Yakuza groups before and during WW2.

[Stalingrad]

Hi everyone, I'm working on a short story situated in an alternate 1936, however even if its alternate I'd like to understand a bit better about the organized crime in Japan before and during WW2.

I've read that these groups had few influence during the war as the military government was strict upon the population and they drafted people constantly for the military objectives of the country.

So I'd like to know which activities the Yakuza groups had in pre-WW2 Japan.
Thanks!

 

[Time Enough]

I don't know much about there pre-war activities but I know the Yakuza during the war mainly grew out of the black market trade during the War. Drugs is also a classic from before and during the war.

Also there were a number of Chinese Traid members and Korean mobsters mainly due to the poor conditions and discrimination that the Chinese and Korean communities faced in Japan. They mostly kept to there own people though.

 

[Stalingrad]

I don't know much about there pre-war activities but I know the Yakuza during the war mainly grew out of the black market trade during the War. Drugs is also a classic from before and during the war.

Also there were a number of Chinese Traid members and Korean mobsters mainly due to the poor conditions and discrimination that the Chinese and Korean communities faced in Japan. They mostly kept to there own people though.

Thanks!

Yeah, I started research about Drug trade in WW2 and dang, I was quite surprised to find out that it was pretty much massive in Manchuria.
Also I didn't know that Japan had something similar to the German pervitin.

So there were also Chinese and Korean mobs in Japan?

 

[Time Enough]

Thanks!

Yeah, I started research about Drug trade in WW2 and dang, I was quite surprised to find out that it was pretty much massive in Manchuria.
Also I didn't know that Japan had something similar to the German pervitin.

So there were also Chinese and Korean mobs in Japan?

Yeah but they weren't massive, I would compare it to the Italian and Irish Mobs in America.

The Chinese were like the Italians (but less powerful), they operated based on the Triad systems in China and mainly operated in there own sections of Japan (Japan has Chinatowns). I know that Triads have worked quite a bit with the Yakuza after WW2 and get the feeling that before the War they probably did the same.

The Korean mobs were like Irish, not really a coherent organisation and more like a group of businessmen who operate in an illegal fashion (especially in the Black Market during the War). Koreans would join Yakuza similar to how Jews and Irish would often join the Mafia.

I also know that after WW2 a number of small Thai organisations sprang up. Nearly all of these organisations though work with the Yakuza in some way mainly due to the fact that the Yakuza in Japan have the most power.

Also I forgot to mention that outside of Japan the Japanese army would often operate like Criminal organisations during the occupations (it didn't help that the Japanese army often contained poor working class or Yakuza themselves)

 

[Stalingrad]

Yeah but they weren't massive, I would compare it to the Italian and Irish Mobs in America.

The Chinese were like the Italians (but less powerful), they operated based on the Triad systems in China and mainly operated in there own sections of Japan (Japan has Chinatowns). I know that Triads have worked quite a bit with the Yakuza after WW2 and get the feeling that before the War they probably did the same.

The Korean mobs were like Irish, not really a coherent organisation and more like a group of businessmen who operate in an illegal fashion (especially in the Black Market during the War). Koreans would join Yakuza similar to how Jews and Irish would often join the Mafia.

I also know that after WW2 a number of small Thai organisations sprang up. Nearly all of these organisations though work with the Yakuza in some way mainly due to the fact that the Yakuza in Japan have the most power.

Also I forgot to mention that outside of Japan the Japanese army would often operate like Criminal organisations during the occupations (it didn't help that the Japanese army often contained poor working class or Yakuza themselves)

This is quite interesting to read, do you have any book/article that you recommend me to study more about it?

Once again, thanks.


And would the Japanese army cooperate with the Yakuza?

 

[Max Sinister]

Today, there are very few Koreans and Chinese in Japan, less than 1%. Did they decide to leave after 1945 (which I can understand)?

 

[Cryptic]

Today, there are very few Koreans and Chinese in Japan, less than 1%. Did they decide to leave after 1945 (which I can understand)?

Some Koreans left on their own accord, others were forced to leave by the allied administration, and others stayed voluntarily.

My general impression is that a majority of Koreans in Japan were willing to stay even after varying level of mistreatment ranging from coerced labor "contracts" to social isolation / discrimination and Japan's defeat. The end of Japanese colonial rule in Korea came with a lot of disruption of basic goods and services and led to a lot of social breakdown. Add to that the growing north verse south tensions and many Koreans in Japan were reluctant to return home. Some, however, did return and others were forced.

The defeat of Japan did lead to some relatively minor "score settling" from the Korean population against Japanese. Even minor disturbances or looting, however, stood out in law and order Japan and was seen as a stability problem by the allied administration. This caught the attention of the allied administrators and anti Korean Japanese officials quickly learned that nothing brought a response faster from the allies than claiming that the Korean population was loaded with reds talking about communist revolutions. The result, was the pre-emptive forced repatriation of a good number of Koreans.

 

[Time Enough]

This is quite interesting to read, do you have any book/article that you recommend me to study more about it?

Once again, thanks.


And would the Japanese army cooperate with the Yakuza?

Sorry I don't have articles or books that spring to mind, I'm sure if you look around on the Internet you'll find some.

To your last question it was kind of the other way around, more traditional clans advocated that there members join the war effort. The Yakuza despite being a criminal organisation can often be nationalistic depending on the Clan.