The Italian mafia is evolving to operate more like the Japanese Yakuza do. The Yaks are so "infiltrated" into Japanese business and civil service that the Japanese just consider them a part of ordinary life. Only recently have law enforcement and some businesses been cracking down on the Yakuza presence.
The Yakuza isn't counted, most of what they do is corruption, blackmail and unofficial / off the books crime. There are a bunch of gangs actively working to take their place as well, none of it is being officially counted:
"The Upstart Gangs Filling the Yakuza Power Vacuum"
Also, less visible, but the pervasive role of organized crime in the world of business and politics is a big one. The Kaplan and Dubro Yakuza book is incredible; a lot of that history feels ripped from the most fantastical movie.
The interaction between organized crime and formal law, nation to nation, is absolutely fascinating. The more I learn about it, the more fascinating it gets.
I'm adding this story to what I've learned about the history of the yakuza in Japan and the various US mafia, gangs, and crime families.
It's often been noted that organized crime had a significant part in the current Japanese malaise. They were part of the reason for the ease with which bad loans could be made again and again. It seems likely that they were instrumental in much of the corruption.
Also note that the leadership of the Yakuza is very politically conservative. Putting the brakes on economic development would also serve to slow down social and cultural change, as well as producing a climate generally friendlier to extreme right-wing politics.
reply