Japan's New Criminal Gangs Replacing the Yakuza |

[@ThePowerofJames]

I love the fun fact that Tokyo Drift was filmed in Tokyo but they couldn’t get the right permits so a guy was hired to be the fall guy as the “director” when the cops would break up filming and spend the night in prison

[@analoguegeek]

yeah in Japan its terribly difficult to get movie rights within cities... You basically have to bribe every business on the street to allow you to film there... For better or worse it means less films are shot actually out and about in Japan like you see in London, LA, and NYC.

[@redsnappa7837]

Chris, you should definitely make a feature film about Yukio Mishima's attempted coup, starring Ryotaro as Mishima and Natsuki as the army general Mishima kidnapped

[@trenaceandblackmetal5621]

Natsuki needs to be Mishima

[@Matixmer]

Natsuki looks exactly nothing like Mishima! Ryotaro at least vaguely.

[@LinuxLea]

​@@MatixmerThat's why he'd be the funnier Mishima!

[@Matixmer]

@@LinuxLea I see why casting a blue-eyed white dude as Martin Luther King for a skit could be funny. I don’t see why casting a bald, bearded and overweight black dude as King would even be slightly funny? Off-casting must either be overtly over the top or it’s pointless. If you cast Natsuki as Mishima you could let Nasuki pose in front of a mirror admiring his body, but how many people would correctly understand that joke?

[@megamonkey7282]

I learned everything I need to know about the yakuza from the 1989 Michael Douglas thriller Black Rain.

[@ls.c.5682]

10,000 arrests since 2021? Compared to the Yakuza this new breed have no idea how not to get caught

[@whyisthisathingnow...]

Let's hope they don't get smart then

[@fattiger6957]

The yakuza have lost a lot of their members since their prime, ever since the Japanese government started crack down on them.

[@tman229]

Well, it's also the fact that technology is a lot more advanced than when Yakuzas were at their peak. Cameras everywhere, especially in the big cities.

[@MrDanisve]

@@fattiger6957 Yakuza and alot of mafia has just gone legit. They can pretty much do the same thing on wall street/nikei index that did before. Just all legal.

[@downundergrowth]

They are mostly Chinese

[@sciros]

On my most recent visit I was walking through various parts of Tokyo and at one point on a walk from Harajuku to Shibuya I counted something like 15 black Mercedes G Wagons, some parked in interesting places and one with a rather gruff gentleman sitting inside just chilling. I figure they're the current yakuza vehicle of choice and they're still around here and there.

[@DimitriAbbondandolo]

Could that have been government officials on a visit to a local business or something

[@elkevera]

Could someone hand Pete a new T-shirt? If I have to look at Seinfeld for one more week I'm gonna scream so loud that he can hear me in the UK 🤣

[@pookhahare]

Dangers of doing multi pods one time without wardrobe coordinator. 😅

[@ShiroiTengu]

Seinfeld is a classic and I love it. Keep it on, Pete!

[@SandeshShak]

​@@ShiroiTenguClassic if you have poor taste

[@AndyLifeInVideo]

Seinfeld is not funny

[@jamesdond614]

I no longer watch the Genocide Jerry Seinfeld show or anything else he is in.

[@Nariasan]

I'm originally from Montreal and they film there _all_ the time (I think it's a NYC stand in). As someone who had major studios filming on my street on several occasions, I can promise that it never interrupted my ability to shop and walk normally on the street. Maybe let shop keepers in Tokyo know this. It's really no trouble to live somewhere that filming is occurring.

[@tangelite9968]

Chris it would be pleasure to chat with you about "Tokyo Vice". It is brilliant.

[@SuperiorAutocraft]

You absolutely have to watch Miami Vice. Completely captures an era.

[@neilmiller6214]

I love these videos. They are a perfect blend of information, advice, humour and insight! Keep em coming.

[@kevinreily2529]

Midnight Diner is my favorite show on Netflix.

[@gordonbgraham]

深夜 食堂

[@Kenleaty]

Black rain was a cool film, loved that

[@kingmaafa120]

Oh yeah ❤❤

[@nicholausbuthmann1421]

Chris & Pete literally described the Bad Guy's & Their M.O. in PERSONNA 5. That Joker, Ryuji, Morgana, Makoto, & Yusuke take down !

