Handling the yakuza's pervasive presence in Japanese business

FOREIGN businessmen intending to set up shop in Japan can be sure of a formal welcome from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is eager to attract more foreign investment to the country. A welcome mat will also be laid out by such bodies as the Japanese External Trade Organization (Jetro).

But what they will not receive is an official briefing on yakuza - organised crime elements whose activities affect multiple aspects of Japanese life and whose involvement in business is all-pervasive. It is a case of caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) in this regard.

The yakuza - sometimes referred to as boryokudan or "violence groups" - are rarely involved in open violence nowadays but are a pervasive force in the economy, from real estate to finance as well as in traditional activities such as drug dealing or "entertainment".