LLCU 214 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Kabukimono, The Yakuza, Umbrella Term
19 May 2017
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Document Summary
Yakuza: umbrella term for all japanese criminal organization, at least 21 major groups with more than 53,000 members, yamaguchi-gumi (yamaguchi = last name, gumi = extended family) is largest group with billion in revenue. Japan as a band of robbers, plundering villages and small cities: kabuki-mono were generally samurai who were unemployed during long peaceful times. They were known for their ruthless behaviour and for terrorizing all their surrounding areas. They were also well known for stabbing people for pleasure. Kabuki-mono gave their groups scary names and spoke in vulgar slang. Machi-yakko: yakuza do not see kabuki-mono as their ancestors (because of the negative connotations involved with mono) instead they feel they are machi-yakko (city servants) even though they are more like. Kabuki-mono: machi-yakko became the peoples heroes, praised by citizens for help against kabuki-mono, machi-yakko were often weaker and far less trained than kabuki-mono, yakko born in 1612 to contrast arrogance and violence of the samurai.
