The Yakuza Glossary

博徒- bakuto – gambler

暴力団 - boryokudan – violent group – generic name given to criminal groups

チンピラ – Chinpira - thug, low-ranking henchman, punk, prick

義理-人情 - Giri-ninjo – Obligation and Humanity – a concept of duty vs. feelings often used not only in romantic drama but also in yakuza films and even real yakuza culture.

組/会 -Gumi/-kai suffixes meaning group, association, company, or society. Often used by yakuza, construction companies, and even students.

愚連隊- Gurentai – Gang of hoodlums – mostly historical from my understanding

稲川会- Inagawa-kai – The third largest of the “big three” yakuza groups, based in Tokyo.

地上げ屋- Jiageya – Land Shark – Yakuza business of forcing people off land for profit

事件屋- Jikenya – Dispute resolution specialists. Yakuza hired to resolve issues, considered by many to be a reasonable alternative to court.

親分 & 乾児 - Oyabun & kobun – the Yakuza boss/Father-figure and the follower/child

サラ金 – Sarakin – Loan Shark

シャブ- Shabu – Methamphetamine/Speed – the drug of choice in Japan

総会屋 – soukaiya – meeting man

住吉会- Sumiyoshi-kai – The second largest (but more loosely associated) Yakuza group. Based in Tokyo.

的屋- Tekiya – Peddler & Racketeer

東亜友愛事業組合 - Towa Yuai Jigyo Kumiai – East Asia Friendship Enterprises Association – A largely ethnic-Korean yakuza group based in Tokyo.

やくざ – yakuza – the term widely used to speak of Japan’s criminal organizations.

山口組 - Yamaguchi-gumi – the largest of the Yakuza groups in Japan, based in the Kansai region of Japan.

指詰め – Yubitsume – the yakuza finger-cutting ritual. A yakuza responsible for a particularly grievous mistake will cut off the first joint of his small finger to atone.

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Sources:

Yakuza: Japan’s Criminal Underworld by David Kaplan

Jisho.org – Japanese-English dictionary

JapanSubculture.com

-Yakuza Organizations

-Yakuza Businesses