"The yakuza originates from feudal Japan era - 15th century - in the early 1600's, being known by common people as kabuki-mono ("the insane ones"). They dressed eccentrically for the time and were feared for their violent behavior and for carrying disproportionately large swords. They had a strong code of honor and loyalty to each other, willing to protect themselves against anyone who threatened the integrity of one of the group's members.

It was the Tokugawa era, at the time of the shogunate, a time when the country was leaving a long period of civil war and entering a long period of peace built by the unification of the island conquered by the shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa. Peace, however, meant unemployment for more than 500,000 samurai and artisans specialized in the manufacture of war weapons.

Many of these joined the mercantile activity, others dedicated themselves to agrarian life, or became bureaucrats, philosophers or teachers, settling in the new cities that were growing. However, not everyone was able to establish themselves in the new society that was emerging, since the isolation of more than 200 years and the strong notion of tradition embedded in the center of Japanese society left little room for social mobility for the excluded warriors.

These socially displaced warriors ended up finding refuge in criminal groups that ended up securing their status and respect through violence, maintaining themselves through extortion and theft from ordinary citizens."

4096 x 4096 | Digital Illustration by Yomu Yakadashi 2022