Becoming a Yakuza is a hard choice from the start. But you wonder how to get into the Japanese mafia, the Yakuza, probably after watching some anime or playing the Yakuza game. Or a movie depicting the honor code of the members. But first of all let me advise you against this choice of life. Just to feel a little better with myself before you hit the high ranks of Japanese organized crime. Now if you have decided to follow this path of life, you can get into the minor leagues of the Yakuza Syndicates. Meanwhile, there is no school in Japan to become a member. But you could get into the groups Yakuza traditional drafts their new members from.
Become a Yakuza as a Bosozoku biker
Bosozoku in Japan is always associated with a customized motorbike subculture. The popularity of this tribe peaked at more than 40.000 members in the 80’s. Members get into these gangs way in their teens. Most of the school dropped out. Some of the most popular gangs have gathered more than 100 bikers usually riding together though dense traffic highways or going down the hills mostly in Tokyo, Chiba, Ibaraki and Aichi prefecture. New Year’s Eve was a famous time for them to show their max power in big parades.
They are commonly associated with the customized motorbikes in an illegal fashion. Offering to remove the mufflers to make them roar with huge noise. Squeezing handle bars inside. Flags with the Gang insignia on the rear of the bikes. Adding a multiple trumpet horn. And loud paint schemes including the Rising Sun Flag in the design.
Most of the top members or leaders of the gangs have ended in the line of Yakuza families. They have adopted a system of rules, codes and punishment in a way inspired by the Yakuza. And even a membership fee sometimes. At their peak maybe a third of the Yakuza came from the biker gangs. Still active these days, Police and maybe even Subculture fashion have seen a decline in the groups. And by 2015 the active members were around 6.000 all over Japan.
Become a Yakuza as a Bancho leader
Popular still these days in manga and anime, the Bancho term describes the leader of juvenile delinquents. More oftenly school groups took the name of their institution in order to fight other schools. And make a name for themselves in the area. And usually ends in the line of a Bosozoku or drafted right from school by a Yakuza. Today you can see it more often in manga than in real life. But still the school bands are a thing and the fights sometimes break out the other way pacific Japanese school life.
Sukeban is the female correlative term for mostly all girls school. The look of the long skirts and adding kanjis to the school uniform is a classic among video games and anime as well. If you want to read the best manga about Bancho and Sukeban try to check Rokudenashi Blues.
Burakumin: the non-human people of Japan
Usually described as non-human, the term is actually more about the loss of humanity in its origin. A highly pejorative term that has existed for centuries in Japan. But still these days the Burakumin are in the shadows of a highly developed Country that fights to associate this past with the present economy. The Burakumin are mostly descendants of families that in the past were dedicated to jobs rejected by society and religion alike. Some examples are executioners, slaughterhouses employed or tanners. Some of them have changed this status in today’s Japan. But one that is still associated with the Burakumin group is the undertaker. Or the workers in charge of preparing the dead body for mourning. You can have a good peek at this in the great picture Departures.
Social discrimination is still an issue and even in the past families conducted a background check of the future marriage. But this is against law these days. And most Burakumin have married non Burakumin partners. The discrimination is mostly around the Kansai area and Hiroshima these days. With the local and biggest Yakuza Syndicate in Japan, the Yamaguchi-gumi account for almost 70% of his members of Burakumin descendants.