How will the “semi-gres” groups, which are gaining momentum, move in 2023?

While the number of gangs in Japan is on a downward trend due to increased restrictions on their activities as a result of the Anti-Boryokudan Law and the Gang Exclusion Ordinances that have been established nationwide, there are concerns about the activities of anti-social forces known as “semi-gres,” or “semi-gres” groups. The police authorities have positioned the “semi-gres” groups as “quasi-boryokudan” and are making efforts to understand their organizations and members, but they are not organized enough to be called an organization, and members move freely in and out of the group. Most are young people in their 20s to 40s. A senior law enforcement official said, “The members are fluid and elusive, but when they band together as a group, they are as violent and dangerous as the Yakuza.

In the case of gangs, the organization is structured in the form of a pyramid with a clan leader at the top, and young members are welcomed as members of the organization after receiving a sake cup from the leader. Once they become a member, the hierarchical relationship is strong and absolute obedience is required. A senior official of a designated gang said, “When you are a youngster, you live in the boss’s house and office and take care of the cleaning, laundry, and meals. When the boss goes out, they also serve as chauffeurs.

He also pointed out, “Young people these days probably don’t like these yakuza rules and customs. That is why there are few who want to become yakuza. But if they still want to live like yakuza, many of them become semi-gres.

The law regulating gangs as organizations is the Anti-Boryokudan Law, which was enacted in 1992. The Anti-Boryokudan Law designates organized crime groups as “designated boryokudan,” prohibits the collection of bouncer fees from downtown restaurants and the collection of unjustified debts, and also includes provisions such as restrictions on the use of offices during conflicts. In the event of a violation, a cease and desist order is issued. Further violations may result in arrest.

The following three conditions are necessary for designation: (1) “obtaining funds through coercive activities as a gang,” (2) “having a certain percentage or more of members with criminal records,” and (3) “having a hierarchical organization in the form of a pyramid with a clan leader at the top. Currently, 25 organizations have been designated, including Yamaguchigumi VI, Sumiyoshi-kai, and Inagawa-kai.

A senior police investigator explains the actual situation of the semi-gres in light of these requirements of the Violence Against Boryokudan Law.

The organizational structure of the semi-gres is not a pyramid, nor is it clear, and there does not appear to be a hierarchy. The members of the group are always in flux and cannot be determined. However, it is true to say that they meet the requirements of the Violence Prevention Law in that they are funded by coercive activities with a background of violence. ……

There have been calls for some time for the need for legal regulations, such as the Violence Against Gangs Law, regarding the semi-gres, but the reality is that it is difficult to do so at this time. However, police authorities have confirmed that there are approximately 80 groups of semi-gres with about 4,000 members nationwide. A database of personal information, from leaders to members, has been compiled to ascertain the actual situation.

Although the semi-gres are dispersed among about 80 groups, the figure of about 4,000 is a huge force, almost equivalent to the nationwide membership of the Yamaguchigumi VI, which the police authorities will have ascertained in 2021. The aforementioned senior investigator said, “The number of groups is not definite. The number increases and decreases repeatedly. Even though it is called a group, the members communicate with each other via SNS, etc., and the members are replaced each time. I don’t think they even know which members are in the group.

In October 2022, an incident occurred in which the roughness of the semi-gangs, which even the police authorities are having a hard time dealing with, was exposed. A celebration for the release from prison of the leader of the semi-gore group “Chinese Dragon” was being held at a restaurant on the 58th floor of Sunshine 60, a high-rise building in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, where one can enjoy a meal while looking out at the night skyline.

As a result of not only fisticuffs but also beer bottles and glasses being thrown at each other, tables in the restaurant were overturned and broken plates and glasses were scattered. By the time police officers arrived at the scene after receiving a call, the restaurant was a complete mess.

The Chinese Dragon is believed to have started out as a motorcycle gang and in recent years has been funding bank transfer scams and extortion. The police authorities have been the target of important investigations, and this is the first major news story in a long time.

In December 2022, the Metropolitan Police Department established a new special task force in the Organized Crime Department in order to gain a better understanding of these violent gangs and suppress their activities. The unit will collect information across the department to uncover cases of bank transfer fraud, gambling, extortion, and illegal adult entertainment business, as well as to crack down on juvenile delinquents and motorcycle gangs to uncover the realities of the groups and their sources of funding.

An old senior official of one of the designated gangs mentioned above, who was commenting on the younger members of the gangs, said, “The semi-gres are unrelated to the Violence Against Boryokudan Law. They can do whatever they want,” he said with a sense of self-mockery, referring to his own situation in which his activities are regulated by the Violence Against Boryokudan Law.

However, as mentioned above, the Metropolitan Police Department plans to strengthen investigations by establishing a specialized investigation unit at the end of 2022, so it remains to be seen whether the semi-gres will be able to continue their activities as before after the beginning of 2023. A new battle between the police and the semi-gres will begin.