History and Background on the Yakuza in Japan

History and Background on the Yakuza in Japan They are famous figures in Japanese movies and comic books - the yakuza, sinister gangsters with elaborate tattoos and severed little fingers. What is the historical reality behind the manga icon, though? Early Roots The yakuza originated during the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603 - 1868) with two separate groups of outcasts. The first of those groups were the tekiya, wandering peddlers who traveled from village to village, selling low-quality goods at festivals and markets. Many tekiya belonged to the burakumin social class, a group of outcasts or non-humans, which was actually below the four-tiered Japanese feudal social structure.   In the early 1700s, the tekiya began to organize themselves into tight-knit groups under the leadership of bosses and underbosses. Reinforced by fugitives from the higher classes, the tekiya started to participate in typical organized crime activities such as turf wars and protection rackets. In a tradition that continues to this day, tekiya often served as security during Shinto festivals, and also allocated stalls in the associated fairs in return for protection money. Between 1735 and 1749, the shoguns government sought to calm gang wars between different groups of tekiya and reduce the amount of fraud they practiced by appointing oyabun, or officially sanctioned bosses. The oyabun was allowed to use a surname and to carry a sword, an honor previously allowed only to samurai. Oyabun literally means foster parent, signifying the bosses positions as the heads of their tekiya families. The second group that gave rise to the yakuza was the bakuto, or gamblers. Gambling was strictly forbidden during Tokugawa times and remains illegal in Japan to this day. The bakuto took to the highways, fleecing unsuspecting marks with dice games or with hanafuda card games. They often sported colorful tattoos all over their bodies, which led to the custom of full-body tattooing for modern-day yakuza. From their core business as gamblers, the bakuto branched out naturally into loan sharking and other illegal activities. Even today, specific yakuza gangs may identify themselves as tekiya or bakuto, depending on how they make the majority of their money. They also retain rituals used by the earlier groups as part of their initiation ceremonies. Modern Yakuza Since the end of World War II, yakuza gangs have rebounded in popularity after a lull during the war. The Japanese government estimated in 2007 that there were more than 102,000 yakuza members working in Japan and abroad, in 2,500 different families.  Despite the official end of discrimination against burakumin in 1861, more than 150 years later, many gang members are descendants of that outcast class. Others are ethnic Koreans, who also face considerable discrimination in Japanese society. Traces of the gangs origins can be seen in the signature aspects of yakuza culture today. For example, many yakuza sport full-body tattoos which are made with traditional bamboo or steel needles, rather than modern tattooing guns. The tattooed area may even include the genitals, an incredibly painful tradition. The yakuza members usually remove their shirts while playing cards with each other and display their body art, a nod to the bakuto traditions, although they generally cover up with long sleeves in public. Another feature of yakuza culture is the tradition of yubitsume or severing the joint of the little finger.  Yubitsume is performed as an apology when a yakuza member defies or otherwise displeases his boss.  The guilty party cuts off the top joint of his left pinkie finger and presents it to the boss; additional transgressions lead to the loss of additional finger joints.   This custom originated in Tokugawa times; the loss of finger joints makes the gangsters sword grip weaker, theoretically leading him to depend more on the rest of the group for protection. Today, many yakuza members wear prosthetic fingertips to avoid being conspicuous. The largest yakuza syndicates operating today are the Kobe-based Yamaguchi-gumi, which includes about half of all active yakuza in Japan; the Sumiyoshi-kai, which originated in Osaka and boasts about 20,000 members; and the Inagawa-kai, out of Tokyo and Yokohama, with 15,000 members. The gangs engage in criminal activities such as international drug-smuggling, human trafficking, and arms smuggling. However, they also hold significant amounts of stock in large, legitimate corporations, and some have close ties with the Japanese business world, the banking sector, and the real estate market. Yakuza and Society Interestingly, after the devastating Kobe earthquake of January 17, 1995, it was the Yamaguchi-gumi who first came to the aid of victims in the gangs home city. Likewise, after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, different yakuza groups sent truck-loads of supplies to the affected area. Another counter-intuitive benefit from the yakuza is the suppression of petty criminals. Kobe and Osaka, with their powerful yakuza syndicates, are among the safest towns in a generally safe nation because small-fry crooks do not trespass on yakuza territory. Despite these surprising social benefits of the yakuza, the Japanese government has cracked down on the gangs in recent decades. In March of 1995, it passed tough new anti-racketeering legislation called the Act for Prevention of Unlawful Activities by Criminal Gang Members. In 2008, the Osaka Securities Exchange purged all of its listed companies that had ties to the yakuza. Since 2009, police across the country have been arresting yakuza bosses and shutting down businesses that cooperate with the gangs. Although the police are making serious efforts to suppress yakuza activity in Japan these days, it seems unlikely that the syndicates will disappear entirely. They have survived for more than 300 years, after all, and they are closely entwined with many aspects of Japanese society and culture.

