1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to you stuff you should know from house stuff 2 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:12,879 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm 3 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: Josh Clark with me as always as Charles W. Chuck Bryant, right, 4 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: and we have a guest producer, Matt here today in 5 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 1: the yes, in the leather wing back to the director's chair. Matt, 6 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:30,160 Speaker 1: who has gotten family before. Oh yeah, that's right. Do 7 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:35,520 Speaker 1: you know lines and scissors just back together? Yeah? Nice. 8 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 1: Don't look at him, he's right here. I didn't know that. 9 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:40,880 Speaker 1: That's great news, Matty. It feels weird to talk to 10 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 1: you without looking at you, but I've been instructed to 11 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:45,880 Speaker 1: do so. That's the whole point to just feel weird, 12 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:49,200 Speaker 1: all right, that's the point of life. Well, that's great. Yeah, 13 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: you guys need to get a website together, Matt. He 14 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 1: shakes and said, yes, yes, it's like we've got a 15 00:00:55,960 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 1: MySpace page. It's funny that that's still being financially supported 16 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:05,679 Speaker 1: enough that it's up that you can still access MySpace. Yeah, 17 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:07,319 Speaker 1: but have you seen some of the other stuff that's 18 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:09,760 Speaker 1: still up, Like my Space has a long way to 19 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 1: go to fall off the radar. I'm interested to see 20 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:18,560 Speaker 1: when that happens, and maybe there'll be some sort of event. Yeah, 21 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 1: can you tell him? Stalling? Yes? Okay, Well that means 22 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: everybody else can tell too, then, so we should probably 23 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: start chuck. Um. Have you ever seen the Simpsons episode, uh, 24 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 1: the Twisted Life of Marge Twisted World of Marge Simpsons, 25 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: The one where she starts selling pretzels? I think, so 26 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 1: it's hard to keep them all? You know? Straight? It is? 27 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:43,479 Speaker 1: It is? Well? Um, in it, Marge decides to make 28 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 1: some extra scratch by selling pretzels. Right. She know she's 29 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: a part of an investment club, and um, the investment 30 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: club gets a little crazy and I think she's forced 31 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 1: out of their Peta Fleeta Peta franchise, Peter Peter food truck. Basically, 32 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 1: she gets forced out, so she goes off on her 33 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: own starts selling pretzels. Well, she gets in bed with 34 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: the mob inadvertently, and when the mob comes to calling 35 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 1: just in time and they're they're storming the front door. 36 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: Is it the mob guy that's always fat tony? Um? 37 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:19,360 Speaker 1: The fleet of Peter ladies show up and they want 38 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 1: their cut of her turf. I believe, um. And it 39 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: turns out that they've gotten in bed with the yakuza. Yes, 40 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: the Japanese mafia and um as the mob as the 41 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 1: yakuza and the mafia are about to battle. The door 42 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: shuts and all you can hear some stuff, and then 43 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: the door opens and everybody's like laying debt and it's 44 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,919 Speaker 1: pretty awesome. That's a troop. But after reading this article 45 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: how the Yakuza works, I would say that, um they 46 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: probably had they spoken before they fought, would have found 47 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:54,800 Speaker 1: that they had a tremendous amountain common and possibly wouldn't 48 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 1: have even fought at all. Yeah, maybe they would have 49 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 1: had some wine and sukey or some sushi and pasta 50 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 1: and broke bread together or whatever. The Japanese version of 51 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:12,639 Speaker 1: bread is bread. Okay. So that's the intro to how 52 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 1: yakuza works. Very nice, that's a good one, it is. 53 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:19,519 Speaker 1: And reading this article, you're right, I was kind of like, 54 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:21,800 Speaker 1: you know what, it's just like the American mafia. It 55 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: is so there's like a there's a model out there 56 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:28,080 Speaker 1: for organizing crime, and somebody figured it out at some 57 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 1: point in time. Maybe it was the Japanese, maybe it 58 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: was the Sicilians, maybe it was all independent, but the 59 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: point is it's out there, it's established. Don't try to 60 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: mess with it. It's it's perfect, yes, as far as 61 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 1: organized crime goes. I guess you're right. Uh, the origins 62 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: of the Yakuza depending on which history you're following. Um, 63 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 1: if you listen to some of the clans and their clans, 64 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 1: I guess it just gave that away. Well, clans families say, Um, 65 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: they might say like, we have noble origins, and we 66 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 1: descended from the Ronin and we're more like your American 67 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: Robin Hood, although he was an American, your English Robin Hood. 68 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 1: We're like Kevin Costner, and um, our lineage is like 69 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 1: very proud and honorable. Um. Probably a little bit of 70 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: an inflated story. Um, because the other side of the 71 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 1: coin is that they descended from the kabuki mono the 72 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:29,360 Speaker 1: crazy ones. Yeah, and these are basically we're like masterless 73 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: Ronan after the samurai. They were just crazy kids. Well 74 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 1: they were masterless samurai and they would go around doing 75 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,839 Speaker 1: bad things with their swords because they didn't have a 76 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 1: what's it called again goal in life? Now the master 77 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:48,839 Speaker 1: the Oh yeah, I was about to say that, but 78 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 1: I can't believe I did that. From memory, I had 79 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:53,480 Speaker 1: it you was gonna be so proud, but I doubt 80 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: