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Japan's mafia among the first to organise and deliver aid

Iisterry

By Iisterry,
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Iisterry

Iisterry

3rd Gear

TOKYO: The worst of times sometimes brings out the best in people - even in Japan's mafia, the yakuza.

 

The Daily Beast news website said that hours after the first shock waves hit, two of the largest crime groups went into action, opening their offices to those stranded in Tokyo and shipping food, water and blankets to the devastated areas.

 

The website reported that the day after the earthquake, the Inagawa-kai (the third-largest organised crime group in Japan) sent 25 trucks filled with paper diapers, instant ramen, batteries, torches, drinks and other essentials to the Tohoku region.

 

The Daily Beast said an executive in Sumiyoshi-kai, the second-largest crime group, even offered refuge to members of the foreign community - something unheard-of in a still slightly xenophobic nation, especially among the right-wing yakuza, the website said.

 

The Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan's largest crime group, has also opened its offices across the country to the public and has been sending truckloads of supplies, but very quietly and without any fanfare, the website said.

 

The Inagawa-kai has been the most active because it has strong roots in the areas hit. Between midnight on March 12 and the early morning of March 13, the Inagawa-kai Tokyo block carried 50 tonnes of supplies to Hitachinaka City Hall, careful not to mention their yakuza affiliation so that the donations would not be rejected.

 

The Daily Beast said the Kanagawa block of the Inagawa-kai has sent 70 trucks to the Ibaraki and Fukushima areas to drop off supplies in areas with high radiation levels - with yakuza members going in without any protection or potassium iodide.

 

The Yamaguchi-gumi member The Daily Beast spoke with said simply: 'Please don't say any more than we are doing our best to help. Right now, no one wants to be associated with us and we'd hate to have our donations rejected out of hand.'

 

But this is not the first time the yakuza have displayed a humanitarian impulse. In 1995, after the Kobe earthquake, the Yamaguchi-gumi was one of the most responsive forces on the ground, quickly getting supplies to the affected areas and distributing them to the local people.

 

The Daily Beast said that, admittedly, much of those supplies were paid for with money from years of shaking down the people in the area, and that the yakuza are certainly not unaware of the public relations factor.

 

The Daily Beast added it may seem puzzling that organised crime groups, deriving their principal revenue streams from activities such as collecting protection money, blackmail, extortion and fraud, would have any civic nature at all.

 

However, said the website, in Japan they play a role in keeping the peace and may actually keep street crime (mugging, purse-snatching and theft) down. Many Japanese admire or tolerate them.

 

As one member told The Daily Beast, 'There are no yakuza or katagi (ordinary citizens) or gaijin (foreigners) right now. We are all Japanese. We all need to help each other.'

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Vega

Vega

Turbocharged

wow. imagine our local SS do the same in time of crisis. dont know our govt will catch them or not......ha.....

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Ahtong

Ahtong

1st Gear
(edited)

If you are a romantic, there is honour among thieves.

 

If you are cynical, they are just protecting their source of revenue.

Edited by Ahtong
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Konken

Konken

Clutched

wow. imagine our local SS do the same in time of crisis. dont know our govt will catch them or not......ha.....

 

What you expect those gin nah can do? They probably start looting shops instead [knife]

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Iisterry

Iisterry

3rd Gear
  • Author
(edited)

South Korean comfort women stop protest to pray for Japan

 

phplT2sdz.jpg

 

SEOUL: South Korean comfort women during World War II halted their weekly protests outside the Japanese embassy in central Seoul on Wednesday, to pray for the victims of Japan's quake and tsunami.

 

The women have been gathering outside the embassy every Wednesday for the past 19 years, shouting chants and demanding an apology from Japan for forcing them to work as sex slaves for Japanese troops during World War II.

 

However, this week they abandoned their angry emotions and chanted "be brave", as they held a short prayer session for the victims of Japan's disaster.

 

There were about 200 of them when they first went public in 1992, but only a handful are left to continue their demonstrations.

 

This is the second time the group has called off the demonstration; the first being the Kobe earthquake in 1995, when a similar tribute was made to the victims.

