Yakuza Group Structure
The typical structure of a yakuza group. Artwork by @marikurisato
Illustration by Mari Kurisato
（親分・おやぶん）, (子分・こぶん): group elders, group underlings. Literally, ‘father role’ and ‘child role’.
（組長・くみちょう）: family head or boss
(最高幹部・さいこうかんぶ）: senior executives
（組員・くみいん）: group members, often translated as ‘soldiers’
（周辺者・しゅうへんしゃ）: peripheral associates
（企業舎弟・きぎょうしゃてい）: business associates
（組・ぐみ）: Denotes association, as in, Yamaguchi-gumi (山口組). Similar to -kai.
（一家・いっか）: family. For example, Omaeda-ikka (小前田一家), or ‘Omaeda family’. Used as a suffix after the name of the group.
(会・かい): Denotes association, as in, Sumiyoshi-kai (住吉会). Used to describe parent organizations.
(若頭・わかがしら): Gang members who rank second behind a kumicho. The gang equivalent of eldest brother. お兄ちゃん。
(若衆・わかしゅう): Used as an umbrella term to indicate gang members who have completed the sakazuki ceremony to join an organisation, but are still ranked below wakagashira. Foot-soldiers. 兵補 (へいほ）
I’ve always loved stories about gangsters western-ways of course, but my like for japan took deeper and deeper into the country’s most regretable stuff.
Thanks Mr Adelstain for this info, is very well gathered and explained, and also, it helps my Hiragana understanding as my Japanese language course progresses.
I’m glad it helped!
Jake:
Love this site – very informative! Questions: who are “chimpira” and where do they rank in this hierarchy? Is this term used amongst other yakuza, and is it considered derogatory?
Chinpira are basically low-ranking yakuza who are rather unintelligent and often don’t uphold the institutional rules: no theft, no robbery (mugging), no sexual crimes, no dealing in drugs.
Jake, I really appreicate this site and what you post, I also am really enjoying Tokyo Vice. Do you facebook? I message you off line…
Great work…
You’re welcome. No, I don’t Facebook these days. I’m on twitter.