it myself. Oh you had damio. I had it my brain, 81 00:04:56,480 --> 00:05:01,280 Speaker 1: but I doubted myself, which will make emily prod. So 82 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:04,360 Speaker 1: you've got some some political upheaval. I think a time 83 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:08,360 Speaker 1: of pieces what it was, and the samurai became basically 84 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 1: useless and lazy. Um yeah, I guess that made them 85 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:15,359 Speaker 1: cranky because they started to do crime, or they just 86 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 1: kind of went into business, which is something the samurai 87 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:19,920 Speaker 1: didn't need to do because they were the political elite 88 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:22,720 Speaker 1: for a very very long time. Um, they did their 89 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: jobs too well. There was a lasting piece and then 90 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 1: political people and then all of a sudden there's kind 91 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 1: of out on the street. So yeah, they're either going 92 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 1: crazy cutting the heads off of peasants for no good reason. 93 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 1: They're wandering around not cutting the heads off of peasants, 94 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 1: but they're samurai and you don't want to look at 95 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:43,039 Speaker 1: them wrong. Or there samurai who are selling apples on 96 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 1: the street now, which is new to them, or running 97 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:51,840 Speaker 1: gambling casinos, gambling houses, brothels. Yeah, making money from like 98 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:55,480 Speaker 1: ill repute or legitimate ways. But the point is you 99 00:05:55,520 --> 00:06:00,120 Speaker 1: have these people who are coming into the mark it, 100 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:05,720 Speaker 1: who are coming in from the outside, outsiders, exactly like c. 101 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:11,560 Speaker 1: Thomas Howell or Ralph Macho. Let's stay gold yakuza. Um, 102 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 1: and that's the Yakusa still wears that today, kind of 103 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:18,799 Speaker 1: as a badge of honor. They're outsiders in Japanese society. Yeah, 104 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 1: which we'll talk about the Korean yakuza later. Does that 105 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:26,240 Speaker 1: always say Korean? Now Korean? Yeah, you're from Georgia. You 106 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:31,799 Speaker 1: sound like Hank is Area doing Billy bod Thornton and Homegrown. Um. 107 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 1: So the name yakuza, I thought this is pretty interesting. 108 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 1: It actually reinforces that outsider status because it came from 109 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 1: a game called ocou. Sounds good to me. And uh, 110 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: it's similar to what we call back iraq. Uh. And 111 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 1: that the second digit of the hand is where you 112 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:54,360 Speaker 1: get your point value. It's very numerological, Yes it is, 113 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:56,839 Speaker 1: so you add up your cards. Yeah, and the second 114 00:06:56,920 --> 00:06:59,120 Speaker 1: digit is what counts like in back ireq. Right, so 115 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:02,039 Speaker 1: if you have three is or something like that, you'd 116 00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: have eighteen in your hand would be worth eight because 117 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:08,800 Speaker 1: it's a second number. The last digit, yeah, sixteen would 118 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 1: probably be more appropriate because that's actually two digits. A 119 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:16,240 Speaker 1: six is just one digit. You know what I'm saying. No, Well, 120 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 1: if it's a two digit number, it would be based 121 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:21,560 Speaker 1: on the second digit, right, is it a two digit number, 122 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: I would think it'd be like zero six. No, I 123 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 1: think it's the last digit of your hand. So like, 124 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 1: for example, if you have a in this case, you 125 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 1: have um an eight and nine and a three that 126 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 1: equals twenty, that your hand is worth zero. So it's 127 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 1: the second digit or the last digit, right, But as 128 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:44,320 Speaker 1: sixteen would be worth six, Yes, but I guess there's 129 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 1: no sixteen. There's if you headed three fours, Okay, I 130 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: see what you mean. So you take if you have 131 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 1: a hand of three cars, you add them up and 132 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: then whatever the last digit is. If it's a single digit, 133 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:58,320 Speaker 1: it's that. If it's if it's a two digit number, 134 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 1: it's the second digit. Boy, there are gamblers out there 135 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: just like I hate you. No, they're probably just like guys. 136 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 1: Stay at the casino, yeah, stick to the shows. So anyway, 137 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 1: eight nine in three equals twenty. That is zero points. 138 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:14,720 Speaker 1: That is a very bad hand. It's a worthless hand. 139 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 1: And the Japanese words for eight nine and three yeah 140 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 1: kua yakuza, meaning worthless or pointless and in the vernacular 141 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 1: very round about probably incorrect way of explaining that. So 142 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 1: you've got a group of people who know their way 143 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:35,719 Speaker 1: around a sword who suddenly are selling um pachinko cards 144 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 1: or women yeah um or opium all bet um, and 145 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 1: they are they're very proud of this outsider worthless status. 146 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:48,839 Speaker 1: You know, they're making themselves anti here us, against the 147 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 1: world exactly. Um. If you are a cop, though, you're 148 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 1: probably going to refer to the Yakuza as the boy yokudan, 149 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:02,480 Speaker 1: which is basically is a degenerate gangster has no sense 150 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 1: of values or tradition. That's right, and that's a very 151 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:07,439 Speaker 1: big insult. You wouldn't want to call a yukos a 152 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:11,719 Speaker 1: member that, no, unless you you know we're arresting them, 153 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:14,079 Speaker 1: and even then you may want to avoid it. Yeah. 154 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:16,599 Speaker 1: I saw that name thrown thrown around a lot and 155 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:20,040 Speaker 1: depressed though, So people aren't shy about it. I mean, 156 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:24,160 Speaker 1: I'm sure it's like being called a mafia member hood 157 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 1: or yeah, a thug or in in the U S 158 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:33,720 Speaker 1: a