Shadow6865@aol.com wrote:

In a message dated 4/29/99 1:49:42 PM, dhomeric@jps.net writes:

<<
What I've learned about them indicates that they do, in fact, harass
ordinary store owners and don't feel disgraced or dishonored in the
slightest.  They don't generally firebomb said stores, though--a little
property damage or business disruption is enough to make an ordinary
store owner pay up.>>

                        I have learned quite the opposite. In fact, the
sources I read say that the Police will generally ignore the Yakuza as long
as they do not harass everyday citizens. 

That sounds more like a comment about the police than the yakuza.

My big source is an article that
appeared a few months ago in Gear magazine called "Inside the Yakuza" by
Willaim T. Vollman, a journalist who is generally known for his integerity
and usually does not take up only one-side of an issue he is writing on. 

My sources went back to the library quite some time ago, so I can't
quote them, but I distinctly remember protection rackets being
mentioned.  I suppose its possible they've begun avoiding them recently,
but they've definitely been involved with them in the near past. 

Most
Yakuza are jailed for bribing high-ranking politcians and other government or
buisness offcials. They are mainly into high-profile crimes and try to avoid
petty stuff like the protection racket. I think it would be more believable
if the a politcian paid the Yakuza to wipe Ukyou out because she heard or saw
something she was not supposed to like maybe one night she heard some noises
from the alley and when she went to check it out, she saw a high ranking
public offcial (a man known and elected for his integerity and ethics)
getting a blowjob from a teenage (13-15) prostitute. If the information was
ever leeked the politcians career would be over and his life would be ruined.
But maybe the politcian has some Yakuza contacts so he gets them to get rid
of her (She already declined a bribe.)

A high ranking public official would have much nicer places to get
blowjobs than in a back alley.  Given that the age of consent is 14 in
Japan, I don't think his career would be over any more than Clinton's
is.  At worst, he would be exposed to harsh press criticism.

I do agree that murdering Ukyo over protection money is farfetched,
though.  I rather preferred the original scenario, in which Ukyo is
caught in the crossfire when a counterfeiting ring has a falling-out. 
There we had an immensely valuable, highly illegal item (the printing
plate) being exchanged between people who have every reason not to trust
one another.

-- David