Quote:
Originally Posted by DonQuigleone
Yakuza are a lot more ingrained in Japan. They've been a part of Japanese society for centuries, and often operate semi openly, even going so far as having offices.
By contrast Triads and the Western Mafias are all secret societies to one degree or another, and generally are more recent developments where they're located, except perhaps for the Mafias in Sicily and Southern Italy.
Given that they're straddling the law, the Yakuza probably need to maintain discipline among their members more. It would be interesting to learn more from other people with a greater knowledge.
That said, all of them deal in much the same businesses, but from my perspective the Yakuza tend to specialise in somewhat "softer" crime, usually loansharking, illegal gambling, sex trade (including legal joints like Hostess clubs). While they do dabble in drugs, I don't think it's the mainstay of their business like it is for western Mafias.
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Here is the interesting part, the conservative Yakuzas clans(not all) despise narcotics and was the dam that stopped the import of opium into the Japanese society during the edo period because they saw first hand the devastating result of the drug and understood the repercussion to the economy which at the end will damage their own income. (A lot of Yakuza clans still holds this policy today)
They also were the vengeful force of retaliation as deterrent after the war acting as vigilantes against the US occupation troops that acted out when the police were useless against them (they also collected protection money from the shops and bars as well).
Presently they are the fixers of illegal organ transplants, illegal trash disposal, and human trafficking.