Japan¡¯s organized criminal group ranks fell to a record low in 2025, marking the 21st consecutive annual decline, according to recent data released by the National Police Agency, amid a shift in the criminal landscape that has seen the rise of loosely organized ³Ù´Ç°ì³Ü°ù²â¨± anonymous and transient crime groups.
The number of yakuza members and associates nationwide stood at 17,600 at the end of 2025, down 1,200 from a year earlier. Full-fledged members totaled 9,400, also the lowest level on record.
The figures underscore a dramatic shift from the late 2000s, when membership exceeded 80,000. Authorities have attributed the decline to an aging population within these criminal groups, tighter enforcement and the nationwide rollout of anti-gang ordinances that restrict businesses and individuals from engaging with organized crime.
Major crime syndicates, including the Yamaguchi-gumi, Sumiyoshi-kai and Inagawa-kai, have seen their ranks shrink or stagnate. Despite falling numbers, tensions following the 2015 split of the Yamaguchi-gumi continue to fuel violent confrontations, according to police.
Authorities have identified multiple rival factions as designated organized crime groups, with incidents including grenade attacks and fatal shootings reported in several prefectures.
Enforcement trends also show a decline. Police recorded 7,335 arrests of yakuza members and associates in 2025, down 11.1% from the previous year and another historic low. Drug-related offenses remained the most common charge, followed by assault, fraud and theft.
However, authorities warn that organized crime is evolving rather than disappearing, as ³Ù´Ç°ì³Ü°ù²â¨± groups have expanded rapidly, operating largely online and recruiting participants through social media and job sites.
These groups often draw on a mix of current and former gang members, ex-biker gang affiliates and foreign nationals, collaborating to carry out fraud, robbery and drug offenses. Police say that ³Ù´Ç°ì³Ü°ù²â¨± are becoming increasingly intertwined with traditional crime syndicates, with yakuza outsourcing operations to obscure their involvement while maintaining influence behind the scenes.
The number of people arrested in connection with ³Ù´Ç°ì³Ü°ù²â¨± reached 12,178 in 2025, according to a separate summary released by the NPA earlier this month, an increase of 2,073 from the previous year.
By offense, violations of the criminal proceeds transfer prevention law ¡ª including the illicit sale or transfer of bank accounts ¡ª accounted for the largest share, at 3,354 cases. Fraud followed at 3,075, while drug-related offenses more than doubled year on year to 1,887.
Roughly 40% of those arrested, or 4,759 individuals, had applied for illegal ¡°dark part-time jobs¡± advertised online. Younger people made up the majority of suspects. About 70% were under the age of 40, with those in their 20s comprising the largest group, at 37.8%. Teenagers accounted for 11.4%, the agency said.
Investigators reported increasingly sophisticated money-laundering schemes using legitimate business fronts such as real estate and used car exports, often in coordination with overseas networks.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.