Yakuza (Japanese: ヤクザ, [jaꜜkɯza]), also known as gokudō (極道, "the extreme path"), are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan.
Although yakuza membership has declined following an anti-gang law aimed specifically at yakuza and passed by the Japanese government in 1992, there are thought to be about 20,400 active yakuza members in Japan today.
[1] "Yamabishi" (山菱) A designated boryokudan (指定暴力団, Shitei Bōryokudan)[2] is a "particularly harmful" yakuza group[3] registered by the Prefectural Public Safety Commissions under the Organized Crime Countermeasures Law (暴力団対策法, Bōryokudan Taisaku Hō) enacted in 1991.
For example, Yoshinori Watanabe headed the Yamaguchi-gumi fifth; on his retirement, Shinobu Tsukasa became head of the Yamaguchi-gumi sixth, and "Yamaguchi-gumi VI" is the group's formal name.
Yamaguchi is the surname of the founder and first boss and kumi or gumi means group.