Bōryokudan

Bōryokudan (暴力団), literally "violence group", is the term used by the Japanese police to describe the organized crime groups commonly known in the English-speaking world as yakuza. The term "yakuza" is actually used in Japan to refer to individual members of these groups. They refer to themselves as "ninkyō dantai" (任侠団体 (or 仁侠団体), "chivalrous organizations").

The numbers which precede the names of bōryokudan groups refer to the group's leadership. For example, Yoshinori Watanabe headed the "fifth" Yamaguchi-gumi; on his retirement, Shinobu Tsukasa became head of the "sixth" Yamaguchi-gumi, and "Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi" is the group's formal name.

Designated Bōryokudan

Designated Bōryokudan (指定暴力団 Shitei Bōryokudan) is large area group specified by Anti-Gangs Measures Law of Japan.
*Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi (六代目山口組), led by Shinobu Tsukasa, designated from June, 1992
*Inagawa-kai (稲川会), led by Yoshio Tsunoda, designated from June, 1992
*Sumiyoshi-kai (住吉会), led by Shigeo Nishiguchi and Hareaki Fukuda, designated from June, 1992
*Fourth Kudō-kai (四代目工藤會), led by Satoru Nomura, designated from June, 1992
*Third Kyokuryū-kai (三代目旭琉会), led by Yoshihiro Onaga, designated from June, 1992
*Okinawa Kyokuryū-kai (沖縄旭琉会), led by Kiyoshi Tominaga, designated from June, 1992
*Fifth Aizukotetsu-kai (五代目会津小鉄会), led by Toshitsugu Zukoshi, designated from July, 1992
*Fifth Kyōsei-kai (五代目共政会), led by Atsumu Moriya, designated from July, 1992
*Sixth Gōda-ikka (六代目合田一家), led by Kanji Nukui, designated from July, 1992
*Fourth Kozakura-ikka (四代目小桜一家), led by Kiei Hiraoka, designated from July, 1992
*Third Asano-gumi (三代目浅野組), led by Yoshiaki Kushita, designated from December, 1992
*Dōjin-kai (道仁会), led by Tetsuharu Kobayashi?, designated from December, 1992
*Second Shinwa-kai (二代目親和会), led by Katsuhiko Hosotani (real name: Kunihiko Hosotani) and Hirofumi Kira, designated from December, 1992
*Sōai-kai (双愛会), led by Akira Takamura (real name: Sin Myong U), designated from December, 1992
*Third Kyōdō-kai (三代目俠道会), led by Nozomu Ikezawa, designated from March, 1993
*Taishū-kai (太州会), led by Hiroshi Hidaka, designated from March, 1993
*Seventh Sakaume-gumi (七代目酒梅組), led by Kozaburo Kanayama (real name: Zaikaku Kin), designated from May, 1993
*Kyokutō-kai (極東会), led by Shinichi Matsuyama (real name: Cho Kyu Hwa), designated from July, 1993
*Azuma-gumi (東組), led by Kiyoshi Azuma (real name: Kiyoshi Kishida), designated from August, 1993
*Matsuba-kai (松葉会), led by Kuniyasu Makino (real name: I Chun Song), designated from February, 1994
*Third Fukuhaku-kai (三代目福博会), led by Shoshiro Wada (real name: Makio Wada), designated from February, 2000
*Second Kyūshū Seidō-kai (二代目九州誠道会), led by Masahiro Namikawa, designated from February, 2008

Other famous Bōryokudan

*Tōa-kai (東亜会), led by Yoshio Kaneumi? (金海 芳雄)
*Second Kumamoto-kai (二代目熊本會), led by Yutaka Tozaki? (戸崎 豊)
*Chūsei-kai (忠成会), led by Tadaaki Ōmori? (大森 匡晃)
*Second Matsuura-gumi (二代目松浦組), led by Kazuo Kasaoka
*Takenaka-gumi (竹中組)
*Eighth Ījima-kai (八代目飯島会), led by Kanji Nishikawa? (西川 冠士)
*Anegasaki-kai (姉ヶ崎会), led by Shigetami Nakanome? (中野目 重民)
*Chojiya-kai (丁字家会), led by Gorō Yoshida.
*Sugitō-kai (杉東会), led by Hidezo Nohara? (野原 英三)
*Masuya-kai (桝屋会), led by Sotojiro Higashiura (東浦 外次郎)
*Sugitō-kai (杉東会), led by Eizo Nobara? (野原 英三)
*Jōshūya-kai (上州家会), led by Katsuhiko Itō
*Fifth Yorii-bunke (寄居分家五代目),led by Hirosi Godai
*Takezawa-kai (竹澤会), led by Mamoru Oba
*Ametoku-rengokai (飴徳連合会), led by Hideya Nagamochi? (永持 英哉)
*Sakurai-sōke (櫻井總家), led by Kazuo Shimura.
*Chūkyōshinnō-kai (中京神農会), led by Eiji Yamagashira (山頭 栄治)
*Second Chūgokutakagi-kai (二代目中国高木会), led by Akio Kitayama

ee also

*Yakuza