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".
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