degenerate gangster who has no sense of tradition or values, 159 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:36,800 Speaker 1: that's right. However, this article who wrote this was his 160 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 1: Ada figures Um. He points out that the most direct 161 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:46,559 Speaker 1: ancestors come from the eighteenth century. He called them quasi 162 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:51,760 Speaker 1: legal businessmen, and they are known as bakuto and techia 163 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:58,160 Speaker 1: is a gambler, Yeah, gamblers, peddlers, Um, not like the 164 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 1: highest repute, I would imagine. Yeah, the is the peddler. Yeah, 165 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:04,040 Speaker 1: and I don't think they were either, But they were 166 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:07,880 Speaker 1: enterprising businessmen who knew how to make a buck however, Yes, 167 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:11,160 Speaker 1: and eventually they decided, you know, if we organize ourselves 168 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:14,839 Speaker 1: into these clans, it might be better for business. Yeah, 169 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 1: and they did, And a lot of the clans still 170 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:21,319 Speaker 1: have the names of these bakudos and techias today. Can 171 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 1: you name one the Yamaguchi Gumi clan. There's the biggest one, right, yeah, 172 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:34,200 Speaker 1: eight thousand members yeah. Um, and we should also say that, um, 173 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:38,320 Speaker 1: the the that clan, if it has eighty thousand members, 174 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 1: it's probably assembled in well, usually Yakusa has assembled in 175 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,120 Speaker 1: one of two ways. It's a straight up clan and 176 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:48,559 Speaker 1: everybody's related, everybody knows one another, or it's a kind 177 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:51,800 Speaker 1: of a confederation of clans. So if you have eighty 178 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 1: thousand members, it's probably the latter of the two. Yeah, 179 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:57,200 Speaker 1: I would imagine. So the Yamaguchi Gumi clan would be 180 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:02,079 Speaker 1: the nominal umbrella clan several other smaller clans that are 181 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:04,720 Speaker 1: structured very much like a mafia family with a dawn 182 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:06,520 Speaker 1: at the head, but in this case it's called a 183 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 1: kumicho yep. And it follows that UM a rough pyramid 184 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:13,960 Speaker 1: structure working its way down to uh. I guess the 185 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:17,280 Speaker 1: lowest or the highest man on the totem pole, which 186 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:20,480 Speaker 1: would be uh, just the you know, the heavy, the 187 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:25,360 Speaker 1: thug sure carrying out the tough. The tough assignments the 188 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:28,439 Speaker 1: guy with the baseball bat. Yeah. I was about to say, 189 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:31,679 Speaker 1: they might use something else but bare. So they might 190 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:36,160 Speaker 1: use two baseball bats and make them like whirl And 191 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:38,000 Speaker 1: the only reason you know that is because of Tom's ellick. 192 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:43,280 Speaker 1: Uh no, no, no. There's a story about the KFC 193 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 1: colonel that they threw in the in the river and 194 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:50,920 Speaker 1: I think osaka um Okay. So we've got the hierarchy. 195 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 1: And the key to this hierarchy is something called the 196 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 1: oyaban Coban relationship, and that is um much like I'm 197 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:01,679 Speaker 1: about to say, much like the mafia, but much like 198 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 1: any structure where you have seniority, ideally you have a 199 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:12,960 Speaker 1: relationship between the higher ups and the people directly beneath them. Um, 200 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 1: and that is the case here with the oyubon coban 201 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:18,720 Speaker 1: is the higher up. It's like a father son relationship 202 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:28,000 Speaker 1: or a den master cub scout relationship mentorte. Right. What's 203 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:32,679 Speaker 1: what's significant about this is that everywhere within them, the 204 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:37,440 Speaker 1: yakuza structure, this clan structure, everyone plays both roles except 205 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 1: to the very top and the very bottom. So you 206 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:44,199 Speaker 1: are the ayubon, the father to the guy below you 207 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:47,319 Speaker 1: or the guys below you, and you're the koban to 208 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 1: the guy immediately ahead of you. Yeah, like, let me 209 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:52,240 Speaker 1: let me show you how to how to clean your 210 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:55,959 Speaker 1: gun properly, right, or your sword? Do they still you swords? 211 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:58,800 Speaker 1: I imagine there's a couple that still use swords, throw 212 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:01,000 Speaker 1: back kind of thing. They don't these guns that much? 213 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:03,960 Speaker 1: Oh no, No, I actually have a stat because I 214 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 1: just got a little curious about gun violence. Six guns 215 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:10,240 Speaker 1: for every one thousand people in Japan, compared to eight 216 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:17,240 Speaker 1: hundred nine for one thousand in the USA and UH 217 00:13:17,240 --> 00:13:19,640 Speaker 1: In two thousand and eight, there were only eleven gun 218 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:24,760 Speaker 1: deaths in Japan completely and in the US that's twelve 219 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 1: thousand that same year. I'm surprised, it said Lowe. That's 220 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:32,679 Speaker 1: pretty high. Um, I know, yeah, I'm saying I'm still 221 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:35,120 Speaker 1: surprised that low The thing about Japan is like they 222 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:38,640 Speaker 1: don't have a lot of crime, especially violent crime, but 223 00:13:38,679 --> 00:13:42,959 Speaker 1: when they do it is gruesome, like little elementary school 224 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:44,920 Speaker 1: kids cutting the heads off other other ones and like 225 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:49,560 Speaker 1: planning it on the gate outside of the school. People. Yeah, 226 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:52,880 Speaker 1: people like I'm just killing spreez and like bathing in 227 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:55,280 Speaker 1: the blood of their victim and all that. Just like 228 00:13:55,559 --> 00:13:59,360 Speaker 1: the craziest stuff. It's like this very like straight lice 229 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:04,080 Speaker 1: culture that like has very strict rules. Every once while 230 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:07,680 Speaker 1: somebody just pops and like really bad things happen, but 231 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:11,679 Speaker 1: it's very infrequent. Yeah. Um. And I did find out though, 232 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:14,560 