Yakuza from a Mafia to Japan Art
Posted on June 9, 2009
Filed Under Arts & Gallery, Japanese History |
Yakuza from a Mafia to Japan Art
The term “Yakuza” comes from a Japanese card game, Oicho-Kabu (played with hanafuda
or kabufuda cards). The worst hand in the game is a set of eight, nine and three. In traditional Japanese forms of counting, these numbers are called Ya, Ku and Sa, thus the origin of the word “yakuza.” The yakuza took this name because the Ya-Ku-Za hand requires the most skill (at judging opponents, etc.) and, obviously, the best luck in order to win. The name was also used because it signified bad fortune, presumably for anyone who went up against the group.
Despite uncertainty about the single origin of Yakuza organizations, most modern Yakuza derive from three classifications which emerged in the mid-Edo Period: tekiya, those who primarily peddled illicit, stolen or shoddy goods; and bakuto, those who were involved in or participated in gambling.[2]
Tekiya (peddlers) were considered one of the lowest of Edo castes. As they began to form organizations of their own, they took over some administrative duties relating to commerce, such as stall allocation and protection of their commercial activities. During Shinto festivals, these peddlers opened stalls and some members were hired to act as security. Each peddler paid rent in exchange for a stall assignment and protection during the fair.
The Edo government eventually formally recognized such tekiya organizations and granted the “oyabun” (servants) of tekiya a surname as well as permission to carry a sword. This was a major step forward for the traders, as formerly only samurai and noblemen were allowed to carry swords.
Bakuto (gamblers) had a much lower social standing even than traders, as gambling was illegal. Many small gambling houses cropped up in abandoned temples or shrines at the edge of towns and villages all over Japan. Most of these gambling houses ran loan sharking businesses for clients, and they usually maintained their own security personnel.
Baka (Assassins) These were people trained by the yakuza in order to silence any of those who opposed the harsh and cruel word of yakuza politics. Most of these “Baka” were trained at a young age and were often orphans who had been abandoned by their families.
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