This study has involved more than 4 years of work aided by some 50 researchers and reporters on 5 continents and the contributions of others from academia, the media, law enforcement, and the underworld. Descended from small bands of gamblers in the 18th century, the Yakuza has grown into a multibillion-dollar criminal empire whose influence extends from Singapore to San Francisco. With almost 20 times as many members as the American Mafia, the Yakuza are changing the character of Japan's 'crime-free' society and expanding underworld activities in other countries. The Yakuza are similar to organized crime in the West. They control gambling, prostitution, drugs, loan sharking, gun smuggling, labor rackets, and extortion in Japan. They are heavily involved in the construction and entertainment industries. Their tactics include violence and intimidation. Both Japanese citizens and police accept the Yakuza as part of Japanese society. The Yakuza ideology blends samurai codes of blood, honor, and obedience into militant nationalism that influences Japan's economy and politics at the highest levels. The Yakuza have established drug smuggling, gun running, and sexual slavery operations in Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Las Vegas. Chapter notes, glossary, subject index, and 200-item bibliography. (Publisher summary modified)