Speaker 1: about two thirds of the gun deaths, which I guess 233 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:17,520 Speaker 1: would only be about four people, Oh no, two thirds 234 00:14:17,559 --> 00:14:26,000 Speaker 1: would be what like uh uh yeah about that they 235 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 1: come from the from the Yukuza, which really yeah, like 236 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 1: most of the gun violence is attributed to them. But um, 237 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 1: there was a pretty good point in this article later 238 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 1: on that, um, they don't really have to use violence 239 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 1: or even the threat of violence because a lot of 240 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:47,880 Speaker 1: the um extortion schemes that they carry out are based 241 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:51,440 Speaker 1: on Japanese politeness. Yeah, I think the implied threat of 242 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:54,440 Speaker 1: violence is there though, Oh it definitely is. But they'll 243 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:57,600 Speaker 1: be like, we want you to or we strongly feel 244 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:00,640 Speaker 1: that you should contribute to this chairit that's not a 245 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:03,520 Speaker 1: real charity. Um, so maybe you should write a check. 246 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 1: And people are like, well, of course, I want to 247 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:08,040 Speaker 1: help these throwing this golf tournament this weekend. It'd be 248 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 1: really great if you were there at about nine am 249 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:15,880 Speaker 1: off the green piece a million dollars. Alright, So back 250 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:19,160 Speaker 1: to the oyaban Koban. When they submit their relationship, it 251 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 1: has done in a ceremony where a third person I 252 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:28,400 Speaker 1: guess named Spider pours up some drinks um, pours sake um, 253 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:31,160 Speaker 1: and I believe they drink from their own glass. Then 254 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 1: they switch and drink from each other's glass. And then 255 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 1: the oyabun is allowed to get hammered, and I guess 256 00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:40,840 Speaker 1: the koban isn't. No, he just sits there and SIPs yeah, 257 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:44,320 Speaker 1: and I guess cleans up after whatever happens with That's 258 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 1: exactly how they do the um. That's how you get 259 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:50,840 Speaker 1: a sponsor in a but they use coffee instead of sake. 260 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 1: Really yeah, very nice. Uh. Oh I mentioned the Koreans. 261 00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:00,640 Speaker 1: They are they only make up point five percent of 262 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:04,000 Speaker 1: the population, but I could I was trying to find 263 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 1: a good number. I found ten percent of the yakuza. 264 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:11,160 Speaker 1: That's a pretty big disparity, huge disparity. And apparently it's 265 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:16,160 Speaker 1: because in Japan, UM Koreans are are looked down upon 266 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:19,440 Speaker 1: in many circles and disrespected and and you know it's 267 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:24,640 Speaker 1: it's racial uh bigotry, Yeah, pretty much. And so they're 268 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:27,240 Speaker 1: outsiders and so they identify I think, with the Yukuza 269 00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:30,600 Speaker 1: well definitely, and then that that that further strengthens the 270 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:35,280 Speaker 1: yakuza's um sense of being outsiders as well. Uh. It's 271 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 1: also um, very good for business to have Koreans in 272 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 1: your gang because a lot of smuggling between Korea and 273 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 1: Japan goes on. Yeah, so it's practical as well as prideful. Um. 274 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:52,440 Speaker 1: And if you're a woman, UM, don't count on playing 275 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 1: ball very much in the yukuza because you are marginalized 276 00:16:57,440 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 1: and you're not going to be doing a lot of 277 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:06,400 Speaker 1: work unless it's um it's a prostitute or the servant. Sadly, yes, 278 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:09,360 Speaker 1: with one exception. Should we go to that exception? Yeah, 279 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:14,879 Speaker 1: might as well. Uh, Fukio Taka, um Fukio Taka, Fumiko 280 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:20,680 Speaker 1: sorry Taka was the wife of Kazuo Taka. Man, I've 281 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:22,720 Speaker 1: been screwing their names up left and right now. You 282 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:26,240 Speaker 1: were good up until this point. Fu Fumiko Taka, I 283 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:29,359 Speaker 1: had it totally wrong. Um she was the wife of 284 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:34,320 Speaker 1: Kazuo Tatoka. And um he basically he ran the Yamaguchi Gumi, 285 00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:37,200 Speaker 1: which it's like such an adorable name, but they'll kill you. 286 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:39,600 Speaker 1: I know. It sounds like a little Teddy Bears of right, 287 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:42,760 Speaker 1: or like a whole line of teddy bears that are 288 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 1: like slightly different from one another, but you have to 289 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:48,879 Speaker 1: collect all eight hundred and there's trading cards to um 290 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:52,199 Speaker 1: So he ran that clan from World War Two to 291 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:57,639 Speaker 1: the eighties and then he died. Uh and actually, in 292 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:02,200 Speaker 1: translated from the Japanese that was like perfectly spoken turned 293 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:05,840 Speaker 1: into tarsan um not bad run. So he died of 294 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:09,480 Speaker 1: a heart attack in the early eighties, and Fumiko took 295 00:18:09,480 --> 00:18:14,679 Speaker 1: over and became the first woman oyobon ever and she 296 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:17,639 Speaker 1: she held power for a few months is not very long, no, 297 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:20,919 Speaker 1: but like she was it the only one. No one 298 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:25,040 Speaker 1: had ever done it since like the eighteenth century, eighteenth 299 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:28,680 Speaker 1: or nineteenth century to the eighties, no woman had ever 300 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:32,800 Speaker 1: taken over despite kill Billy, there was no woman in 301 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:35,720 Speaker 1: power at any point except for Fumiko, and even for 302 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:39,200 Speaker 1: a few months. It's pretty significant, as I understand. Yeah, 303 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:41,720 Speaker 1: I wonder I have to look into that why she was, 304 00:18:42,359 --> 00:18:44,040 Speaker 1: if she was removed or if she was just like 305 00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:47,720 Speaker 1: this eight for me, right, I have no idea why 306 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:52,120 Speaker 1: she didn't maintained power, but she didn't, but she held 307 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:56,679 Speaker 