OLYMPUS: Bringing It Into Focus–A Special Breach Of Trust? UPDATE

Olympus seems to have lost their focus in June of 2008. Anti-social forces may have set their sights on the company at this time.

In the last week, the New York Times, the Financial Times(article in Japanese)  and Reuters have reported heavily on suspicious transactions at Olympus Corporation, one of Japan’s oldest and most distinguished camera and optical equipment makers. The board forced out acting CEO,  Michael Woodford, after he became too diligent in doing his due diligence on questionable [...]

The Yakuza Code Of Ethics: Compliance In the Underworld

The Yakuza claim to be humanitarian fellowships and while engaging in numerous criminal activity, traditionally they have internally banned certain types of crimes. Those who break the rules were expelled.

The yakuza, Japan’s organized crime groups, have close to 79,000 members. It’s very hard to understand why they are tolerated in Japanese society and not simply banned. Part of the reason for this is that for many years the yakuza observed, to some extent, a set of internal codes which made them appear to be [...]

Cops To Close Curtains on Yakuza Hollywood: The Timeline

山口組三代目 was based on the autobiography of the 3rd Generation Yamaguchi-gumi Leader, Kazuo Taoka. Ken Takakura met him during the filming of the movie.

1957: The 3rd Generation Yamaguchi Leader, Kazuo Taoka, sets up and registers Kobe Geinosha (Kobe Performing Arts Promotion) under his own name. (The Yamaguchi-gumi is currently Japan’s larges organized crime group, w/ 40,000 members). They quickly become the most powerful showbiz brokers in Japan.

North Korea Turns 63, Party Guests Seem Kinda Angry

Kim Hye Sook, center, spent 28 years in a political prison in North Korea.

demonstrators come out to protest the oppressive North Korean regime

NISA Needs To Take Evil Lessons

Sneaky attempts to manipulate public opinion meltdown