Kanji 任 responsibility, duty, term 仁 humanity, virtue, benevolence Related words ヤクザ ヤクザ is the common, neutral term for Japanese organized crime syndicates or their members. 任侠団体 is a euphemistic, self-referential term used by the groups themselves to emphasize a chivalrous image.
暴ぼう 力りょく 団だん 暴力団 is the legal and media term for organized crime groups, emphasizing their violent nature. 任侠団体 is the self-styled, euphemistic counterpart.
Written forms 任にん 侠きょう 団だん 体たい
Standard kanji spelling; 任侠 carries the chivalrous connotation.
仁にん 侠きょう 団だん 体たい
Variant using 仁 (benevolence); less common but seen in some contexts.
Etymology Compound of 任侠 (にんきょう , 'chivalry, self-sacrificing spirit') and 団体 (だんたい , 'organization, group'). The term was adopted by yakuza groups to portray themselves as honorable protectors of the weak, in contrast to the more pejorative 暴力団 .
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