Yakuza

The Yakuza are organized crime units (often called Families or Clans) that originated in old Japan. They are known as the Japanese Mafia, and tend to be openly operating crime organizations that assert themselves as legitimate members of their community. They often operate crime rackets and participate in crime syndicates, and do everything from organized petty theft to rigging elections, smuggling and murder.

Yakuza on Ousho
The Yakuza began to arrive and open operations in Ousho City during the early 24th century. They were likely amongst the first few hundred non-Corporate settlers. The first family quickly established itself in the money-oriented businesses, and established the first insurance agencies as a legitimate front company.

In the current era, three of the four Yakuza groups operate legal, fully functional front companies. These anchor them to the community and the city at large by providing some kind of service (like insurance or shipping). These front companies tend to have synergy with the family's overall criminal aims, illegal businesses and familial philosophies.

Ousho Yakuza are prone to wearing their bladed weaponry openly in the lesser policed areas, and even within the moderately policed ones. The Weapons Act of 2406 was originally intended to permit them to legally carry these status symbols legally, but the move backfired. They wear them anyway, as Corporate Police wouldn't dare accost them unless they attempted to enter District A with them. As firearms and ammunition are difficult to obtain on Ousho and are heavily laid down upon by the Police, even the well-armed Toyamoto with their ARX160 Carbines prefer to carry a blade. It's a visible, pseudo-legal status symbol that prevents would-be evil doers from accosting the gangster, and serves as a weapon far longer than the short blades and tasers common crooks and citizens have easier access to.

The Four
There are four (known and or major) Yakuza groups in the city. They are:


 * Toyamoto, the oldest, wealthiest and likely best connected family. They favor discipline, "clean" businesses involving money and money handing (illegal or otherwise) and are patrons of higher cultural pursuits.  They are stereotyped by sharp dress and a cool, reserved demeanor.
 * Kumo, the second oldest group. Once culled by the Toyamoto for their decadent ways, they are now subservient to them.  They favor the fighting arts, and patronize dojos and martial arts venues city-wide.  They are stereotyped by street "punk" fashion and an energetic, dominate demeanor.
 * Shinotei, a small, relatively new family that deals in smuggling and information gathering. They operate their own small shipping company, which is held in employ by The Corporation on a regular basis.  They are stereotyped by an elusive demeanor and a very mainstream fashion sense.
 * Watosabi, a recently revealed group that seems to be only loosely organized and highly diversified (disorganized) in their dealings. No known legal fronts, but known to deal in drugs, whores and kidnappings.  It is the only one that recruits Gaijin - often by "assimilating" small gangs.  It does not deal with the other families and does not attend official summons.  It is considered Yakuza by the public and the police only - the other clans do not recognize it as such.

General Organization
While each family may have a slightly different way of organizing themselves (on this world or on others) to fit their environment, there tends to be a measure of standard practice. In terms of "pecking order", as it were:


 * Yakuza Boss, who leads the whole family.
 * Yakuza Advisory Counsel, who's job is to advise the boss and provide expert input and analysis.
 * Yakuza Hatamoto, who guard the boss and are the only ones outside the Counsel allowed armed near him.
 * Yakuza Cell Leaders, who run "cells" - groups of individual Yakuza typically dedicated to an area of clan turf. Synonymous with "gang", they operate anywhere from 3 to several dozen members.  This is the basic level of organization in the modern Yakuza.
 * Big Brothers, who are senior members of the Yakuza. All Cell Leaders and Clan Leaders are Big Brothers.
 * Little Brothers, the most common member of the Yakuza.
 * Associates, who are non-Yakuza people kept on a regular payroll or contract.

The Oyabun/Kobun system has been abandoned in all but the most seriously conservative clans for several decades. Instead, the head of the Clan gives sake to leaders of his cells, and cell leaders give sake to the men under his command. No one but the headman of the Clan or the leaders of cells can gift sake to grant rank. This is to better control loyalties and the size of the official family.

General Culture
There isn't any real guide on how to be Yakuza; it's more of an attitude than anything else. There are, however, some general practices that seem to span most if not all those called Yakuza. They have individual self respect in that they avoid depravity, a respect for the Clan's edicts and hierarchy, a tendency to avoid very "underhanded" approaches to a problem, absolute loyalty to the Clan's leader and a deep respect for the fighting arts.

