Before 1992, gangsters made little effort to hide their affiliations.
Police tended to look the other way because of the tacit understanding that the mob would avoid killings outside of their own ranks, and would at times provide authorities with information. Top-level gangsters also often had close ties with business and political leaders.
But the main gangs got too brazen and violent, and after a police officer was shot in Okinawa, authorities cracked down. A registry of gang members was created, surveillance was increased and anti-extortion laws toughened.
Though still powerful and well-connected, gangsters who had openly flaunted their mob affiliations were forced underground and diversified their operations in the stock and real estate markets -- gray areas where convictions are harder to obtain.
Hoping to gain momentum, the 240,000-strong national force has vowed to renew the pressure and will deploy 10,000 more policemen around Japan over the next three years.
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