flower tattoo around his mouth scares me more than the others. He looks like a Japanese Joker, that a person should never cross.
24:50
Love him
He's clearly old school street level yakuza. Seen many battles but opts not to talk as killing and intimidation are his strong suits. He's still alive for a reason and you can see the cunning on his face. He may not answer any questions verbally. But his reply is constantly worn on his demeanor as a silent objection to the interviewer and any would be viewers opinion of him, his boss and his brothers. Would they just show their face and sneer he would but have to sneeze to snub them out of existence. 😳😳😳
Or so I imagine 🤭😁
@@TRVCVZ thanks dude, im glad i wasnt the only one who was glad to see that at the end. literally warmed my heart
@@jaggerangel5564 waffle
I like that the pauses before the answers are not always edited out, or that there is always unnecessary background music over everything. Sometimes those uneasy silences help us to understand, especially when something profound has shifted in the way we see the world. Also: I hope everyone who struggles to find their way in life, like these battle-scarred men, discover the much needed grace to do so. Life is too short to be burdened by dark thoughts.
Man, the former bike gang member as the interviwer was just the most amazing job ever! Someone from the same violent backround, who had a simmilar path, and could actually not only relate, but fully understand the emotions of the former yakuza - a brilliant intervie ("briliant" in the Amercain sense of the word, not the underwelming British one, to clairfy)!
true. it was perfect
I'm American and never once wrote briliant
Dude the osaka yakuza boss was so calm yet so intimidating . Chills 😂
"They throw bikes at people" I'm fucking done lmaooo
So Kiryu was real all the time?
4:34 F**K THAT!!!!!!
Can't do that mid fight against a black dude. He'd just ride off with it
@@Tu-py6nn 🤣
I love at 23:10 the Yakuza member answers the power vacuum question by saying other semi gangs would be built on Chaos. These guys aren’t dumb… very precise and well put
when I lived in Japan, the yakuza were an open secret. We'd be driving in the car with my coworkers and they'd say, "Oh, a yakuza lives in this house over here." and I was floored that people just... knew. It was like, "watch out for that house" but it was also really blase.
The yakuza fell when Kiryu stepped down as 4th chairman.
Lul
Lol
I thought it was Steven Seagal who ended them when he went after the whole crew and then finishing off with the big boss man?
But he was the 4th chairman for only 24hrs and Daigo is a good chairman (I'm on the finale of 4)
Where did you got all this information, I really want to learn more of yakuza.
'When one thing comes bad, the whole thing becomes bad', that would be so true for anything corrupt or unjust.
It’s really enlightening to see this version of yakuza compared to what we often see in the media (whether it is making them appear wholesome or gruesome)
Bravo to Mahmood Fazal for turning his life around after leaving one of the most violent outlaw motorcycle gangs and positively contributing to society.
I work in prison where OMCG violence is prevalent, so it's refreshing to see what is possible and assists me in remaining open minded and impartial.
This was a well researched and informative insight into the Japanese underworld.
That wooden sword he has is a historical sword that was supposed to be banned and destroyed during the war. That’s one expensive sword he has. Easily hundreds of years old and could be worth thousands.
There is many of those kind of swords. Why would that be only one
@@luxintelligentia4632 they are all worth a lot. Japan is trying to buy them all back and put them in the museum. They were thought to be all destroyed, but some smuggled them out, making them so expensive. It’s not just one, there’s a few thousand out there and they are rare.
@@Bnguyen276 well thats what i said. They are not like super super rare, but must be pretty expensive
@@luxintelligentia4632 depends on the black smith. Masamune swords can fetch from 100k to over millions of dollars.
@@Bnguyen276 not maybe this one. I have a feeling that it wouldve been mentioned if it was worth of a million
Those Glasses looks so badass ^_^ 6:41
That was my thought too. “Well what I learned most in this video is that the Japanese have some of the nicest glasses in the world!” 🤩
@Aldo Steel I have gold Randolph aviators. Wearing them now. 😎
Most likely paid a pretty penny ...
@@scottrgood look similar to cazal
Cartier the fashion
“Exiled from the underworld, and outcasted by society”
This sounds like a plot already
John Wick
I lived in Japan for 6 years. Never felt threaten by the yakuza. It's like the older ones say. Its they youth and the corrupted neo yakuza that's are bad ones.
