Tokuryū, A New Japan Crime Ring, Succeeds Yakuza

Japan's introduction of laws and regulations against organized crime in recent years forced the yakuza into hiding, but in the wake of this comes a new menace in the form of the tokuryū — quasi-gangsters who thrive on anonymity and a lack of structure — with even regular folks caught up in crime, Karin Kaneko reported for Japan Times.

Unlike the yakuza, which have a hierarchical structure and strict codes of conduct, tokuryū lack a clear organizational structure, and the geographical scope of their activities is wide, even extending overseas.

The emergence of "dark" part-time jobs that entrap young people in illegal activities, blurring the lines between the underworld and ordinary citizens, testifies to the growing presence of these quasi-gangsters in society.

Unlike the yakuza, which have a hierarchical structure and strict codes of conduct, tokuryū lack a clear organizational structure, and the geographical scope of their activities is wide, even extending overseas — the notorious Luffy crime ring that operated from the Philippines being one such example.

The recent murder of a couple whose bodies were found in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture, is another.

Efforts to pinpoint the main culprit in the case have been challenging, with the suspects allegedly hired to carry out the crime seemingly having no solid connection to one another or the unidentified person said to be the source of all instructions.

The National Police Agency (NPA) coined the term tokuryū to classify individuals involved in dark part-time jobs and quasi-gangsters; the words tokumei (anonymous) and ryūdo (fluid) reflect the characteristics of such individuals, who often operate without knowing one another and can easily disperse and regroup.