Brahmanism For Beginners

Brahmanism For Beginners Brahmanism,  also known as Proto-Hinduism, was an early religion in the Indian sub-continent that was based on Vedic writing. It is considered an early form of Hinduism. Vedic writing refers to the Vedas, the hymns of the Aryans, who if they actually did so, invaded in the second millennium B.C. Otherwise, they were the resident nobles. In Brahmanism, the Brahmins, who included priests, performed the sacred offices required in the Vedas.   The Highest Caste This complex sacrificial religion emerged in 900 B.C.  The strong Brahman power and priests who have lived and shared with the Brahman people  included an Indian society caste where only members of the highest caste were able to become priests. While there are other castes, such as the Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and the Shudras, the Brahmins include priests who teach and maintain sacred knowledge of the religion. One large ritual that occurs with local Brahman males, that are part of this social caste, includes chants, prayers, and hymns. This ritual occurs in Kerala in South India where the language is unknown, with words and sentences being misunderstood by even the Brahmans themselves. Despite this, the ritual has been a part of the male culture in generations for more than 10,000 years. Beliefs and Hinduism The belief in one true God, Brahman, is at the core of the Hinduism religion. The supreme spirit is celebrated through the symbolism of the Om.  The central practice of Brahmanism is sacrifice while Moksha, the liberation, bliss and unification with the Godhead, is the main mission. While the terminology varies by the religious philosopher,  Brahmanism is considered to be the predecessor  of Hinduism.  It is regarded as the same thing due to the Hindus getting their name from the Indus River where the Aryans performed the Vedas. Metaphysical Spirituality Metaphysics is a central concept to the Brahmanism belief system. The idea is that That which existed before the creation of the universe, which constitutes all of the existence thereafter, and into which the universe will dissolve into, followed by similar endless creation-maintenance-destruction cycles according to Sir  Monier Monier-Williams  in  BrÄ hmanism and HindÃ… «ism.  This type of spirituality seeks to understand that which is above or transcends the physical environment we live in. It explores life on earth and in spirit and acquires knowledge  about human character, how the mind works and interaction with people.   Reincarnation The Brahmans believe in reincarnation and Karma, according to early texts from the Vedas. In Brahminism and Hinduism, a soul reincarnates on earth repeatedly and eventually transforms into a perfect soul, reuniting with the Source. Reincarnation can happen through several bodies, forms, births, and deaths before becoming perfect. Sources From Brahmanism to Hinduism: Negotiating the Myth of the Great Tradition, by Vijay Nath. Social Scientist, Vol. 29, No. 3/4 (Mar. - Apr. 2001), pp. 19-50.