 

"We hate the sins they have committed. But we don't hate the people. We really wish for them to recover quickly and get well soon," said Ms Lee Yong Su, a former comfort woman.

 

In other parts of Seoul, various fundraising campaigns are underway, with reports saying more than 40,000 South Koreans have made donations to different fundraising organisations for Japan.

 

South Koreans have donated more than US$700,000 so far - as part of a nationwide campaign.

 

The donations - from ordinary Koreans - will be handed over to charity groups in Japan for relief activities.

 

- CNA/cc

Edited by Iisterry
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Sgnick

Sgnick

1st Gear

They collected the protection money liao, so now lan lan have to "protect". No difference from insurance companies. Nvm, now help liao, next year the yakuzas can raise premiums...I mean protection fees.

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Kyrios

Kyrios

Turbocharged

They collected the protection money liao, so now lan lan have to "protect". No difference from insurance companies. Nvm, now help liao, next year the yakuzas can raise premiums...I mean protection fees.

 

I believe they are sincere... [angel]

 

Watched Tokyo Drift?

 

 

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Tigerwoods

Tigerwoods

Turbocharged

TOKYO: The worst of times sometimes brings out the best in people - even in Japan's mafia, the yakuza.

 

The Daily Beast news website said that hours after the first shock waves hit, two of the largest crime groups went into action, opening their offices to those stranded in Tokyo and shipping food, water and blankets to the devastated areas.

 

The website reported that the day after the earthquake, the Inagawa-kai (the third-largest organised crime group in Japan) sent 25 trucks filled with paper diapers, instant ramen, batteries, torches, drinks and other essentials to the Tohoku region.

 

The Daily Beast said an executive in Sumiyoshi-kai, the second-largest crime group, even offered refuge to members of the foreign community - something unheard-of in a still slightly xenophobic nation, especially among the right-wing yakuza, the website said.

 

The Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan's largest crime group, has also opened its offices across the country to the public and has been sending truckloads of supplies, but very quietly and without any fanfare, the website said.

 

The Inagawa-kai has been the most active because it has strong roots in the areas hit. Between midnight on March 12 and the early morning of March 13, the Inagawa-kai Tokyo block carried 50 tonnes of supplies to Hitachinaka City Hall, careful not to mention their yakuza affiliation so that the donations would not be rejected.

 

The Daily Beast said the Kanagawa block of the Inagawa-kai has sent 70 trucks to the Ibaraki and Fukushima areas to drop off supplies in areas with high radiation levels - with yakuza members going in without any protection or potassium iodide.

 

The Yamaguchi-gumi member The Daily Beast spoke with said simply: 'Please don't say any more than we are doing our best to help. Right now, no one wants to be associated with us and we'd hate to have our donations rejected out of hand.'

 

But this is not the first time the yakuza have displayed a humanitarian impulse. In 1995, after the Kobe earthquake, the Yamaguchi-gumi was one of the most responsive forces on the ground, quickly getting supplies to the affected areas and distributing them to the local people.

 

The Daily Beast said that, admittedly, much of those supplies were paid for with money from years of shaking down the people in the area, and that the yakuza are certainly not unaware of the public relations factor.

 

The Daily Beast added it may seem puzzling that organised crime groups, deriving their principal revenue streams from activities such as collecting protection money, blackmail, extortion and fraud, would have any civic nature at all.

 

However, said the website, in Japan they play a role in keeping the peace and may actually keep street crime (mugging, purse-snatching and theft) down. Many Japanese admire or tolerate them.

 

As one member told The Daily Beast, 'There are no yakuza or katagi (ordinary citizens) or gaijin (foreigners) right now. We are all Japanese. We all need to help each other.'

You have to understand that Yakuza cannot exist without people around them.

Its the same for Casino is not afraid you win, they afraid you won't come.

 

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GLZT

GLZT

6th Gear

You have to understand that Yakuza cannot exist without people around them.

Its the same for Casino is not afraid you win, they afraid you won't come.

 

Even so, I think its pretty good that they are helping. Most other legal organization will also benefit with these affected people recovering quickly yet they are not really helping much.

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