Yakuza, Andrew Rankin
Yakuza, Andrew Rankin
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Yakuza
A 400-Year History of the Japanese Underworld

Author: Andrew Rankin

Narrator: Paul Dateh

Unabridged: 12 hr 53 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 09/15/2026

Synopsis

The definitive history of Japanese organized crime, from its origins in samurai-era black markets and gambling rings to the shadowy syndicates of the present.“The best book in English on this fascinating and misunderstood subject.” ―Richard Lloyd Parry, author of People Who Eat Darkness“Gripping.” —Ian Buruma, New YorkerJapan’s gangster groups, known collectively as the yakuza, are among the oldest underworld societies in the world. With military-style organization and a code of absolute obedience, they have run Japan’s black markets for centuries. They have remained strikingly conspicuous in Japanese society and as a cultural force beyond Japan, with movies and video games celebrating their exploits globally.Andrew Rankin offers the first comprehensive history of the yakuza, from their emergence out of seventeenth-century samurai gang culture to the present day. Though their activities have always encompassed illegal gambling and sex trafficking, the yakuza have also aggressively maintained business interests in private security, the construction industry, the entertainment industry, and debt collection. Yakuza bosses acquired a degree of legitimacy by styling themselves as peacekeepers maintaining order at society’s bottom end. Yet that legitimacy has come into doubt in recent years as Japan’s contracting economy has pushed the yakuza into increasingly predatory criminal activities.Featuring a lively cast of extortionists, smugglers, hit men, and corporate crime lords, Yakuza is a fascinating tour of Japan’s sprawling mob syndicates and the cultural traditions with which they are so deeply intertwined.

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Quotes

“A fascinating look at yakuza gangs...In the process, Rankin gives readers a thorough history of Japan itself.”—Washington Examiner

“Gripping.”—New Yorker

“[An] entertaining new history … [Rankin] devotes serious attention to the pre-history of the yakuza, providing us with an epic 400 years of swashbuckling stories, populated by men with names such as Three-Worms Kanbei and Morishita the Viper… highly enjoyable.”—New Statesman (UK)

“In his engaging history of Japan's organized crime groups from the seventeenth century to the present, Rankin draws readers into the yakuza's world of full-body tattoos, severed pinky fingers, and larger-than-life crime bosses.”—Foreign Affairs

“An enthralling portrait of the Japanese way of crime, full of larger-than-life characters and dramatic episodes.”—Kirkus Reviews

“The most definitive study of the yakuza.”—Asian Review of Books

“A detailed history of the Japanese mafia from its origins to the present … Highly recommended for readers interested in modern Japanese history or the history of criminal organizations generally.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“A well-researched and spirited chronicle of the Japanese underworld.”—Crime Reads

“Andrew Rankin has written the best book in English on this fascinating and misunderstood subject. With style, irony, and scholarly authority, he traces the evolution of Japan’s gangsters from delinquent samurai through ultranationalist thugs to besuited corporate extortionists. Rich in incident and anecdote, Rankin’s account of the tattooed finger-choppers also serves as a thrilling alternative history of modern Japan.”—Richard Lloyd Parry, author of People Who Eat Darkness

“Andrew Rankin has written a fascinating history of the yakuza, drawing on an impressive command of Japanese culture, language, and sources. By situating the organization alongside other mafias around the world, he highlights both its unique features and its broader place within the study of organized crime. Elegantly written and richly informed, this is essential reading for anyone interested in Japan, crime, or the underworld.”—Federico Varese, author of Mafia Life

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