Homeless Yakuza

An underground society has emerged among Tokyo’s homeless living beneath the shadows of the capital’s skyscrapers and in its parks. Just recently, there’s been a rapid increase in the number of former yakuza gangsters who’ve become homeless. And they’re really aggressive, flashing their tattoos, scaring passers-by and lording over other homeless as they do whatever they like. For many Japanese who associate the yakuza with wealth, even if it is the result of ill-gotten gains, the idea of a gangster living on the streets is close to unthinkable. But the number of homeless yakuza inhabiting parks and living under bridges is apparently skyrocketing, especially in central Tokyo — via Warren Ellis