The Nine-Fingered Party

Japan’s ruling party for more than 50 years, the Liberal Democratic Party, was founded by Kodama Yoshio, a war criminal and yakuza associate. Even their coalition party, Komeito, has used yakuza muscle to quell disputes. From Shinzo Abe’s grandfather to the recent present, the tattooed gangs in the underworld have played a major role in the overworld. Learn why and how they exerted a strong influence beyond their turf.”

Jake Adelstein has been an investigative journalist in Japan since 1993, reporting in both Japanese and English. From 2006 to 2007, he was the chief investigator for a US State Department-sponsored study of human trafficking in Japan. He has been writing for The Daily Beast, The Japan Times, Unseen Japan, ZAITEN (Japan), Tempura Magazine (France), and other publications since 2011, and was a special correspondent for The Los Angeles Times. Considered one of the foremost experts on organized crime in Japan, he works as a writer and consultant in Japan and the United States. His latest book, The Devil Takes Bitcoin: Cryptocurrency Crimes and the Japanese Connection, will be released on September 2, 2025.

Host or Publisher Center for East Asian Studies