This is damn odd news since the media has been running reports for years about how Japanese Yakuza is declining and they are having terrible trouble finding new recuits. Now, out of nowhere, the Japanese National Police Agency is claiming hiring has been up for the past nine year. Huh?

Number of gangsters in Japan up for ninth straight year
The number of gangsters in Japan grew last year for the ninth straight year despite a police crackdown, as the country’s biggest “yakuza” syndicate took in members from smaller groups and expanded its operations….