A New Life: Discussing life experiences in and out of the yakuza
Wed 02 Nov
|Online Event
Ex-members and researchers discuss reasons for joining the yakuza, the difficulties of living within the organisation, and the troubles ex-members face when starting a new life. With Dr Hirosue Noboru (researcher), Shindo Tatsuya (ex-yakuza, pastor), and Yoshioka Mikio (ex-yakuza, evangelist).
Date & Location
02 Nov 2022, 10:00 GMT
Online Event
Description
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
The Japanese crime syndicates collectively known as the yakuza have their origins in the 17th century. After WWII, and in particular during the 1980s, the yakuza thrived enormously: counting tens of thousands of members, they were deeply embedded within Japanese society and directly involved with economy and politics. However, increasingly harsh regulations against the yakuza, coupled with a long and severe economic crisis, have affected many of the yakuza’s legal activities.
Today, yakuza members are reduced to fewer than 25,000 – a historic low – and this downward trend is set to continue. Infamous for their flamboyant style, the yakuza have virtually disappeared from the urban spaces they formerly occupied, and are also now scarcely involved in political scandals.
Streamed live from Nagoya, Japan, this talk will explore what it means to be a member of the yakuza today, and the changing role of the yakuza within Japanese society.…