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Who are Japan's Yakuza?

Japan's Yakuza crime syndicates have been a thorn in the side of Japanese authorities for years.

A turf war between Yakuza's largest group Yamaguchi-gumi and new group Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi is now predicted to spill out on to the streets of Japan. But who exactly are the Yakuza and how much of a presence do they have in Japanese society?

Jake Adelstein, a journalist and Yakuza expert base in Tokyo, explains: "Japan prefers organised crime rather than disorganised crime and they tolerate them."

This clip is originally from 5 live Breakfast on Sunday 27 March 2016.

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Duration:

2 minutes

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