yakuza

[ yah-koo-zah ]

noun

, plural ya·ku·za.

1. any of various tightly knit Japanese criminal organizations having a ritualistic, strict code of honor.
2. such organizations collectively.
3. a member of such an organization; gangster.

yakuza

/ jəˈkuːzə /

noun

1. the yakuza
   a Japanese criminal organization involved in illegal gambling, extortion, gun-running, etc
2. a member of this organization

Word History and Origins

Origin of yakuza¹

1960–65; < Japanese: racketeer, gambler, good-for-nothing, useless, from the name of a game in which the worst hand is of three cards marked ya eight, ku nine (< Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese jiǒu ), and -za three (combining form of sa ( n ) < Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese sān )

Word History and Origins

Origin of yakuza¹

C20: from Japanese ya eight + ku nine + za three, the worst hand in a game of cards

Example Sentences

That effort has also led to a greater number of defectors like Nakamoto, who are trying to reinvent themselves after a life within the family-like hierarchies of the yakuza, ruled by a strict code of loyalty.

From Washington Post

It was monitored by police with the understanding that the yakuza would take care of petty crime on its turf and leave ordinary citizens alone.

From Washington Post

The laws were designed to isolate the yakuza from society, said Noboru Hirosue, a prominent expert on criminal sociology and the yakuza.

From Washington Post

Now that there’s a precedent of a death sentence, Kudo-kai won’t be seen as some extreme case, but all yakuza will be seen as the same threat.

From Washington Post

Yakuza membership is plummeting — the result of a decade of intensifying crackdowns targeting organized crime and the yakuza’s reach into illegal activities including drug trafficking, money laundering and gambling.

From Washington Post

The Japanese judges have established that yakuza bosses have “employer liability” for the actions of their subordinates.

From The Daily Beast

Japan has 21 major yakuza groups with listed offices and a very public existence.

From The Daily Beast

The yakuza were traditionally federations of gamblers (bakuto) and street merchants (tekiya).

From The Daily Beast

Japanese law enforcement uses all the laws available to crack down on the yakuza.

From The Daily Beast

According to the National Police Agency, yakuza membership peaked in 1963, at approximately 184,100 members.

From The Daily Beast