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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1997
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1992-09-02
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16 lines
Japanese `good for nothing' Japanese
gangster. Organized crime in Japan is highly
structured, and the various syndicates
between them employed some 110,000 people in
1989, with a turnover of an estimated 1.5
trillion yen. The yakuza are unofficially
tolerated and very powerful. Their main areas
of activity are prostitution, pornography,
sports, entertainment, and moneylending; they
have close links with the construction
industry and with some politicians. There is
considerable rivalry between gangs. Many
yakuza have one or more missing fingertips, a
self-inflicted ritual injury in atonement for
an error.