1: the claim together, as I understand, for several months. That's right. Um. 308 00:18:56,800 --> 00:18:58,920 Speaker 1: One thing you do not want to do if you 309 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 1: are in this oh ya bon koban relationship is the 310 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:06,520 Speaker 1: koban is disappointed oh yabun because you could um take 311 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:09,680 Speaker 1: part in the you be zoom you be zoomi, I 312 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:12,640 Speaker 1: would say, you be zoomi. And that is when um, 313 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 1: you basically screw up. They give you a knife and 314 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:20,040 Speaker 1: a bandage and say you know what to do, just 315 00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:23,560 Speaker 1: go do it, and you do it. You cut above 316 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:28,760 Speaker 1: or at the first joint of your pinky finger, and 317 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:32,080 Speaker 1: um you take it after you've bandaged it up and 318 00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:35,000 Speaker 1: stopped screaming um. And you take the finger and you 319 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:38,920 Speaker 1: present it to the Ayubon say I'm really sorry, let's 320 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:41,679 Speaker 1: just forget this ever happened. Can you please take me 321 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:45,760 Speaker 1: to the hospital. And he's like, yeah, right, it looks good. 322 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:47,800 Speaker 1: And I'll bet if you really wanted to mess with 323 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:54,200 Speaker 1: your oban is it oban? Um? Yeah, oban. It is 324 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 1: like old lady, I believe like grandma, Um, don't hand 325 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:00,800 Speaker 1: her your pinky. Uh, we'll be to just like pop 326 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:03,960 Speaker 1: it in your mouth and eat the guy. Wouldn't that 327 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:07,320 Speaker 1: just kind of like consolidate like any fear that the 328 00:20:07,359 --> 00:20:11,879 Speaker 1: person had for me, it would um. And apparently it 329 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:15,359 Speaker 1: is a symbolic weakening of your ability to hold a sword. 330 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:17,800 Speaker 1: I say, it's not a very smart thing to do 331 00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:23,120 Speaker 1: to like physically, you know, give someone a physical disadvantage. 332 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:25,959 Speaker 1: That's on your team, right, but I'm not making the rules. Well, 333 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 1: it makes sense it weakens your ability to hold the sword. 334 00:20:29,119 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 1: But in that sense, it also it makes you more 335 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:34,399 Speaker 1: dependent on the other CLAM members to help protect and 336 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:37,320 Speaker 1: defend you. Like, I see your point, but I think 337 00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:41,960 Speaker 1: it's cool, Like symbolically it's very cool, I think. Yeah. 338 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 1: And apparently, if you keep messing up, then they will 339 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:47,959 Speaker 1: um go down more sections of your finger. Then if 340 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:50,120 Speaker 1: you lose all your pinky you're still screwing up, they'll 341 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:52,360 Speaker 1: move to your other finger. At that point, I guess 342 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:55,720 Speaker 1: you should probably rethink you're, you know, way of doing 343 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:59,760 Speaker 1: things like, Um, do you remember the geeky guy from Greece? 344 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:05,520 Speaker 1: Uh no, No, he was like just a peripheral character. 345 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:08,120 Speaker 1: He wore glasses and he like, oh yeah, yeah. Can 346 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:11,879 Speaker 1: you imagine that guy after like two months in the Yakuza, 347 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:15,560 Speaker 1: you'd have like nothing left. He just runs into walls 348 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:18,480 Speaker 1: all the time. Yeah. I wonder what he's doing now, 349 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:24,760 Speaker 1: I have no after playing the nerd in like eight movies. Yeah, 350 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:27,800 Speaker 1: all right, Josh, what does what do the Yakuza do? 351 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:31,159 Speaker 1: And I'll go ahead and set you up by saying 352 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:33,200 Speaker 1: they kind of do the same thing as the American 353 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:37,119 Speaker 1: mafia and the Italian mafia and the Bulgarian mafia and 354 00:21:37,119 --> 00:21:41,399 Speaker 1: the Russian mafia, which I want to say, Um, do 355 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:46,240 Speaker 1: you remember how like the post Soviet Russia just fell 356 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:50,199 Speaker 1: into utter like lawlessness and the mobs stepped in. Apparently 357 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:55,600 Speaker 1: the Yakuza went from like relative outsiders to like political 358 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:58,640 Speaker 1: powerhouses at the end of World War Two for much 359 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 1: the same reason. It was just there were there were 360 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:04,040 Speaker 1: organized crimes and the kids in place that we're ready 361 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:07,840 Speaker 1: to fill the power vacuum that happened after the Japanese 362 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:12,920 Speaker 1: government was um cleaning up the mess. Well yeah, um, 363 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:14,840 Speaker 1: and and that's the same thing that happened when the 364 00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:17,520 Speaker 1: Soviet Union crumbled. But that's how the yakus I got 365 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:21,360 Speaker 1: where they are today. Opportunists. Yeah, interesting in the right place, 366 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:23,920 Speaker 1: in the right time, as another way you put it. Uh, yeah, 367 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:28,320 Speaker 1: that's true. Um, so apart from gambling, prostitution. Um, you 368 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:33,480 Speaker 1: got your smuggling, you got your firearms, you got your porno. Uh, 369 00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:37,160 Speaker 1: you've got the age old m you've got the age 370 00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:41,680 Speaker 1: old protection fees, which means pay me and I won't 371 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:44,480 Speaker 1: beat you up. Yeah, it's put way better than that, 372 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 1: but that's what it amounts to. Yeah. Um. They also 373 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:54,200 Speaker 1: uh recently have killed people, um, eleven of them. Well, no, killed. 