Members of the Japanese Yakuza Crime Syndikat, which was arrested too close to the library because of the company office

Published on
20/05/2025 – 15:44 GMT+2

Members of the second largest family of Japan within his syndicate of the organized crime are the law on the law-but not in a way that most people outside of Japan would expect.

Four members of the Sumiyoshi-Kai-Union, part of the notorious Yakuza Japan, were arrested in Tokyo because they suspected that they had “conspired” to operate an office 90 meters from a public library.

According to Japanese zoning laws, Yakuza offices have to be placed outside a 200-meter radius of schools, libraries and other educational institutions.

It may seem unusual that the offices of syndicates for organized crime are subject to the regulations of urban planning, but in Japan it is not illegal to operate or to be a member of a registered syndicate.

However, syndicates that benefit from the influence of the gang are monitored by the authorities, including security commissions of prefecture and the national police authority.

There are currently 25 Shitei Boryokudan (“particularly harmful groups”) in Japan, but in contrast to recognized terrorist groups, Shitei Boryokudan can operate more or less outdoors – provided they do not carry out any criminal activities such as hair.

In a country that is known for its order and strict compliance with the rules, it may seem strange that criminal groups are tolerated in this way. However, this practice goes to 1991 and the Boryokudan countermeasures known in Japan as Botaiho against Boryokudan.

Before the law has been adopted, violent struggles among the country's many crime groups tend to flow into the public.

In addition, the growing participation of crime groups in legitimate companies such as real estate was increasingly concerned.

Botaiho was set up to keep the activities of these groups closer leash by partially transforming them into semi-legitimate organizations.

The direct prohibition of Yakuza groups was not an option because it was considered anchored in the constitution as a violation of her right to freedom of assembly. Instead, the authorities legitimized them so that the police could keep an eye on them at any time.

The Yakuza is known for its strict hierarchies and honor codes and participates from blackmail and money laundering to drug trafficking and sex trade.

The National Police Agency (NPA) even lists the business addresses of some Yakuza organizations on their official website.

For example, the main office of the Sumiyoshi-Kai is located in the Akasaka district in Tokyo, not far from the parliament building.

During the heyday of the 1960s of the 1960s, the group operated internationally and, according to NPA, boasted more than 184,000 members.

But their numbers have decreased steadily over the years after a number of police proceedings against their activities.

Although they can still exist legally, the gangsters have made it more difficult to survive the regulations after it became illegal to recruit Yakuza members or share profits with them.

In 2024, the number of members of criminal organizations fell to around 18,000 to around 18,000 for the first time, according to police officers.

In the capital Tokyo, it is also prohibited in Yakuza offices to operate within 200 meters of schools, children's aid centers, community halls, museums, probationists and courts.