title: How to identify the Yakuza, Japanese racketeers--their sociology, criminology and physical characteristics.
abstract: International crimes such as smuggling and business fraud are increasing. It is possible that members of the Yakuza (Japanese racketeers or gangsters) may be involved in these criminal activities. The Yakuza is one of the best organized criminal groups in the world. It assumes a family-like form with fictitious kinship ties while making a living through organized crime. The sociological and criminological background of the Yakuza and their physical characteristics namely tattooing, digital amputation, and penile spheres are described and discussed so that the Yakuza can be identified even by foreign forensic pathologists.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D003415:Crime; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010413:Penis / Q000473:pathology; D012919:Social Behavior; D012933:Social Identification; D013653:Tattooing