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Homeless yakuza terrorize Tokyo parks
By Ryann Connell. Mainichi Newspapers. June 14, 2005
"Just recently, there's been a rapid increase in the number of former yakuza gangsters who've become homeless," a writer familiar with the scenario tells Shukan Jitsuwa. "And they're really aggressive, flashing their tattoos, scaring passers-by and lording over other homeless as they do whatever they like."
For many Japanese who associate the yakuza with wealth, even if it is the result of ill-gotten gains, the idea of a gangster living on the streets is close to unthinkable. But the number of homeless yakuza inhabiting parks and living under bridges is apparently skyrocketing, especially in central Tokyo.
"Nearly all of the homeless yakuza are guys who've just got out of prison to discover that the gang they had belonged to before doing time had broken up while they were behind bars," the writer says. "Without their gangs, the yakuza can't get by."
While it may be possible to take the boy out of organized crime, the behavior of some of the homeless yakuza suggests that it's not as easy to take the organized crime out of the boy.
A 61-year-old man living in a tent village in a Tokyo park says that he has to pay 2,000 yen to 3,000 yen a month in protection money to a homeless yakuza who has set himself up in the same park.
If you don't pay, the old man says, "he'll come around in the middle of the night and harass you, like throwing a bucket full of water over you while you sleep."
Another streetside dweller, this one 10 years older, is also experiencing difficulties in his park, which is currently undergoing a reign of terror thanks to a conflict between rival gangs of homeless yakuza.
"There are two tent villages in the park where I live, each of which is controlled by a different homeless yakuza. They both gather up all the young guys paying them protection money and make them fight each other all the time," the old man tells Shukan Jitsuwa. "When it comes to the flower-viewing season (in early spring), they have these huge battles over who's going to have the right to get paid by people to save a space for their company parties. The brawls they have are like the fight scenes in the old yakuza movies."
Other homeless yakuza are using the sly tricks they learned in their gangster trade to get by now.
"A yakuza I've known for some time rolled up to my store recently and said, 'Hey, I've got some pictures of couples going at it in the park. Buy 'em off me,'" an underground video producer says.
It seems the fallen gangster had landed on his feet in a park in Tokyo's Ueno district that also happens to be a favorite for amorous young couples. The weekly says the producer gave the yakuza a disposable camera that produced photos so good he was able to sell on the illicit market for as much as 5,000 yen apiece.
"I suppose (the yakuza's photographic ability) comes from being fearless. He took these amazing shots and he didn't even have a telephoto lens," the producer tells Shukan Jitsuwa. "You can see the guy's face, filled with surprise caused by the camera flash going off, as well as the girl who had been with him."
This post has been edited by Bluecat: 2005-06-14 18:27:23
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