Former Yakuza Vtuber Taro Talks about the Unexpected Housing Situation of the Yakuza
In movies and manga about yakuza, the office is usually Japanese style and the place where they live is a house or a luxury apartment.
But what about actual yakuza? The yakuza are usually housed in Japanese-style houses or high-class apartments.
“Yakuza prefer Japanese-style rooms that reflect the world of the samurai,” he said. “Many of them decorated their rooms with hanging scrolls and suits of armor. However, the office must be fully secured to counter threats such as kakuchi, so we take thorough measures with electronic keys and surveillance cameras.
The yakuza is an industry with a high turnover rate. In order to enter the office, they basically have a system whereby their faces are checked by surveillance cameras, etc., and they have to open the door from the inside.
In addition, in case of emergency, the basic rule is to have feet covered with dirt. The yakuza prefer Japanese-style rooms, but these rooms are usually used only for meetings and conferences.
In the past, many yakuza used to display imitation swords along with their suits of armor, but nowadays even imitation swords are confiscated by the police, so they are no longer displayed. Besides, in the past, clan leaders used to live in their offices, but now they live in a separate place from the office to separate work and family. Even in the yakuza world, work-life balance is important (laughs).
Nowadays, it is difficult for these yakuza to rent rooms because of the Violence Against Boryokudan Law (Law Concerning the Prevention of Unjust Acts by Members of Organized Crime Groups).
No landlord would want to rent a room to a yakuza, so they often sublet to someone who is not related to the yakuza. However, yakuza are very concerned about the safety of where they live, so it is difficult for them to tell even members of their own gang where they live. Therefore, most yakuza who boast that they live in a townhouse of some kind are fakes. In addition, many yakuza avoid places with limited entrances and exits, such as townhouses, because they are inconvenient in case of emergencies.
The reason yakuza, who value their appearance, never boast about their houses is to protect their personal safety and to avoid being arrested.
However, they always disclose their office address and phone number, says Taro Joronji, a yakuza who has been in the business for several years.
When you call them, they always answer within one or two calls. And if they move, they immediately disclose their new address in a letter. For the yakuza, the office phone number is like the 110 number, and no matter when you call, you are sure to get through.
The yakuza world has such seemingly unusual rules. Next time you watch a yakuza movie or manga, it might be interesting to pay attention to them.
