James H. gets a no-prize with a funny bulge in its jacket for bringing us news of the latest goings-on in the Japanese ganster world:

Yoshinori Watanabe shocked Japan's underworld late July with the announcement that he was standing down as the kumicho, or chairman, of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan's biggest yakuza syndicate, according to Asahi Geino (8/11).

Even more surprising than Watanabe's retirement after 16 years at the helm was the announcement of his replacement - Shinobu Tsukasa, a 63-year-old who was only appointed as the gang's wakagashira, or number 2 man, just two months ago following an eight-year hiatus when nobody had occupied the position.

I've read in numerous places over the years that the difference between Yakuza organizations and the more garden-variety Zaibatsu was more nuanced than most folks in the west realized. While still just as destructive and parasitic as our own mafia, it would seem (even from this report) they are far more corporate, organized, and accepted in Japan.

In other words, they're Japanese mafia, with all the whip-snap weirdness that implies.