Japan’s ‘new-wave yakuza’: tokuryu gangs take control of lucrative sex business

South China Morning PostEN 1 min read 100% complete by Julian RyallJanuary 29, 2026 at 05:00 AM

AI Summary

short article 1 min

Japanese police arrested Horaki Obata, the suspected leader of the tokuryu gang Natural, after a year-long search. Tokuryu, meaning "anonymous and fluid," are a relatively new type of organized crime group in Japan that emerged due to stricter laws targeting traditional yakuza. Unlike the hierarchical yakuza, tokuryu are loosely organized, flexible, and utilize technology for recruitment and communication. Natural, led by Obata, allegedly scouts women for the sex industry in Tokyo and reportedly paid a subgroup of the Yamaguchi-gumi yakuza for access to the Shibuya district. Analysts warn that tokuryu gangs are resilient and can operate even without their leaders.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Amami 30% Kagoshima prefecture 40% Shibuya 50% Natural 60% National Police Agency 60% Yamaguchi-gumi 70% Tokyo ×270% Japan ×380% Horaki Obata ×490%

Keywords

tokuryu 100% yakuza 80% organized crime 70% sex industry 60% gangs 60% crime groups 50% japan 50% police 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.20

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Source

South China Morning Post

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Japan

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis.

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tokuryu yakuza organized crime sex industry gangs crime groups japan police

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