Oyabun

Oyabun (親分) is a Japanese term used to designate the head or boss of a yakuza family or clan. In the yakuza, the oyabun sits at the apex of a hierarchical ladder and exercises broad authority, directing operations, resolving disputes, and maintaining the group’s cohesion. The term is closely related to kumicho, another word for the boss of a larger organization, while oyabun often conveys the father‑figure role within a family and kobun refers to younger, loyal members.

Central to the structure is the oyabun‑kobun relationship, a formal mentor‑protege bond. The oyabun acts as a paternal figure, offering protection, resources, and guidance, while kobun pledge loyalty, obedience, and service in return. This relationship is reinforced through rituals, oaths, and duties that bind individuals to the family and help regulate discipline, recruitment, and advancement. The family is typically led by the oyabun with deputies and advisers such as a wakagashira, who coordinate operations and succession.

Duties of the oyabun include strategic decision making, negotiations with rivals or external groups, management of finances and property, and ensuring the welfare and discipline of senior members. The role can involve public relations, conflict resolution, and the allocation of leadership opportunities within the kumi.

In contemporary contexts, yakuza organizations are subject to Japanese and international law enforcement and criminalization efforts, which have affected traditional power structures. The oyabun remains a salient cultural and real-world symbol of leadership in the yakuza, frequently depicted in media and discourse about organized crime.