Definitions for "Yakuza"
Keywords:  mafia, gangster, syndicate, akin, gang
Literally 'useless, worthless, good-for-nothing' or 'a ne'er-do-well', applied to a gangster or member of an organized crime syndicate - the japanese equivalant of the Mafia.
Japan's equivalent of the Mafia. Find out more.
Japan's criminal syndicates. In the Edo period, yakuza were a common part of the landscape, running houses of gambling and prostitution. As long as they did not overstep their bounds, they were tolerated by the authorities, a tradition little changed in modern Japan.
Yakuza is a progressive heavy metal/hardcore band, formed in Chicago in 1999. Yakuza is known for incorporating jazz-influenced instrumentation into their music, such as saxophones and clarinets, as well as elements of world music. They included samples of Tibetan throat singing in the opening track, Vergasso, from their 2002 album, Way of the Dead.http://www.allaboutjazz.com/reviews/r0103_003.htm Way of the Dead review from All About Jazz Yakuza's latest album is Samsara, released in 2006 on Prosthetic Records.
Keywords:  disambiguation, see, uses
For other uses, see Yakuza (disambiguation).