[@Matixmer]

*Persona

[@frontallappen4981]

It's almost like the story in persona games is inspired by real life ;)

[@ls.c.5682]

I have to thank Pete D for inspiring the title of my next novel "The Den of Ill Repute"

[@flaagan]

Damn, that Police Quest callback, that's going back a ways for me!

[@Harambe_420]

Awesom Episode Thanks a lot for your Work👍️❤

[@KariHaruka]

One of my favourite films is Lost in Translation, and I love how that film was all filmed on location in Japan.

[@tokitobe2450]

I'm Japanese, but I disliked that movie because it felt like Japan was just a prop for these white people to sort their lives out. A lot of these 'travel' movies and shows are just self-centered Westerners using an exotic location (somewhere in Asia or Africa usually) as a backdrop to do the soul-searching they could have done at home.

[@austinwiththehat]

I watched Miami vice when it first aired, then rewatched it last year and clothing aside, it’s aged fairly well

[@MarcUK]

I fell asleep watching it, found the film so slow. :-)

[@austinwiththehat]

@@MarcUK as a lover of the series, I’ve never seen the movie, sounds like I should avoid it then

[@Stephen-up3sd]

Some of us are still wearing those clothes!

[@ryrvoch4345]

@@austinwiththehat Yes

[@TheRagingK]

I watched all of Tokyo Vice this week and it’s amazing, thanks for the recommendation!

[@sydneysimpson3814]

Hey Chris you should do a video on homeless in Japan there is a bloke skating around Japan staying in his tent. Nomad push he was a salary man got depressed quit his job it's awesome to see how a normal Japanese man lives homeless. His story really shows how it is to be poor in Japan I think everyone needs to watch real life like that.

[@edvhollywood4544]

A girl just made one on a river. The old couple even had a veggie garden. But sometimes the river overflowed,sad.

[@edvhollywood4544]

I worked in a club in 1980 in Akasaka. We had some big top yakusa and I met a fall guy that had done time for the boss at Nishi something trading Co. big scandal in millions$ anyway a tab at the club was easy 100,000yen and up.

[@charlottelanvin7095]

yeah, defo recommend Season 2 of Tokyo Vice. the story of the gangster's liver transplant in the US is in season 2.

[@01Grimjoe]

this crime group sounds like it was made from watching the dark night(the bank robbery sounded the exact same setup)

[@Blex_040]

17:42 Pete is recording from a (former) hypnotherapy room?! What the hell, are we getting hypnotized right now?! 😵

[@doublevisionilb1660]

Quite a few games of Yakuza series have depicted Tokuryu gangs that taken over yakuza, funny to see make it to the Podcast about Japan

[@seasyrenn]

Tokyo Vice was so addictive..Sato is such an epic character ..both seasons were so good!

[@jayhackett7240]

Giggling at the 'Like A Magic' sign in the back. Cheers to that little inside joke XDD

[@mgauci45]

Take an HDMI cable with you if your laptop has the port. Connect it to the TV in your hotel room and extend your desktop. :)

[@colinmathie2710]

I was in hospital last xmas, they took me into surgery on boxing night and i spent the next 4 days hiccuping non stop, holding a conversation was nigh on impossible, i have never experienced anything like it in my life.

[@justherb666]

Watched season one of Tokyo Vice and am watching season two right now.

[@pookhahare]

Nature abhors a vacum

[@xiola]

RE: hiccups if you just wear a facemask on the train (which is a very good idea to do anyway), you'll likely be seen as trying to keep to yourself/not bother anyone and people are unlikely to be that bothered; facemasks are quite normal in Japan and are seen as a courtesy to others (Regardless, even if they were bothered it's very unlikely anyone would actually confront you about it, most people dislike confrontation there). On subways it shouldn't matter much but on Shinkansen/long distance trains it's easy to feel uncomfortable sitting right next to someone so I'd just make sure you get a reserved seat and try to aim for off-peak hours. During Mid-season and Off-season there's a very good chance you'll get at least 2 seats to yourself during off-peak hours. (note: the seat reservation is very cheap compared to the rest of the ticket. On most trains the reservation is only a $3~7 add-on and you can get it from the ticket office or the ticket machine). (I think across all of my trips, including last year, I had 2 seats to myself on shinkansen/long distance trains about 3/4 of the time? Most of my trips have been Mid-season (basically warm season but avoiding peaks like April, Golden Week, etc.) and I usually try to take them around midday rather than evening when possible since I'm not a morning person and my favourite thing about shinkansen is the scenery; evening trains = much more likely to have a seatmate, and too dark to see any scenery so I only do those if I've run late or don't have a choice.)

