Making a slow getaway: Japan's anti-yakuza laws result in cohort of ageing gangsters

More than half of yakuza are now over 50 - and 10% are over 70 - as a result of an ageing population and police crackdowns

A double-whammy of skewed demographics and legal crackdowns has forced Japan's yakuza crime syndicates to call on middle-aged men to do their dirtiest work, as they struggle to attract new blood to replenish their dwindling ranks.

For the first time since records began in 2006, 51.2% of regular yakuza members are aged 50 or over - with a noticeable increase in septuagenarians - according to a new report by the national police agency.