Asses the use of coconut only in brazil and how to make more Research Proposal

Asses the use of coconut only in brazil and how to make more sustainable the production of bio diesel - Research Proposal Example It is a delicate balancing act the environmentalists have been grappling with for decades, and now the world gradually seems to be heeding that call. One available option is to look for raw and renewable resources that we have at our disposal to provide much of the world with cheaper and more environmentally friendly biodiesel. This report has generated the knowledge that coconut oil is showing great promise in this area, and Brazil is a country that is potentially able to provide much of its own biodiesel in the form of its own naturally available coconut trees scattered throughout the region. The aim of the study has been to determine the feasibility of implementing a massive effort in Brazil to use coconut oil in the production of biodiesel fuel in the near future. Part of building a sustainable future for all inhabitants of the earth involves making use of the raw materials that we have today. For ages, the world’s population has been known to discard raw materials that they seemingly have no use for, yet new findings are suggesting that many such materials may unlock the mystery of how to lessen our dependence on non-renewable resources (Kumar 557). For some time now, bio diesel has been seen as one such way to provide a much needed source of energy and power to the world, yet it has required too many of the earth’s resources that we are simply unable to replenish. This is beginning to change, however, with the discovery that some of the raw materials we have in abundance, and can replenish, are able to produce bio diesel fuel in record amounts. One such possibility involves taking coconut oil and turning it into a biodiesel that can be early produced and utilized on a massive scale (Kumar 558). Brazil is one of the worldâ€⠄¢s largest sources of coconuts, so it makes sense to focus a project around Brazilian coconut oil and its potential to

Financial Information Retrieval and Analysis of Hewlett-Packard Essay

Financial Information Retrieval and Analysis of Hewlett-Packard - Essay Example The company also offers multi-vendor customer services such as applications and business domains, technology consulting, as well as outsourcing and support service across the infrastructure. The company additionally offers IT management software, information management solutions, risk management solutions, security intelligence, application testing and delivery software, big data analytics, and a broad range of investment solutions to its customers. One of Hewlett-Packard’s main competitors in the industry is Toshiba Corporation.   Return on equity (ROE) indicates the amount of profit generated from the shareholders’ investment in Hewlett-Packard (HP). The ROE for the company was18.30% while the average return on equity for the industry was 17.50%, and that of Toshiba Corporation was 5.26%, all for the preceding year. These figures indicate that Hewlett Packard is more profitable than the other companies within the same industry. The company may be generating more profits from the shareholders’ investments in the company as compared to other companies in the same industry. The net profit margin for Hewlett-Packard is 4.68% while the industry average is 4.20%, and for Toshiba, it is 0.92% only. The profit margin for HP indicates that the company is more efficient in converting sales into profits as compared to most companies in the industry. The company’s EPS (2.62) is greater than both for the industry (0.96) and Toshiba (1.76). The EPS for HP is an indication of more favorable return on in vestments for Hewlett-Packard. The price-earnings (P/E) ratio for the company is 14.82 compared to the industry ratio which is 16.0 and for Toshiba which is 39.53. The P/E for HP is lower, thus indicating lower growth in terms of future earnings.  

Essay --

Background Somatoform disorders, as defined on Merriam-Webster.com states, â€Å"Any of a group of psychological disorders (as body dysmorphic disorder or hypochondriasis) marked by physical complaints for which no organic or physiological explanation is found and for which there is a strong likelihood that psychological factors are involved.† So what does this mean? Basically, somatoform disorders include mental factors that are often caused by physical symptoms, but no physical source or psychological cause. The symptoms therefore are imagined, but that does not bring light to the situation that it causes distress and can often be long-term (Kenny, 2011). The DSM-V, the Diagnostic and Statistical manual released in May of 2013 now classifies it as, â€Å"Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders.† This new name groups together many categories of disorders linked to somatoform disorders. Different disorders include; somatization, hypochondriasis, conversion, body dysmorphic and pain disorder (Kenny, 2011). DSM-V The DSM-V plays a huge role in the classification and treatment of somatoform disorders. It was not until this model that somatoform was not just one category, but had multiple sub-categories under it. With all of this being said, the DSM-V has gotten multiple hits of hard criticism that the new edition has a lack of scientific evidence for specific classifications, and unclear boundaries between every day stressors, and a classified â€Å"illness.† However, with constant progress, new information, new disorders and treatments, the DSM, no matter what version, will always take criticism for one thing or another (McCarron, 2013). Going back to the DSM-4, which is still used by many in the psychology world, classified somatization as needi... ... the patient complained about, they needed to avoid diagnostic procedures and surgeries unless previously indicated, and finally they had to refrain from making statements about their symptoms being, â€Å"all in their head† (Woolfolk, 2010). Conclusion In conclusion, somatoform disorders must be treated with caution. Upsetting a patient or even digging too far to find information or a cause of a disease could potentially make the patient even worse. Those professionals using the DSM-V on a regular basis must be aware the changes and the progression the DSM will continue to make. Different symptoms may include pain, gastrointestinal complaints, sexual symptoms and neurological problems. Different disorders include somatization, hypochondriasis, conversion, body dysmorphic disorder, pseudocyesis, and both pain and undifferentiated somatization in conjunction with PTSD.

