There are thought to be nearly 100,000 Yakuza members in Japan. When they enlist in individual gangs they are taken to a secret location where they are trained in hand-to-hand combat and meditation.

It expanded significantly from the late 1950s to the early '70s, becoming the most powerful yakuza gang in Japan. The year 2005 proved to be a pivotal one for the group, as two new leaders took ...

Last year, a yakuza boss in western Japan sued his former mentor over the gang office. The old boss had filed papers to transfer ownership of the office to a company headed by one of his relatives.