[@lucyshnyr5647]

I loooove the opening phrase of the podcast! The way Chris says “Mr Pete Donaldson HIMSELF” and then “how the devil are you doing?!”. Poor Chris has to say it every time but I never get tired of it ❤ concerning the Yakuza, I just discovered Giri/Haji, through Shōgun’s Anna Sawai and Takehiro Hira and I’m enjoying the series. But next I will probably watch Tokyo Vice!

[@pietro6032]

8:35 "Things do Dangle" sounds like an awesome title for this story.

[@enrinplays]

All this focus on the Yakuza when the biggest crime they discussed is Chris using one monitor 😅

[@raysjIV]

I really like it when you guys NameDrop books you liked. I might have to check out Tokyo vice the book.

[@BeerPatio]

Hearing Slavoy Zizek was on your train was quite a surprise 😂

[@davidk5093]

To Pete and Chris, You both should watch the Miami vice TV series It's amazing! I put it in the top 10 TV series of all time. Thanks for all the great podcasts! You guys are amazing!😎👍

[@catriona_drummond]

I second this.

[@Moominteapot]

I binged watched tokyo vice on iplayer over last two days, i loved it. Sad to hear theres no season 3 .

[@johnpearse8252]

A friend and I were in Tokyo a couple of months ago, somewhere around Asakusa I think. Stopped to sit outside a bar for a lunchtime drink, when a local guy on the next table started conversation with us. A few seconds in he hoisted down the front of his tshirt to reveal a giant tattoo and with a gap toothed grin growled "MAFIA!" It was then we noticed there were 8-10 police officers dotted along the other side of this street, all with their eyes glued on this chap. A while passed before he got up and started harassing the officers. Blowing cigarette smoke in their faces and apparently video calling his boss to mock their attempts to intimidate or catch him in a criminal act. It was about an hour before he decided he'd had enough and set off down the street, with a small crowd of police in tow. My only taste of a criminal side to Tokyo and probably the only time I actively noticed the police during a month in Japan.

[@JasonB808]

The person worried about hiccups disrupting other passengers should relax. I went to Japan in August 2018. I boarded a Shinkansen that was packed tighter than a sardine can. It was as worse than it sounds. People all sides are pressing into you. And when people want to use the restrooms they are literally climbing over you and your luggage. It’s crazy. I never want to experience that again. I plan to reserve my trains when I go to Japan this year. It has to be August as my Brother can only take off for a long period of time in April, August, and December. December he usually visit home, April is not long enough only one week. This why I am staring to learn some Japanese so I can get around without bugging my brother. I would visit early October. Cooler, and not as busy.

[@usr123yt]

Biggest downside with multiple monitors is the space between monitors including the bevels. Can't use the area and it makes one look just that much farther. When focusing on something I can't be looking left and right (or up and down) all the time.

[@Tugela60]

Rumor has it that the new Yakuza are middle aged Brits.

[@mynameisthething7410]

In Japan you have groups called Hangure, for us, they could be seen as organized street gangs. You also have sino-chinese groups that are becoming more and more powerful in Japan.

[@bitfreakazoid]

Black Rain is such a good movie. Are there any other movies that have that vibe to it set in Japan?

[@tempesttube]

My dad has sinus problems and has had a few surgeries, but he makes loud hacking noises when fluid runs down his throat. He has been hospitalized for related issues. He also sneezes extremely loudly. It's not intentional.

[@_SnowKnight_]

I am totaly interested in Tokyo Vice. But the problem for me is, that it is on a streaming service i do not use. So my best choice is to either make time to binge it the trial period or sail the high seas

[@Johngabe100]

Great show guys

[@miroslavstankov7919]

Tokuryuu are, basically, present-day Shadowrunners. XD

[@TheBaldr]

Pachinko Parlors are the most noise friendly places on earth.

