Wikipedia posted:

Yakuza (やくざ or ヤクザ, Yakuza?), also known as gokudō (極道), are members of traditional organized crime groups in Japan. Today, the yakuza are one of the largest organized crime phenomena in the world.

In Japanese legal terminology, yakuza organizations are referred to as bōryokudan, literally "violence groups". Yakuza members consider this an insult, as bōryokudan is a term which can be applied to any violent criminal. In the Western press they are sometimes called the "Japanese mafia", by analogy with other traditionally Italian-Sicilian organized crime groups of the same name.

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Kugutsu-mawashi
From ancient times, people believed that dolls could take the place of human beings. Dolls were also considered incarnations of gods and so were a part of folk religion. Eventually, bands of performers started to travel the country, visiting shrines and temples and villages, and performed with their puppets. These performers were called kugutsu-mawashi.