374 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:56,840 Speaker 1: They don't get into politics that much, but they In 375 00:22:56,920 --> 00:22:59,760 Speaker 1: two thousand seven, the mayor of Nagasaki was shot and 376 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:04,280 Speaker 1: kill old senior member of the Yamaguchi Gumi clan and 377 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:08,119 Speaker 1: U two thousand seven, Wow, like murdered in cold blood 378 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:13,680 Speaker 1: on the street and um, but it wasn't exactly a 379 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:17,120 Speaker 1: yakuza thing. Like he was a senior guy in the Yakuza, 380 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:19,560 Speaker 1: so he ain't messing around. But apparently what happened is 381 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:22,959 Speaker 1: he was driving his car through a public works site 382 00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:26,359 Speaker 1: and drove through a hole and like damaged his car 383 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:29,720 Speaker 1: and could never get any restitution from the government, and 384 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:33,679 Speaker 1: he got mad and went and killed the mayor. And 385 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:36,960 Speaker 1: they think that's what it had stemmed from. How Pesci asked, 386 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:40,320 Speaker 1: I know, yeah, that's very Peci asked, although he petch 387 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:42,080 Speaker 1: she would have been smarter because this guy was you know, 388 00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:44,240 Speaker 1: I don't know. He wrestled to the ground and it's 389 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:46,959 Speaker 1: a big hothead and that's true, but he never got 390 00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:50,880 Speaker 1: napped like that. But this guy got nabbed, and they 391 00:23:50,880 --> 00:23:54,320 Speaker 1: tried to make it a yakuza thing, and they were 392 00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 1: kind of like, no, not really, he was in the Yakuza. 393 00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:59,240 Speaker 1: He was just picked off about his car. We're in 394 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:02,040 Speaker 1: no affiliated with this act. So I'm sure that they 395 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:03,680 Speaker 1: wish they would have fixed his car at that point. 396 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:06,399 Speaker 1: I wonder what kind of car it was. It's just 397 00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:11,440 Speaker 1: like an accord. Yeah, maybe it was probably not a 398 00:24:11,520 --> 00:24:16,840 Speaker 1: Chevy or afford. That's my guess. Um. Sometimes these guys 399 00:24:17,119 --> 00:24:21,040 Speaker 1: segue into real work, legal work, invest in the stock 400 00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:24,840 Speaker 1: market in semi legitimate ways. Yeah you can. I mean 401 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:28,400 Speaker 1: you can do it legitimately, like you can just take 402 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:33,280 Speaker 1: your your illegal winnings and invest in the stock market. 403 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:35,560 Speaker 1: Or you can be like, um, I think this company 404 00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:40,040 Speaker 1: could make more money under my personal direction, buy some stock, 405 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:43,159 Speaker 1: get some dirt on some of the board of directors, 406 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:47,679 Speaker 1: and and then send some of your under links to 407 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:50,960 Speaker 1: a board meeting and be like, oh, we would hate 408 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:54,040 Speaker 1: so much for these pictures of you with your mistress 409 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:59,000 Speaker 1: to get out. Um. So I think now our boss, 410 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:06,560 Speaker 1: the Kuban, why is what's it? Why? Why won't to 411 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:10,200 Speaker 1: get that? Why in there? Our our kyaban is now 412 00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:14,359 Speaker 1: the the head of the board of directors of this company. So? Um. 413 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:18,520 Speaker 1: In pop culture, yakuza is huge in the that is 414 00:25:18,520 --> 00:25:21,000 Speaker 1: a huge. Yeah, I think there was an age. It's weird, 415 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:24,159 Speaker 1: it's huge, it's crazy. You need my missing wise, I 416 00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:28,160 Speaker 1: guess so that's what happened. Um, huge on the small 417 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:30,960 Speaker 1: and big screen. Like if you think mafia movies are 418 00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:33,800 Speaker 1: big here and nothing like the yakuza, right, and they're 419 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:37,720 Speaker 1: very much idealized over there, like even more so than 420 00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:42,520 Speaker 1: we we do the Italian mafia here in our movies. Yea. Um. 421 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:45,640 Speaker 1: I looked up lists of the best ones, and it's 422 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:48,520 Speaker 1: sort of you know, obviously, if you're doing opinion list 423 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:51,360 Speaker 1: like that, it's gonna arrange. But when I saw consistently 424 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:54,880 Speaker 1: listed is like, the best is a five part series 425 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:58,480 Speaker 1: called Battles Without Honor and Humanity, And I want to 426 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:00,560 Speaker 1: check this out. It's supposed to be amazing. I'm writing 427 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:04,399 Speaker 1: it that they compared it to the Godfather trilogy. Um, 428 00:26:05,119 --> 00:26:09,159 Speaker 1: I imagine they mean one and two only unless the 429 00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:11,720 Speaker 1: third one of this one started the director's daughter who 430 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:14,760 Speaker 1: was a lousy actor and Andy Garcia but happened to 431 00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:18,560 Speaker 1: be a great director. Yeah, yeah, she's pretty good. Um 432 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:21,800 Speaker 1: Andy Garcia, I liked the Yeah, I know, it's just 433 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:25,320 Speaker 1: it's weird to see him in the Yeah, I agreed. Uh, 434 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:28,080 Speaker 1: what what's another one? Um, well, that's that's the one 435 00:26:28,119 --> 00:26:30,200 Speaker 1: I had at number one. So I didn't like list 436 00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:32,400 Speaker 1: them all out because everyone had their own opinion. I'm 437 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:35,119 Speaker 1: gonna search some one out. As far as the West Goest, 438 00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:37,760 Speaker 1: Black Rain, that was a good yakuza movie, Okay, I 439 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:40,000 Speaker 1: was trying to think of one of my first thought, 440 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:42,439 Speaker 1: like an idiot was big trouble in Middle China, and 441 00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:45,879 Speaker 1: then wait a minute, what's wrong with this picture? But um, 442 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:49,600 Speaker 1: and I couldn't think of any accusa black Rain of course. Yeah, 443 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:52,800 Speaker 1: that's the only one I can think of, unless if 444 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:56,880 Speaker 1: you suspect as I do, that Mr Nakatomi was involved 445 00:26:56,880 --> 00:26:58,919 Speaker 1: in the Ya Kazan Die Hard. But that's kind of 446 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:01,359 Speaker 1: like a sub sub sub plot, a side bet if 447 00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:03,919 Speaker 1: you will. Yeah, I just remember, I don't remember much 448 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:06,919 Speaker 1: about black Man. I just remember lots of motorcycles, that 449 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:13,280 Speaker 1: was pretty much it. And raining, it was raining black Um. 450 00:27:13,359 --> 00:27:16,960 Speaker 1: So I guess you already mentioned Kazu h. I know 451 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:19,680 Speaker 1: it's hard, isn't it. He's not even my favorite though, 452 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:25,720 Speaker 1: and neither is Fumiko Yoshio Kodama. And I guess we're 453 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:27,920 Speaker 1: just touching on the fact that they do get involved 454 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:30,679 Speaker 1: in politics a little bit. Well, this guy got involved 455 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:35,240 Speaker 1: in politics a lot. Um. He was a war criminal 456 00:27:35,560 --> 00:27:38,520 Speaker 1: during World War Two. He was dealing with China