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Formerly called “暴力団” (bōryokudan: violence groups), the Yakuza are well known as tough, tattooed, gangsters affiliated with an organized group dabbling in criminal activities (extortion, gambling, drugs, prostitution, you name it!) both inside and outside Japan.
Virtually the entire business in Japan is run by the yakuza. Slang: (シャブ). Kakuseizai was a legal drug available for many years in Japan and given to Japanese soldiers during the war to keep them working and fighting.
Japanese is a language full of nuances. Especially slang is widely used in more casual and relaxed situations. Today we look at yakuza, yankee and DQN.
Well, in order to become part of the gokudo (極道 – organized crime, underworld), you need to learn how to speak like a yakuza. First off, it’s important to understand that your gang is one big happy, although shifty and murderous, family. This is why you call your boss oyassan (おやっさん – father).
itachi (鼬・いたち）: a weasel, but in the yakuza world also slang for a very good police detective. いたちごっこ(itachgokko) “to act like a weasel” refers to a game that Japanese children play in which it is impossible for either side to win.
「お礼参りさせていただます」 (o-rei-mairi sasete itadakimsu-“ Allow me to pay my respects.” That’s actually polite shorthand for “I’m coming to extract vengeance.” It’s so polite and yet so menacing and hard to classify as a threat. Or the famous words of one Inagawa-kai boss to his soldiers.
Yakuza vocabulary is characterized by colorful and euphemistic words. Many words are obscure in meaning or come from Korean or Chinese words. This slang makes it difficult for ordinary Japanese or police to understand what yakuza are saying, and reinforces the separateness of yakuza from society.
Despite their reputation for violence and criminal activity, the Yakuza still maintain a certain level of respect within Japanese society. This is partly due to their code of honor, known as "yakuza-ism," which emphasizes loyalty, discipline, and respect for one's superiors.
Yakuza Japanese has a fun feature- you can attach insults to the end of any sentence. For example: Sentence + お前、われ、ボケ、アホンダラｱ (all mean "you") turns whatever you said into a threatening phrase. Sentence + コラ、ホラ、てめえ turns your sentence into an inducement to fight.
“Oyaji” can be used as slang for “dad” OR some random dude that looks to be over 30. Definitely can’t use that word in an actual workplace setting. “Kyodai” in a normal context just means “siblings”.