Category Archives: Underground Economy

Nevada gaming board gets portion of yakuza assets

By Sarah Noorbakhsh | Published: 25 November 2009
U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement have announced that they will share more than $60,000 in assets seized from yakuza Susumu Kajiyama with the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Kajiyama is documented in “The Emperor of Loan Sharks” (pages 213-236) in Tokyo Vice, and Special Agent Mike Cox, who appeared in the 60 Minutes clip, was instrumental [...]
Also posted in Organized Crime, Yakuza | 3 Comments

Cabaret Club Girls in Japan: All You Ever Wanted To Know

By Jake Adelstein | Published: 3 October 2009
The publication of the magazine Koakuma Ageha in 2005 sent a shock-wave through Japanese society: when did cabaret-club hostesses become socially accepted to the degree that they have their own widely-available fashion magazine? And when did “kyabakura girl” become a glamorous and enviable occupation for young women? The answers to these questions were not apparent. And since the Japanese media is not allowed to talk about trends in terms of socioeconomic class or subculture, Koakuma Ageha’s popularity gave the impression that all young women, no matter the family background, have suddenly clamored to work nights in Kabukicho. (---JRSC note--but it's not that simple for more read the rest of the article by clicking the link above)
Also posted in Sex Industry | 3 Comments

“Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation in Japan. The New Victims: Japanese Teenagers”

By Jake Adelstein | Published: 1 April 2009
Japanese female teenagers are being used to replace foreign women in the sex-trafficking industry, possibly as a result of crackdowns by the Japanese government against the exploitation of foreign women in the country.
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Onions And Yakuza Front Companies: Some Thoughts

By Jake Adelstein | Published: 15 February 2009
The modern yakuza, or the 成人ヤクザ, make their real money in loan-sharking, stock manipulation, real-estate speculation, and IPOs. They need a veneer of legitimacy to do this and that is usually done by creating a dummy corporation---front companies.
Also posted in Yakuza | 5 Comments

Prostitution isn’t just for Professionals anymore! How to find a high-paying job in Japan’s Sex Industry.

By admin | Published: 21 June 2008
In Japan, prostitution isn’t just for professionals anymore. The quasi-legal sex industry in Japan is estimated to be a multi-billion dollar market and all signs indicate that it continues to grow. In an otherwise stagnant economy, despite the efforts of the local police to contain it, the fast-food like fellatio for sale coffee shops (pink salons), the home- delivery service sexual massage operations, and the S & M clubs and their like show no signs of disappearing. One of the signs of the healthiness and expansion of the industry s can be found in any major convenience store or book store among the women’s magazines.
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