#lol what am i doing with my life.txt

[ashinaisshin]

Some Japanese yakuza/crime-related jargon I learned from the Yakuza series

this list is by no means comprehensive or 100% correct. only putting this together out of personal interest lol so pls take it with a few grains of salt.

PEOPLE

ヤクザ (yakuza), 極道 (gokudou), 筋物/筋モン (sujimono/sujimon) - all refer to yakuza

カタギ/堅気 (katagi) - civilian (non-yakuza)

サツ (satsu) - police, short for “警察 (keisatsu)”

デカ (deka) - detective

チンピラ (chinpira) - punk; lowest ranked members in yakuza

TITLES/RANKS

組長 (kumichou) - highest commander in a family; “patriarch” in rgg localization

若頭 (wakagashira) - kumichou’s second-in-command; “captain”

若頭補佐 (wakagashira hosa) - wakagashira assistant; “lieutenant”

若衆 (wakashu) - regular member

CUSTOMS

盃を交わす (sakazuki wo kawasu) - exchange sake cups; a ceremony undergone to establish important relationships (brotherhood, parent/child)

ケジメをつける (kejime wo tsukeru) - take responsibility (for a mistake)

シマを仕切る (shima wo shikiru) - in charge of a certain area

縁を切る (en wo kiru) - cut ties (with a family, a sworn brother, etc.)

破門する (hamon suru) - expel (from a family)

エンコ詰め (enko-zume) - finger cutting (as a way to redeem one’s mistake)

MISC SLANG

シノギ (shinogi) - umbrella term for all the (often illegal) trades by which yakuza obtain income, or the income itself

ムショ (musho) - prison, short for “刑務所 (keimusho)”

シャバ/娑婆 (shaba) - used by prisoners to refer to the world outside

チャカ (chaka) - gun