They all seem like my old uncle who swears he would have gone PRO if it wasn't for his bad knee
🤣🤣🤣😂 if you could sum this 30 min video into a single comment I STG!!!🤣🤣🤣
Well, that was great journalism. You can feel the pain of the Yakuza members.
You can feel the pain when I have to make a poop
I think thats where the nostalgia peeks through, when they say it is about protecting the weak and going after the strong. Organized crime is never like that, its always taking advantage of the weak, extorting shop owners, running drugs and things like running brothels always serves to take advantage of the weak. Weak shop owners, weak addicts often with mental health issues and almost the most vulnerable of society which is prostitutes who often suffer from drug addictions and were formally abused as children.
This! A lot of people think Yakuza supposed to be honorable but in reality they always do things that profit them the most. During WW2 Japanese govt use them as ruthless soldiers and allow them to loot people of their gold and other valuables. When Japanese lost the war the yakuza was the one who sold out to American govt first and let corrupt politicians to accept shoddy project from American companies. They're opportunists hiding behind a mask.
@@faizalf119 indeed, the idea that they're honourable and have that a sense of duty from the samurai era is just myth.
They also tell themselves lies like if it wasn't for them there'd be chaos.
@@faizalf119 lol no, yakuza was heavily repressed during ww2 since they are just bunch of troublemakers .
@@sunshineskystar lol you never know people like Yoshi Kodama, a politician that also a yakuza that willing to sell his country for a Lockheed contract.
@@faizalf119 most would
@16:55, that really freaked me out. It's like he was reacting to sustaining a paradox in his head.
He's clearly had a rough life. I hope he's able to enjoy the rest of his in peace.
18:23 "Hey obscure our boss's identity, ok?"
"Ok, but we're going to give them hints like he was in prison and the approximate date of his release so people can find out anyway."
Excellent documentary well done Vice Asia.
4:09 damn, didn’t know that the Yakuza games were that accurate.
Youre right majima
i mean some of them was aproved by an yakuza
Can i get ur number goromi?
"Bicycles"
Man seeing all these bikes...makes me wanna go wild
24:23 Is no one gonna talk about how the formidable looking Yakuza member with the cap is wearing a t-shirt saying 'pleasure, plop, revel, snug, flirt' with two cute bunny looking things on it lmao
Only 15 years ago, you could recognize yakuza members walking around the streets of Tōkyō and Ōsaka almost everywhere. Nowadays, this scenery has been replaced by foreign tourists, almost like one thing disappearing is a consequence of the other popping up.
I don’t think you’d be wrong to assume that 👍🏽
I'm assuming you're a Japanese. Which one do you prefer though, Tourists or the Yakuza?
Fascinating
How are tourists related to the organized crime?
@@corruptpixel8441 more tourists forces the government to clean up its act an order to save face.
15:30
It is because the pinky finger is like the base finger (it don't know what to call it) to hold a katana. So if you have lost your pinky finger, it is like you can't hold the katana in a right way anymore.
I mean, not too surprising. Pinky fingers are actually really important for holding most things. Its really wild how just losing a small thing can affect you so much.
They didn't fall
they simply upgrade to corporate companies
CORRECT
20:05 the look on his face reads. "next question please"
Don Takegaki got that big pimpin' style. I wish they interviewed him longer. He seemed like a more interesting guy then the other low level thugs.
the second guy was interesting too. imo but osaka was kinda staged.
yeah we only want high level thugs
@@lolmanboss Well yeah, the thug isn't gonna talk smack about the organization while all his buddies and his boss are there lmfao. Still, it's an interesting perspective into how they think
This interviewer is the best if seen on vice.He made this story so interesting and made the interviewy's at ease.That's talent that can't be taught.Wow.
It's scary you could actually hear kids playing in the background while having intense conversation like that.
The way the yakuza member instantly put up the lighter for the boss was badass…
Mahmood is one of the most exciting journalists to come out of Australia ever.
I thought his questions were quite bland actually, they felt like a sleepover quiz tbh
@@wickedmk4653 I meant as a personality. Developing those skills really only comes with practice.
Boris mihailovic is also right up there if you have any interest in motorcycles and the culture surrounding them.
He's from the down under where the women glow and the men plunder
Shout out to your boy wearing the long sleeve romper shorts with stars on it.
That's true gangsterism. So hard that homie can rock pajamas at a gang hangout and nobody says shit.