[@tuvillo]

In my experience people on Japanese trains aren't quiet necessarily, they just don't use their phones. It's pretty much like everything else- Japanese people can break these rules all they want but oh boy if the foreigner breaks the same rules all hell will break loose.

[@HankOrionYT]

When you’re ready to make feature film reach out. Don’t do short films tho. Loving podcasts.

[@timothyfolkins4651]

Speaking of filming in Japan, you should watch Alice in Borderland. There are some scenes in Tokyo that are pretty wild, especially an empty Shibuya crossing. They must have used CGI to do it, but one would be hard pressed to tell it wasn't the real thing. Besides, that the story itself is pretty interesting.

[@kingmaafa120]

Back in the days actually worked with em😮 What stories ❤❤

[@staninjapan07]

Thanks fellas. Yakuza Moon by Tendo Shoko is well worth a read.

[@Queltamas]

On the gang topic. I've seen more and more videos of 'foreigners' of a certain ethnicity gathering together and purposely causing problems. Latest video I saw it looked as if they were bashing against a police van with the officer inside. Is it true that more issues like these are arising from these people who do not care for Japanese culture and are acting just the same way that they are in Europe?

[@Stephen-up3sd]

I wonder who you mean!

[@Queltamas]

@@Stephen-up3sd Shhh, it's a secret.

[@derekskelton4187]

I would highly recommend the Miami Vice show over the movie. The movie is really fun though

[@marcoc2703]

unfortunately watching tokyo vice it's so hard in my country, i cannot watch it on paid platforms, and i cannot even watch it with free streaming sites, except season 1

[@Bastchinda]

Tokyo Vice for anyone in the UK is on BBC IPlayer 📺

[@davekennedy6315]

The last I checked the Yakuza were still classed as the richest and most organised crime group in the world? They have had problems recruiting before and so just took on those from motorcycle gangs and those involved in street racing and gambling on said racing. I honestly don't believe the Yakuza will ever disappear but just evolve instead (no tattoos or finger removal, it's NEVER a good idea to have easily viewed symbols of gang loyalty that just make the police's job much easier)

[@amlannanda4023]

3:00 please watch episode 9 of season 2 it is freaking amazing

[@uuu12343]

At this point I think Japan really REALLY needs a vigilante group like Batman

[@Maveric]

Holy shit! Jake Adelstein is real? I just finished Tokyo Vice on Max! Insane story!

[@_Pauper_]

1st time here and this is great

[@admiraleveleigh8573]

I thought yakuza was the Japanese word for mafia. And the biggest yakuza was a group called the Yamaguchi gumi

[@16BitMovies]

If it's too hard to film in Tokyo maybe go the green-screen route and add some UnrealEngine5 backgrounds. Or ask Gareth Edwards for a Hi-vis jacket.)

[@carinameyer4156]

Hello Chris and Pete! Thank you for making me aware that the second season of Tokyo Vice is already out. I enjoyed the first one a lot more than I thought I would. I must agree with Pete on Bullet Train. My husband and I watched it recently and already at the very first scene where Brad Pitt (was it Brad Pitt?) walks through this street on the phone I was like "Hang on, THAT'S not Japan." It looked like some weird idea of Japan town somewhere in the U.S.. Needless to say, it made me really not enjoy the movie. As someone who has been to Japan, it was actually quite horrible to see.

[@Sch2155]

Love you Chris, Sharla and Pete!!!

[@Mister2120]

Tokyo Vice is a great show.

[@rickydeetz]

Tokyo Vice is one of my favorite series in recent years.

[@JasSchMin]

Lol I loved this weeks story! Hilarious

[@braamjooste1]

Acapulco heat is the one to watch 😂

[@Sketchupdave]

It would have been funny if the video had been sponsored by the Yakuza and you would have said only positive things about them 😂

[@craigtpat]

i believe Karate kid 2 was filmed in the philippines but set in JP.

[@iAmEhead]

Tokyo Vice season 2 is great.

[@pf5723]

Tokyo Vice both seasons were good. I'd say 2 is even better because it ties it all together in the end. Def watch it!