and 457 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:42,639 Speaker 1: Um was imprisoned, and then after the war, um the 458 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:46,560 Speaker 1: occupying American forces freedom Because I guess if you were 459 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:49,880 Speaker 1: an enemy of the Japanese state, you were an ally 460 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:52,600 Speaker 1: to the US, and he actually kind of proved to 461 00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:54,800 Speaker 1: be an ally. He made contacts with the CIA and 462 00:27:54,880 --> 00:27:58,560 Speaker 1: deals with them, and basically consolidated power using the CIA 463 00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:02,040 Speaker 1: and the occupying military. Not too bad. And he had 464 00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:05,000 Speaker 1: made most of his connections in prison, right Yeah. But 465 00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:08,320 Speaker 1: I think also he had a pretty extensive smuggling network 466 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:12,399 Speaker 1: um to basically get materials from China to Japan to 467 00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:16,360 Speaker 1: Selim a grossly inflated prices um. And if you haven't 468 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:19,800 Speaker 1: a smuggling network, you have pretty much by proxy and 469 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:22,280 Speaker 1: espionage network. So this guy had like his own little 470 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:28,959 Speaker 1: intelligence military wow, going under his wing. Yeah. And like 471 00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:31,960 Speaker 1: al Capone, he was finally brought up on like financial 472 00:28:32,280 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 1: uh charges, but died I think right before he uh yeah, 473 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:38,120 Speaker 1: before he could stay draw right, But before he died, 474 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:39,720 Speaker 1: he had a lot of power and a lot of 475 00:28:39,760 --> 00:28:41,960 Speaker 1: political influence, and he used to as a right wing 476 00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:45,840 Speaker 1: nationalist um. And apparently the Yakuza goes through bouts or 477 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:50,120 Speaker 1: periods of certain clans are known to be very nationalistic um, 478 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:51,640 Speaker 1: which is kind of weird because that flies in the 479 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:53,680 Speaker 1: face of like Korean membership. But I wonder if some 480 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:57,920 Speaker 1: clans like don't have Korean members the nationalist ones. Yeah, 481 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:04,480 Speaker 1: which is weird. Um so Japan these days, Uh, they 482 00:29:04,520 --> 00:29:07,040 Speaker 1: say their tolerance is pretty low. Um. In the nine 483 00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:10,560 Speaker 1: they passed Um. What remember we talked about the Rico 484 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:13,080 Speaker 1: Law in the UM. I guess it was the Mafia 485 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:16,240 Speaker 1: podcast And basically it beefed up a lot of the 486 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:21,760 Speaker 1: penalties um for crimes conducted as yakuza. Um you know, 487 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:23,680 Speaker 1: more jail time that kind of thing. Well, one of 488 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:26,880 Speaker 1: the hallmarks of the Rico Act is the higher ups 489 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:29,440 Speaker 1: can be held accountable for the crimes canoe the guys 490 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:33,880 Speaker 1: further down the ladder. And apparently Japan has that similar 491 00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:36,920 Speaker 1: clause or statute. So I guess the various oh ya 492 00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:41,720 Speaker 1: bon would be responsible for whatever the underlings did, for 493 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:47,080 Speaker 1: whatever the kobun did. Yes, very nice, um. But apparently 494 00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:49,280 Speaker 1: that act worked in a way and didn't work in 495 00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:52,320 Speaker 1: a way because uh, some say it caused some of 496 00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:55,920 Speaker 1: the clans to restructure and move into different areas where 497 00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:58,880 Speaker 1: they overlapped with other clans for the first time, caused 498 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:03,920 Speaker 1: some turf wars, more bloodshed and um. So it made 499 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:07,120 Speaker 1: it harder for police to like, you know, get good 500 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:08,880 Speaker 1: information because all of a sudden, it was kind of 501 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:14,080 Speaker 1: thrown into turmoil, and apparently it's had very little effect 502 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:17,280 Speaker 1: on their income because I think like two thousand four, 503 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:20,880 Speaker 1: Yakuza as a whole made an estimated like thirteen billion 504 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:25,040 Speaker 1: dollars in revenue according to Japan Times. It's a lot. Again, 505 00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:27,840 Speaker 1: that's a it's uh, let's see. I think it's a 506 00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:30,520 Speaker 1: trillion and a half youn Wow, that's more than a 507 00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:35,440 Speaker 1: fistful Uh, very nice, well, Clan Eastwood reference. That was 508 00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:39,520 Speaker 1: a Jerry Zucker fistful of yun from Kentucky priv movie. 509 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:44,160 Speaker 1: Oh that's right, well, which was a cleaning east Wood reference. Okay, Um, 510 00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:50,520 Speaker 1: Clin Easwood and his invisible obamatre. Man, Yeah, I guess 511 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:54,040 Speaker 1: there's really nothing you can say than politics is getting 512 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:59,160 Speaker 1: pretty surreal here in the US. His performance are it is? Uh, 513 00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:01,400 Speaker 1: and I guess we need and wrap up with um 514 00:31:01,480 --> 00:31:05,920 Speaker 1: the two twos that they wear very interesting stuff. Man, 515 00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:08,440 Speaker 1: have you seen this? I have their usually full body 516 00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:12,600 Speaker 1: like multi colors sitting here, Torso, but I saw nakedness, 517 00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:15,880 Speaker 1: like every square inch covered? Really did you? Or you know? 518 00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:18,720 Speaker 1: They showed people from the rear at least. Yeah, we're 519 00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:21,760 Speaker 1: in the diapers we'll know these people. They were just 520 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:25,440 Speaker 1: totally naked, bare bottom. Do you see these guys? Yeah. Um, 521 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:28,600 Speaker 1: when I was in Japan with you me, Um, they 522 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:32,080 Speaker 1: have little baths and one of the rules of the 523 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:34,200 Speaker 1: baths it's like, if you have tattoos, you can't come 524 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:37,840 Speaker 1: in because they don't. I was a little worried, but 525 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:40,360 Speaker 1: I think they figured that since I was obviously American 526 00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:44,200 Speaker 1: and I just have like one to maybe. Um. They 527 00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:47,120 Speaker 1: they were like, I think you're okay to maybe I 528 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:49,800 Speaker 1: look like, you don't know how many tattoos, but the 529 00:31:50,440 --> 00:31:53,160 Speaker 1: if you if you have tattoos, they can't ask you 530 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:56,600 Speaker 1: to leave. And the whole reasons they don't want trouble. Sure, 531 00:31:56,960 --> 00:32:00,240 Speaker 1: it's not like the professional wrestling venues where you just 532 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:03,480 Speaker 1: know that it's yakuza owned and controlled. Yeah. I don't 533 00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:05,640 Speaker 1: think we mentioned that. That's one of the sectors of 534 00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:09,080 Speaker 1: legitimate business that Yuckus often get involved in his pro wrestling. 