Persuasive speech against video games Essay

Attention-getter: Whenever I look out from my window at home, nothing but memories come back to me. The house three doors down was the unsuspecting target of the foul balls we would hit when we use to play home run derby. Or my basketball hoop which held many world championships between me being the bulls and my friends being that year’s runner up. In the park across the street, I ended up blackmailing my neighbor, who was a few years older than me, into letting me play football with him and his friends. That’s how much I loved to be outside and play with my friends. As I become aware that my street has become barren from children playing outside, those memories soon fade away into silence. Thesis/Preview: The truth of the matter is that video games have affected the children who play them. Although video games have been quite influential on our generation, video games have had a lot of negative effects on the children of today. First I am going to describe the phenomenon video games has provoked, next I am going to explain the mental and physical health effects and lastly I am going to talk about the impact video games has had on the social skills of children. BODY I. Children in our country have become obsessed with video games. A. Since the start of Atari in 1972, the video game industry has expanded into a 10. 3 billion dollar a year market, it is only getting larger with the growth of technology. And although these games provide much entertainment, it does not come without a cost. Since the rise of video games, more children have become more obese, more violent and less social. (transition) Now that we know a little about the phenomenon lets look at the effects it has on children II. The growth of video games has mental and physical effects on health A. Initially video games consisted of a frog crossing a busy street or two paddles bouncing a ball between each other. Now games have started to border the line of excessive violence, enacting upon some of our deepest desires, but unable to express them due to laws that would be violated. In Grand Theft Auto, you run a round picking up jobs in an imaginary city. These jobs range from killing union workers to stealing pricy automobiles. In Conker’s Bad Fur day, you play as a playful cartoon squirrel that drinks beer and urinates on the enemy to defeat him. In the Journal of the American Medical Association, 90% of the games played today actually reward the player to injure another person and these were the games rated Teen. These types of gratuitous violence portrayed in video games transfer over into the everyday lives of these children. Studies of children exposed to violence have shown that they can become: â€Å"immune† or numb to the horror of violence, imitate the violence they see, and show more aggressive behavior the more they’re exposed to violence. Some children accept violence as a way to handle problems. Studies have also shown that the more realistic and repeated the exposure to violence, the greater the impact on children. For instance, a child in Kentucky ended up bringing a revolver to school and shot 8 students. Police ended up pin-pointing the source to the video games the child had been playing. The child ended up raking in more than 10,000 hours of a shoot em’ up style game that rewarded bonus points for headshots. Even if the games are not violent, another side effect that video games have on the health of children is with exercising. In a pediatrics journal, it states that 9 million kids are overweight, which is three times the amount it was in 1980. I am not stating that video games are the sole proprietor of this drastic increase, but for children, playing a video game usually takes precedent over exercising. With this increase in body mass, children have become more susceptible in acquiring what are usually known as adult diseases such as diabetes. In an Australian Geographic study, when asked what they wanted to do on a sunny day, only 32% of the children wanted to play outside. III. Video Games also have a negative impact on kids’ social skills and experiences. A. Another problem seen in children playing video games is there inability to communicate with their peers. Dr. Ricardo Salguero states that video games are an addictive behavior much like drug dependency. His results from a test on the dependency of video games concluded that 10% of the children, between 8 and 12 years old, playing video games on home consoles or computers, played for more than 4 hours a day – thus eliminating the socialization that would occur through standard outdoor activities like basketball. The more video games played, the more time it cuts away from relationships outside the ones made with characters in video games. Salguero then states that the earlier the child plays video games the worse the interactions the child has with other children are. CONCLUSION Review: From the information compiled by psychiatrists and doctors, we can see the violence, obesity, and lack of social skills that has accumulated since the beginning of video games. That is why I can say video games have a negative effect on children. Parents need to be more aware, not just of the types of games their kids are playing, but of the amount of time they’re playing. Memorable final comment: And when you end up going home I want you to pay attention and listen for the growing silence so that you may physically observe the impact of video games.