[@llvalekll9299]

We not gonna talk about the weird dolls behind bro….

[@lushfruit]

I would sure love a Abroad in Japan temple speedrun :D

[@bacon5453]

Like all the temples in Tokyo?

[@lushfruit]

@@bacon5453 Nearly every main temple in tokyo!! You get it !!

[@robinarai9545]

Ahhh I see you’re losing hope in Mudan.

[@lushfruit]

@@robinarai9545 Just a little saftey measure

[@aaronrothenburger4178]

Tokyo Vice book is about 10 years old. Book seems maybe 48 per cent true.

[@ccmprgs]

Police Quest reference ftw

[@rych7852]

You name dropped Ansel Elgort. (Who appears to be pretty fluent in Japanese himself) But not Tokyo Vice co-star, and friend of Abroad in Japan, Ken Watanabe! 😧😧

[@laurarogers5225]

Ugh watch the series. I am sure it is out there

[@sleepysartorialist]

Oh GOD decentralized crime? That's terrifying...

[@hcm9999]

The real question is: how can I start my own yakuza?

[@GreyTaube]

The answer is "Like a Dragon", right? I heard about this.

[@XSpImmaLion]

Yami baito... an almost too innocent term for the thing. xD Yeah, it's like, this isn't a Japanese problem, it's a global one. Between local news and cop cam videos from the US, I'm seeing more and more cases of crimes, very poorly planned and very off the cuff style things, that people doing it will say they were scammed or recruited online for something else, but ended up in the situation after being blackmailed or something similar. And I've seen cases were organized crime is behind the scenes. I remember one cop cam case where they got a drug addict, male white in his 40-50s or something, flying all over the country doing bank fraud jobs in smaller towns, just to get his daily dose of whatever. He had handlers which were also not part of the criminal organization behind it, but rather temp hires. It was all sorts of messed up with tons of layers. Difference being that the numbers for couple of years that Japan has, happens in a single week or so here. xD But you know, bound to happen when so much of crime has migrated to the Internet already.

[@moonshadow5513]

anyone else getting "the Dollars" from Durarara!!! vibe from this new crime group?

[@muffin9124]

14:44 one can only tell the truth, one can only lie - haha nice one Pete

[@chico205]

yakuza prime is long gone deez days

[@dasaggropop1244]

"when you are a bloke, things do dangle"

[@slayer2450]

Interesting, I thought that the Yakuza was getting taken over by the Chinese Triads.

[@afujimoto3843]

They kind of are... foreign gangs have been making in roads into Japan for some time. The Chinese Triads have always been here, but more recently there have been more Vietnamese gangs due to the increase in Vietnamese living in Japan (there are now more Vietnamese living in Japan than there are Koreans, who are slowly disappearing from Japan due to assimilation)

[@slayer2450]

@@afujimoto3843 ah, I see, that's sad to hear.

[@kyotoben610]

Or Russian or Vietnamese or Korean crime groups

[@WilliamGinkos]

Love the lasagna cat reference!

[@etiennesharp]

Hiccups: bear in mind that while people tend to be quiet, trains themselves aren't in Japan. They're quite rattly and shaky. You'll be fine mate.

[@uss_04]

I normally don’t follow other Japan “Influencers” other than Chris, and maybe it’s because Chris considers himself a filmmaker

[@zesanx]

Tokuryu sounds kinda like Murder Inc?

[@senrioflove]

I know you record a few at a time but it looks like Pete only owns one shirt

[@CelticConservative]

We should campaign to get tokyo vice back

[@MilanDavidovic-rj7sd]

alternate title: Dens of Ill Repute

[@MsSmartmonkeee]

I think Chris is enamored with Tokyo Vice as his idol Ken is in it?....... hmmmm

[@richardb261]

So japan has shadowrun fixers hiring individual runners to do crimes together? Also sounds like reservoir dogs.

[@fattiger6957]

Chris will start his own gang who will terrorize the Japanese people with dry sarcasm and unenthusiastic reactions. Chris' lack of constantly saying "kawaii, umai, sugoi, and oishii" is truly the new white horror.

[@roboliver9980]

Tokyo vice is tremendous