The most prominent yakuza fan magazines are Jitsuwa Jidai, Jitsuwa Jiho, Jitsuwa Document, and Asahi Geino. Other magazines, like Knuckles, are not strictly speaking yakuza fan magazines, but often feature interviews with gangsters and articles about them. Each magazine is usually aligned closely with one specific organized crime group. Interviews rarely touch on any kind of criminal activity, but refer to past glories, gang wars, and discussions of traditional Japanese values.

Many Japanese people, including some police officers, have great awe and admiration for yakuza. They are seen by some as lovable outlaws, a necessary evil (必要悪) keeping the streets safe from “evil foreign criminals.” And in the eyes of the middle-aged salaryman, the yakuza are real men living the ideal life, one filled with an excess of money, booze, excitement, and beautiful women (as well as retirement packages that are better than those of Japan’s leading automakers).