Who was Yoshinori Watanabe?
Yoshinori Watanabe (渡辺 芳則, Watanabe Yoshinori, January 5, 1941 – December 1, 2012) was a yakuza, the fifth kumicho (chairman or Godfather) of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan’s largest yakuza organization. He became kumicho in 1989.
Who is the current head of the yakuza?
Kenichi Shinoda
Kenichi Shinoda (篠田 建市, Shinoda Ken’ichi, born January 25, 1942), also known as Shinobu Tsukasa (司 忍, Tsukasa Shinobu), is a Japanese Yakuza, the sixth and current kumicho (supreme kingpin, or chairman) of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan’s largest yakuza organization.
Do yakuza get married?
In her thesis, criminology academic Rie Alkemade, points out: “Unlike Western mafia wives, Yakuza wives remain outside the sphere of criminal activity in this organised crime structure, remaining in the passive emotionally and financially supportive role.” Love and pride are recurrent themes in the series.
What is the biggest yakuza family?
The Yamaguchi-gumi
The Yamaguchi-gumi is the largest yakuza family, with about 8,200 members. The Sumiyoshi-kai is the second-largest yakuza family, with 4,200 members.
What does Oyabun mean?
boss
yakuza is known as the oyabun (“boss”; literally “parent status”), and the followers are known as kobun (“protégés,” or “apprentices”; literally “child status”). The rigid hierarchy and discipline are usually matched by a right-wing ultranationalistic ideology.
Can a woman join the yakuza?
The Yakuza is populated almost entirely by men and the very few women who are acknowledged are the wives of bosses, who are referred to by the title ane-san (姐さん, older sister).
How is the Yakuza structured?
A Yakuza family has a structure superficially similar to a Mafia family. A single patriarch (kumicho) rules the clan. Each member of the clan may play both the oyabun and the kobun roles, acting as a subordinate to the Yakuza immediately above him and as a boss to the gangsters below him.