Tokyo Yakuza Arrests Highlight Strict Gang Laws

The yakuza's decline is also attributed to the rise of "tokuryu," unorganized crime groups hired via social media, which have become a serious concern for police.

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Four men, aged 55 to 77, were arrested in Tokyo for operating a yakuza office too close to a library, sparking interest in the city’s strict regulations on organized crime. The suspects “conspired” to run the office from June 2024 to February 2025, despite being within a 200-meter radius of a library, according to police.

The oldest suspect, 77, was a member of the Sumiyoshi-kai organized crime syndicate, one of Japan’s largest yakuza groups. Known for their strict hierarchies and honor codes, yakuza groups engage in various illicit activities, including extortion, money laundering, and human trafficking.

Tokyo has strict rules governing yakuza office locations, prohibiting them within 200 meters of schools, child welfare centers, community halls, museums, probation offices, family courts, and libraries. Businesses are also barred from hiring yakuza members or signing contracts that “encourage” their activities. These regulations have contributed to a decline in yakuza membership, which fell below 20,000 in 2024 to a record low of 18,800.

In April, Japan’s largest yakuza crime syndicate, the Yamaguchi-gumi, pledged to end its longstanding war with a rival faction after police stepped up surveillance and restricted their activities. Three senior members hand-delivered a letter to police, vowing to “end all internal fighting” and “never cause any trouble.” This move signals a potential shift in the yakuza’s operations, with groups increasingly making headlines for disbanding or pursuing law-abiding lives.

The yakuza’s decline is also attributed to the rise of “tokuryu,” unorganized crime groups hired via social media, which have become a serious concern for police. These groups often cooperate with yakuza, making investigations challenging. National Police chief Yasuhiro Tsuyuki urged police to tackle this problem and cooperate with authorities abroad.

Recent arrests, such as the case of a 39-year-old yakuza boss suspected of stealing Pokémon cards worth 252,000 yen, demonstrate the evolving nature of yakuza activities. As the yakuza landscape shifts, police are adapting their strategies to address new challenges and maintain public safety.

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