The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain - 1576 Words

Each character in a book has a purpose and often an author includes an antagonist as a way for author to teach their readers and their protagonist a lesson. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, two insincere, mischievous con men appear in the middle of the book. Mark Twain utilizes the King and the Duke as a means to ruin the peace Huck Finn has grown accustomed to throughout his trip on the Mississippi River. The King and the Duke represent how Huck may be able to escape certain people in his life but not types of people. The King and the Duke live off criminal schemes that hurt the child protagonist and his companions, much like Treasure Island’s Long John Silver. The King and the Duke force Huck to participate in activities that hurt the people that are closest to Huck, for example Jim (Twain 163). Long John Silver starts a mutiny that forces Jim Hawkins and companions to fear for the safety of their lives (Stevenson 93). The affect the King, the Duke, and Long John Silve r have on the adventure the young protagonist embarks on is very similar and share common traits that in the end spoil the adventure for everyone else involved. Each antagonist requires motivation when they are committing heinous crimes. The King and the Duke receive their livelihood through the lies and crimes they commit. In order to continuously commit these awful acts there has to be a driving source, which in this case is greed. Greed drives the King and the Duke to do acts that are harmful toShow MoreRelatedThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain830 Words   |  3 PagesThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is â€Å"A Great American Novel†, because of its complexity and richness. Twain writes dialogue that brings his characters to life. He creates characters with unique voice and helps the reader connect to the book. Anyone who reads it is forced to develop feelings for each character. 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He is onlyRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain Essay1055 Words   |  5 PagesZambrano Mrs. Patmor AP Lit-Period 5 28 September 2016 Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 1835 Mark Twain embodies realism in almost every aspect of his writing not excluding The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which in he portrays such a lifelike setting that it almost gives you this sense of reality through the point of view of a young man that has an urge for freedom yet struggles to conform to society s norms due to his adolescence. Twain s ability to unmask the true identities of the charactersRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain931 Words   |  4 PagesWolski Mrs. Goska English 2H Period 3 22 October 2014 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mob mentality is the way an individual’s decisions become influenced by the often unprincipled actions of a crowd. Mark Twain penned The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain grew up in America’s southern states during the early 1800’s, a time in which moral confusion erupted within the minds of humans. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn s protagonist is a young boy named Huck who freely travels alongRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain1375 Words   |  6 Pagesmention the years spent growing and maturing physically. Teenagers are stuck in an inbetween state where they must learn who they want to become and what they want to be when they grow older. The same is true for Huckleberry Finn, from the book â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† by Mark Twain. This is a book that was written in a time of great confusion over moral codes and standards. It was a world split in half by two different worlds of people; those who opposed, a nd those who promoted slavery.Read MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain2083 Words   |  9 PagesSatire in Huckleberry Finn In the novel â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† by Mark Twain, we are told a story about a young boy and his slave companion’s journey down the Mississippi River and all of their encounters with other characters. Twain constructed a beautiful narrative on how young Huck Finn, the protagonist in the story, learns about the world and from other adult characters, how he is shaped into his own person. At the time this book was made however, this novel provided serious socialRead MoreMark Twain and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn1575 Words   |  6 Pages Mark Twain and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Controversy Mark Twain, born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, is a highly recognizable figure in American literature. 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