During the Neo-Imperialist era, many major Yakuza families, like the military, legit corporations and the government adopted Bushido. Like the others, the whole of Bushido was adapted to suit their individual practices, but the core remained. As the Yakuza were essentially gangsters, an authoritarian code that enforced respect for a rigid hierarchy was important, especially one that encouraged heedless loyalty and skilled ferocity in all forms of conflict. The finer points of Bushido, the respect for the peacetime arts and filial piety, are much more respected than within Government or Corporate Bushido practices. Exactly how these outlying concepts are valued varies greatly.

Body tattooing, traditionally associated with the Yakuza since the 19th and 20th centuries, has fallen in and out of favor over the centuries. In the modern age, it is generally out of favor, as it marks an individual as Yakuza and makes it difficult to bypass anti-gang laws. Certainly, LCD and BioPulse style tattoos are even less accepted, as they cannot be applied with traditional tools.

Different clans impose certain dress codes, which typically require their members to be respectably dressed. Suits, ties and things of that nature for business and public attire. Many clans are fond of carrying swagger sticks or canes with them, which has spread into certain counter cultures on Ousho. Some hairstyles are associated with Yakuza, but this has fallen out of favor in all but the most liberal of clans. Yakuza clan members also tend to announce themselves differently from others. In modern Japanese society, one's given name precedes their surname. In Yakuza culture, this is the other way around, and your surname is your clan (as you break all ties to your former family upon becoming a Little Brother). Thus, a Toyamoto member named Yoshi introduces himself as Toyamoto Yoshi, instead of Yoshi Toyamoto or Yoshi Soneguru (as was his original name).

The practice of yubitsume continues, as a penance for slights not serious enough to warrant seppuku. Contrary to popular belief, it is not required of new members; thus, Yakuza missing parts of their fingers have done some ill to the clan in the past; those missing large portions or even whole fingers may well be continual screw ups.

The respect and practice of martial arts (especially traditional Japanese arts) is very important to the Yakuza organizations as a whole. It develops a strong character and discourages a personality that backs down before defeat. It also teaches you how to kill someone who's determined not to die, which comes in handy when firearms cannot be used to commit some crime or when they are not available. It also connects them to their ancient Japanese past and their more recently assumed role as the successors of the old Samurai class.

The wearing of swords appears to have spread during the Neo-Imperial period, when the Neo-IJA began distributing them as sidearms and badges of rank much like they did in the Second Word War. For a while, Little Brother were associated with the sword sword, while the Big Brothers wore the longer ones; both were worn together with family headmen and hatamoto. This tradition has fallen out of favor in most areas. On Ousho, members in general wear the long sword while "big brothers" and above wear them both.

Yakuza swords tend to be well crafted (often within the family) and mounted in the traditional style. Several families throughout the Colonial Sphere retain notable craftsmen for their services, and often patronize schools of swordsmithing. When in formal kimono, the swords are worn edge up in the obi, but in casual, formal or combat wear they are attached to a special suspension ring, hung from a belt and shoulder harness, much like military gunto.

Yakuza in Ousho's Popular Culture
The Yakuza have some influence on popular culture. Martial arts, a measure of Bushido and various fashion associates ring home with certain demographics. Punkish youths, typically rather discordant, devote themselves in some measure to some martial art (or more commonly, a martial sport as true martial arts are quite generally illegal in Ousho City). Ownership of swords (illegal) and even the public wearing (often concealed, both of which are illegal) in less patrolled or unpatrolled areas is favored by some youths, especially those who find themselves involved in some manner of violent contact. The adoption of fashion trends, like the sharp dress of the Toyamoto or the functional "combat wear" of the Kuma work their way into the "counterculture". Yakuza-styled tattoos are also popular amongst the youth. The families generally ignore the general population's attempt at visually impersonating them, but do not permit tattoo parlors to provide authentic style Yakuza tattoos. The families hope that the general population seeking to emulate them would take after the Bushido aspects of loyalty to others, honor and self respect, but those are much harder and less visibly striking to stick.