Yakuza Empire: Organized Crime and Nationalism in Japan

Like ninjas and samurai, the yakuza have become one of the "business cards" of Japanese culture and society in the eyes of the rest of the world. Widely represented in literature and film, this phenomenon attracts and simultaneously raises the question: how can such an archaic and quasi-feudal structure survive in a democratic, industrially developed, and technologically advanced Japan? Pellietier's comparison with criminal organizations from other countries, particularly the Sicilian mafia, reveals common features but also highlights the specificity of the Japanese criminal underworld: its closeness to far-right ideologies and operations. Western researchers have long and thoroughly documented the activities of the yakuza, their hierarchy, rituals, and cultural codes (tattoos, clothing, etc.). However, the connection of the yakuza with the political world has not been studied in detail until now. This "uncomfortable" topic is addressed by Pellietier in his book, discussing both the history and the present day of organized crime in Japan.