Since the 1990s, the Japanese government has intensified its crackdown on organized crime.
: Numbers have dropped from 180,000 in the 1960s to fewer than 25,000 today. The Future of the Syndicate The Yakuza
: Members can no longer open bank accounts, sign leases, or get insurance. Since the 1990s, the Japanese government has intensified
: Involvement in "Jiageya" (land sharking) to force property sales. Since the 1990s
: Most members came from the "Burakumin" (outcast) class.
: Internal conflicts have led to the breakdown of major groups like the Yamaguchi-gumi.