Core Identity

• Operate as family units called kumi
• Bind members through ritual and loyalty
• Mark commitment with traditional irezumi tattoos
• Visit shrines to reinforce shared identity

Command Chain

• Obey the oyabun as ultimate authority
• Route orders through the wakagashira underboss
• Task lieutenants with managing operations
• Make juniors prove loyalty during probation

Loyalty Code

• Maintain strict vertical obedience throughout ranks
• Govern relationships by honor and retribution
• Punish betrayal as the gravest offense
• Distribute profit upward through the hierarchy

Revenue Streams

• Generate ¥1.0 to ¥1.2 trillion yearly
• Disguise income behind legitimate businesses
• Exploit underground and digital economies
• Sustain wealth despite falling membership

Force Strength

• Field roughly 18,800 active members
• Note 6.7 percent decline since 2023
• Count 22 major groups plus affiliates
• Size each kumi from 20 to 200+

Strongholds

• Concentrate power across Kansai region
• Hold ground in Tokyo's Kanto area
• Maintain presence in Nagoya's Chubu
• Lead the Yamaguchi-Gumi at 6,800 members

Designation

• Carry sustained organized-crime status from police
• Track membership through National Police Agency
• Face continued legal pressure and monitoring
• Adapt structure to evade enforcement

Adaptation

• Leverage digital infrastructure for operations
• Build corporate fronts to launder profit
• Recruit fewer, more discreet younger members
• Shift away from visible traditional markers