The Hidden World of the Yakuzas

Firsthand testimonies uncover the secretive world of the Yakuzas, challenging perceptions of global organized crime.

This documentary mini-series offers exclusive access to the major players of Yakuzas organizations, both past and present. Born in the dregs of Japanese society, the Yakuzas have managed to rise up to the country’s highest ranks. They exercise a grip on the whole of Japan, from civil society to politics, and even beyond its borders. The Japanese authorities, under pressure from the United States, which felt threatened, had no choice but to enact a series of anti-gang laws. Today, it has increasingly difficult for a Yakuza to exist out in the open, yet they have recently made attempts to re-emerge in the public eye.