, also known as gokud? (??), are members of traditional organized crime groups in Japan, and also known as the "violence group". Today, the Yakuza are one of the largest crime organizations in the world. Nationwide, there were some 84,700 known members of Yakuza.[LINK: http://japanvisitor.blogspot.com/2007/02/japan-this-week-21107.html] Yakuza membership In Japanese legal terminology, yakuza organizations are referred to as b?ryokudan, literally "violence groups", which Yakuza members consider an insult as it can be applied to any violent criminal. In Western press, Yakuza groups are often referred to as the "Japanese mafia". History Origins Despite their notoriety in modern Japan, the precise origin of the Yakuza is still somewhat the subject of debate. The first historical interpretation of their derivation is from the hatamoto-yakko or Kabuki-mono of the 17th century Genrok