Transnational criminal organizations encounter social networks that link societal actors, and often societal and state actors, in host countries. Japan is not the only country distinguished by networks of social relations in the licit economy, but networks in Japan appear more pervasive than those in the United States and Europe and also appear to be more oriented toward institutions than individuals. Organized crime in Japan's drug trade tends toward a relatively closed social network. The Yakuza have engaged in limited cooperation with transnational criminal organizations, but social network characteristics reduce the likelihood of more extensive cooperation, especially with Latin American trafficking organization. This pattern continues to hold despite shifts in immigration that have the potential to open channels for direct market access and despite increased pressure on social networks stemming from government crackdowns against the Yakuza. Thus, domestic societal actors can influence the ability of transnational organized crime to obtain market access in the illicit global economy. Reference notes