@@hal900x The Yakuza are known to be flamboyant! On the contrary, in American hoods the LEAST fashionable guy is the one to worry about 😂
I love this interviewer and his calm, soothing delivery. You know he’s done some straight unthinkable acts, yet he’s turned it around and is now asking all the tough questions. “The ones who get their hands dirty and are often left with nothing” Bob Dylan said it best “it may be the devil or it may be the lord, but you’re going to have to serve somebody.” Bravo vice
I lived in Japan for six years. The Yakuza aren’t falling. They’re evolving with the times now. Most no longer sport tattoos and the cutting of fingers is something that’s almost gone so they’re harder to detect.
Oh bro , ewwwww
I've only been to Japan once, and I couldn't explain it at the time, only feel it, but i could definitely tell some shit happens when the sun went down in Osaka. I never felt unsafe, but idk i could just tell it was grimey in the way that something else was happening behind the curtains. Very different vibe than Kyoto or even Tokyo.
Omg I felt the same! I couldn't pinpoint at the moment what is was. But you explained it well.
@@ArYaMdI thank you, glad i'm not the only one :p
What exactly made Osaka stand out compared to Kyoto and Tokyo?
@@gpl992 As someone who like to go to Osaka, and this is my personal opinion, I just felt the place is more.. wild. Tokyo people seems.. reserved, timid, and the ppl in Osaka just seem more outgoing, lively, might even considered rude to people in Tokyo. I actually met an Osaka native who even call the ppl in Tokyo stuck up, this is the general vibe I'm getting.
@@Billynasty5 sound bit gernalizing . That's how like people from texas saying NYC is stuck up
I've seen the numbers have decline again now the Yakuza only has approximately 28,200 active Yakuza members their really struggeling to find new blood in these modern times and it seems living in Japan during the Yakuza's pride would have been really scary knowing that there were Yakuza members everywhere and violence was all around especially during the Yama-Ichi War from 1985-89.
I personally have a though as ever since the Yama Ichi war and the increasing police activity the Yakuza started to lose themselves lose their code of honor losed foresight on why they exists. And they only care about money which corrupted them and violence since its the only thing they've ever know.
yeah but for the most part in their prime they wouldn't attack civilians under normal circumstances, though obviously there were exceptions or people who didn't follow the rules
@@designate_om Yeah i had an though that the Yakuza started to lose their ideology and code over the years as things changed.
I liked this video a lot! This was extremely well put together.
I liked the different aspects you hit, being the old Yakuza that have a different outlook on the new Yakuza and the new Yakuza and what their outlook is 🤷♂️ Extremely cool 😎
I think the New School kind of started to relax a bit once you had mentioned that you were in a serious gang war in your days. That was a good play.
This video is a 10/10, all day long! 🙌
Beautiful film. Well done. Sensitive. Compassionate. Great cinematography. Loved it..! ;)
16:56 “The whole thing” right eye twitches and drifts off into a distant bad memory.
Classic Vice
He was crying inside... the poor man.
Learned about Yakuza through the story of Junko Furuta. The name alone is enough to make my blood boil.
OH NO I REMEMBER THAT
Very sad and upsetting story RIP Junko
Ohhh i do remember that painful story
Damn I just looked that up and damn ,
I hate being reminded of that
Love how no matter how hard you are you always respect the elderly 22:00
Great documentary! Would love to know what is the background song from 24:50 onwards? It adds an enchanting atmosphere to the conclusion of this inspiring work of art 🙏
Found it, for anyone interested: Elysian Fields - Bob Bradley. Amazing piece of music!
Thanks for great content again vice.
The reasons for joining and staying in Yakuza -- something greater than oneself (honour of organization), sense of belonging and deep human relationships in fast paced, volatile environment -- is so consistent around the world.
This is simply a basic human condition.
I encourage anyone interested to see the work of Deeyah Khan.
This could turn into a series. "ALL Criminal Organizations Doc." something like that.....
They did that a long time ago. It’s called gangland
@@xDTHxRDx is on vice???
th-cam.com/video/Ci7OPTX1iNM/w-d-xo.html
@Jake Pebo of course. 700k in stocks.
Thats is STONKS.
There is no better feeling than being with a group of like minded individuals. No matter the set
Monkey horde mindset
@@faizalf119 were you or your parents been a vicitim of yakuza ?
The base of any organisation be it good or bad.
I can feel Koyama is a sweet and soft person. Love his calmness, honesty and his hospitality.
Hope he can live well through his present life.