# Chapter II. Promotion of Measures against Organized Crimes

### Section 1. Measures against Boryokudans

### 1. Boryokudan Situation

Recently Boryokudans are attempting to make headway undertaking various businesses such as the construction industry, financial business, waste disposal industry and securities markets, supplementing their traditional fields of interest such as fund acquisition activities, violent interventions in civil affairs, and violence against the government administrations. Boryokudans are concealing the true nature of their organizations and utilizing those living in coexistence with Boryokudans $ ^{1} $ , activating fund acquisition activities in society as a whole.

Boryokudans conduct various fund acquisition activities corresponding to changes in their socioeconomic circumstances. Recently, many have acquired funds by intervening in public work projects or have committed fraud by misuse of public benefit mechanisms and other systems.

Furthermore, the number of brutal crimes using guns committed by Boryokudans in busy streets or residential intersections has not decreased. These crimes continue to seriously threaten society.

The police are doubling efforts against these problems and conducting thorough crackdowns on Boryokudan-related crime while paying attention to the changes in socioeconomic situation. The police are promoting the effective operation of the Act on Prevention of Unjust Conduct by Organized Crime Group Members (hereafter referred to as The Anti-Boryokudan Act) and Boryokudan elimination activities

## (1) Trends in Regular and Associate Boryokudan Membership

The total number of regular and associated Boryokudan members $ ^{2} $ (hereafter referred to as “Boryokudan Members”) are shown in Diagram 2-1. The total count gradually increased between 1996 and 2004, but decreased in 2008 following 2007.

In 2009, although the aggregate number of regular and associated members within the big three organizations of Yamaguchi-gumi, Sumiyoshi-kai and Inagawa-kai decreased, the three still account for more than 70% of Japan's total Boryokudan members, signifying that these three groups continue to hold an oligarchy over organized crime. Furthermore, the associated and regular members of the Yamaguchi-gumi alone made up 45.0% $ ^{3} $ of the total number of Boryokudan members, which indicates the prominence of Yamaguchi-gumi.

Note 1: The existence of individuals or groups who provide funds, support fund acquisition activities or are associated with Boryokudans. They are, as it were, living in coexistence with Boryokudans who attempt to expand their own interests by utilizing Boryokudans' power and fund concealing relations with Boryokudans.

2: Associated Members are those who are not necessarily members of a Boryokudan, but have a relationship with a Bokryokudan and attempt unlawful and violent actions with the power of the Boryokudan behind them or those who cooperate with and support the activities of Boryokudans by supplying funds, weapons, etc. or are associated with Boryokudans or Boryokudan members.

3: The associated and regular members of the Yamaguchi-gumi account for 49.2% of all the Boryokudan members.