535 00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:13,880 Speaker 1: Pro wrestling, m got anything else on that, Nope, alright, 536 00:32:14,040 --> 00:32:16,920 Speaker 1: that's Yakuza. Ever since I was a kid, I always 537 00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:24,200 Speaker 1: wanted to be a yakuza guy. If you want to 538 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:27,360 Speaker 1: learn more about yakuza and see some of these tattoo 539 00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:31,200 Speaker 1: photos that Chuck's talking about. And this may be the 540 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:33,800 Speaker 1: only article on the site that has a photo of 541 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:37,440 Speaker 1: Jet Lee? Is he in there? What does it say? 542 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:40,400 Speaker 1: What's the caption Jet Lee as rogue in the film War, 543 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:43,920 Speaker 1: which focuses on Asian organized crime. Interesting and there's one 544 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:46,600 Speaker 1: heck of a caption. If you want to see that 545 00:32:46,640 --> 00:32:49,720 Speaker 1: caption for yourself, you can type the word yakuza y 546 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:52,320 Speaker 1: a k u z a in the handy search bar 547 00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:54,960 Speaker 1: how stuff works dot com. Uh. And since I said 548 00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:57,680 Speaker 1: handy search bar, you know what time it is for reels. 549 00:32:58,080 --> 00:33:04,239 Speaker 1: It's listening to mal um Josh. I'm gonna call this 550 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:08,240 Speaker 1: uh video blog. I'm trying to plug but I don't 551 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:10,480 Speaker 1: have the name of it. Oh well, that's rough. But 552 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:16,000 Speaker 1: it's from the past, and I like, you know, hey, 553 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:18,080 Speaker 1: stuff you should know team. I've tagged along with you 554 00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:20,680 Speaker 1: through four years worth of s Y s K, but 555 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:22,640 Speaker 1: have not yet caught up to the most current editions. 556 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:25,520 Speaker 1: I'm writing you from the dawn of two thousand eleven. 557 00:33:26,120 --> 00:33:31,040 Speaker 1: Whoa is this just an old email? Then new um. 558 00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:32,560 Speaker 1: In the past, I've seen the rise and fall of 559 00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:38,400 Speaker 1: Hiku Theater appropriately celebrated when Josh quit smoking. Yeah, which 560 00:33:38,480 --> 00:33:41,800 Speaker 1: is it's been a while now to Plus, I don't 561 00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:44,360 Speaker 1: even remember smokey Josh. Now I know it's nice. Yeah, 562 00:33:44,360 --> 00:33:46,320 Speaker 1: it's like a whole different thing. Now I'm like judgmental 563 00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:50,080 Speaker 1: at other smoker, Josh, as it should be. Uh. And 564 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:52,560 Speaker 1: I've wondered what the W stands for in Charles W. 565 00:33:52,720 --> 00:33:58,080 Speaker 1: Chucker's Chuck Bryant. More recently, Chuck has periodically replaced listener 566 00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:01,600 Speaker 1: mail with the relatively new Facebook questions. But he points 567 00:34:01,600 --> 00:34:03,280 Speaker 1: out that again and he's behind the times a bit 568 00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:08,120 Speaker 1: that's been around. Jerry is as enigmatic as ever, having 569 00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:11,440 Speaker 1: never actually spoken on air, not true. And Josh has 570 00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:16,440 Speaker 1: run a commendable, yet untimely i'm sorry, ultimately failed campaign 571 00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:19,279 Speaker 1: at abolishing Handy from the Handy search bar. Yeah. I 572 00:34:19,360 --> 00:34:21,080 Speaker 1: just kind of gave into that that was a phase. 573 00:34:21,880 --> 00:34:23,880 Speaker 1: But perhaps the Josh, Chuck and Jerry I write too 574 00:34:23,920 --> 00:34:26,080 Speaker 1: now are quite different. I won't know until I've caught 575 00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:28,480 Speaker 1: it to the present or future, depending on whether you're 576 00:34:28,480 --> 00:34:32,439 Speaker 1: reading this from your perspective or mind. Very different. We're aged, yes, 577 00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:36,160 Speaker 1: we are. A beard has gotten noticeably grayer. I'm sagging 578 00:34:36,920 --> 00:34:38,839 Speaker 1: I needed to write you now instead of waiting until 579 00:34:38,840 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 1: I caught up. Though, because I've started a video blog, 580 00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:43,200 Speaker 1: I need to give credit where credit is due. I 581 00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:45,000 Speaker 1: feel like I've gotten to know the gang fairly well 582 00:34:45,200 --> 00:34:49,439 Speaker 1: some with us over the course of two fifty podcasts. Uh. 583 00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:51,759 Speaker 1: It is this kind of relationship that I'm hoping to 584 00:34:51,760 --> 00:34:56,320 Speaker 1: build with my audience two podcasts. He's right behind he'up 585 00:34:56,400 --> 00:34:59,239 Speaker 1: on Um. You've been an inspiration for me, and I 586 00:34:59,280 --> 00:35:00,759 Speaker 1: hope to form the same kind of connection with an 587 00:35:00,800 --> 00:35:04,280 Speaker 1: audience through my video blog or vlog or vlog. More importantly, 588 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:05,719 Speaker 1: I need to thank you guys for all you do 589 00:35:05,800 --> 00:35:10,000 Speaker 1: providing something that is real, entertaining, informative, and that has 590 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:12,520 Speaker 1: brought me back for all these episodes. So thank you 591 00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:16,000 Speaker 1: for the inspiration. You're a fan for the past, present, future. 592 00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:19,640 Speaker 1: Nate bellpof and I tried to plug Nate's vlog, but 593 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:22,920 Speaker 1: he didn't mention it to Nate first rule of thumb 594 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:26,239 Speaker 1: is two pass along the name of your blog when 595 00:35:26,320 --> 00:35:28,239 Speaker 1: writing people that can get the name of this isn't 596 00:35:28,239 --> 00:35:30,040 Speaker 1: fight Club. I don't even try to look it up 597 00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:31,920 Speaker 1: and I couldn't find it. So Nate, if you want 598 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:34,000 Speaker 1: to write in, we'll post on Facebook. Yes and we 599 00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:37,680 Speaker 1: leave the tweet it agreed. Okay, And speaking of Facebook 600 00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:40,320 Speaker 1: and Twitter, you can join us on Facebook and Facebook 601 00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:42,520 Speaker 1: dot com slash stuff you should know. You can join 602 00:35:42,600 --> 00:35:46,400 Speaker 1: us on Twitter. Our handle is the very clumsy s 603 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:50,200 Speaker 1: y s K Podcast all one word. You'll never find 604 00:35:50,239 --> 00:35:52,920 Speaker 1: it if you're just searching for us, but it's s 605 00:35:53,040 --> 00:35:56,200 Speaker 1: y s K podcast. You can also send us an 606 00:35:56,200 --> 00:36:07,080 Speaker 1: email to Stuff Podcast at discovery com. For more on 607 00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:09,640 Speaker 1: this and thousands of other topics, is it how stuff 608 00:36:09,640 --> 00:36:16,120 Speaker 1: works dot com h