Even organized crime is feeling the pinch from the rapidly deflating housing bubble. According to a Jane's Security News brief:
Shooting match: Gang-related killings surge in Japan
Japan witnessed an upsurge in gang-related shootings in the first half of 2007. The violence is a result of organised crime syndicates seeking new ways to generate income as traditional revenue sources from bid-rigging in the construction industry dry up. [first posted to http://jir.janes.com - 18 September 2007]
Of course, the official bandits have yet to lay off of the printing presses, and the vast majority of their victims aren't criminals at all.
