Yakuza have made numerous celluloid appearances, most recently in Takeshi Kitano's movie Brother. Estimates show pachinko, a pinball-like game that's a thin veil for gambling, produces annual profits of 20 trillion yen. Bevacqua was also surprised that the Hamagin report did not show an even greater influence for yakuza. The Japanese government approach is that vice will always exist. Better for it to be organized than unorganized.
Yakuza are very much part of everyday life.
They dominate the bar and entertainment industries. Around 1990, at the height of Japan's bubble economy, they got heavily involved in property development. Some experts believe Japanese bankers resist calling in bad loans because they were made to yakuza. A vast amount of bad bank debts is one of the country's biggest problems, but bankers have been intimidated and even killed for calling in mob-related obligations. Japan also has a tradition of corporate racketeers, the sokaiya, who hold companies to ransom.