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Yakuza

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What to expect

The definitive history of Japanese organized crime, from its origins in samurai-era black markets and gambling rings to the shadowy syndicates of the present.
 

“The best book in English on this fascinating and misunderstood subject.” ―Richard Lloyd Parry, author of People Who Eat Darkness

Japan’s gangster groups, known collectively as the yakuza, are among the oldest underworld societies in the world. With military-style organization and a code of absolute obedience, they have run Japan’s black markets for centuries. They have remained strikingly conspicuous in Japanese society and as a cultural force beyond Japan, with movies and video games celebrating their exploits globally.

Andrew Rankin offers the first comprehensive history of the yakuza, from their emergence out of seventeenth-century samurai gang culture to the present day. Though their activities have always encompassed illegal gambling and sex trafficking, the yakuza have also aggressively maintained business interests in private security, the construction industry, the entertainment industry, and debt collection. Yakuza bosses acquired a degree of legitimacy by styling themselves as peacekeepers maintaining order at society’s bottom end. Yet that legitimacy has come into doubt in recent years as Japan’s contracting economy has pushed the yakuza into increasingly predatory criminal activities.

Featuring a lively cast of extortionists, smugglers, hit men, and corporate crime lords, Yakuza is a fascinating tour of Japan’s sprawling mob syndicates and the cultural traditions with which they are so deeply intertwined.

Critics Review

“An enthralling portrait of the Japanese way of crime, full of larger-than-life characters and dramatic episodes.”—Kirkus Reviews
“A detailed history of the Japanese mafia from its origins to the present … Highly recommended for readers interested in modern Japanese history or the history of criminal organizations generally.”—Library Journal (starred review)
“Andrew Rankin has written the best book in English on this fascinating and misunderstood subject. With style, irony, and scholarly authority, he traces the evolution of Japan’s gangsters from delinquent samurai through ultranationalist thugs to besuited corporate extortionists. Rich in incident and anecdote, Rankin’s account of the tattooed finger-choppers also serves as a thrilling alternative history of modern Japan.”—Richard Lloyd Parry, author of People Who Eat Darkness
“Andrew Rankin has written a fascinating history of the yakuza, drawing on an impressive command of Japanese culture, language, and sources. By situating the organization alongside other mafias around the world, he highlights both its unique features and its broader place within the study of organized crime. Elegantly written and richly informed, this is essential reading for anyone interested in Japan, crime, or the underworld.”—Federico Varese, author of Mafia Life
“The yakuza book that everyone has been waiting for. The clear-eyed narrative is studded with vivid vignettes and pen portraits, and the twists and turns of mobster life are securely located in the context of Japan’s tumultuous modernization. Yakuza is both shrewd and engrossing.”—John Dickie, author of Cosa Nostra
“Andrew Rankin’s Yakuza delivers something many of us have long pined for—a deeply researched, comprehensive history of Japan's historic ‘mafia.’ Yakuza tells a story that is both gripping and revealing of Japanese culture, politics, and society. Those with affection for all things Japanese will love and appreciate Rankin’s knowledge and rich prose. Those with a passion for the world of organized crime will learn a great deal from its depth and insights. A must-read regardless.”—Ryan Gingeras, author of Mafia
“The mythic roots and practices of the yakuza always sound larger than life, but as Rankin’s fascinating and intensely readable book demonstrates, the reality if anything is even more extraordinary. With a cast ranging from samurai and ‘chivalrous nationalists,’ to corrupt politicians and dodgy sumo wrestlers, the evolution of the Japanese underworld is as distinctive as it is absorbing.”—Mark Galeotti, author of Homo Criminalis
“We so much needed a book like this. It's the best thing that has been written about the yakuza in at least the last twenty years.”—Jonathan López-Vera, author of A History of the Samurai
Author Andrew Rankin
Narrator Paul Dateh
Duration 12 hours and 54 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781668659021
Format Audiobook
Publisher Hachette Audio
Genre Asian history, General and world history, Organized crime, True crime
Availability US

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