oyabun means the absolute leader of a yakuza clan. He has an advisor called a saiko-komon. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 88 out of 100.
Why “oyabun” is a great word
OYABUN — [Noun] The absolute leader or boss of a yakuza clan, embodying ultimate paternal authority within an elaborate familial hierarchy. Borrowed from Japanese 親分 (oyabun), literally meaning 'foster parent' or 'parent role'. Unlike kumichō, a formal organizational title for 'group leader', or the Western godfather, which implies a distinct cultural tradition, oyabun evokes a system of giri and on, of debts and favors that bind a criminal family with the tensile strength of kinship. He is the scarred hand pouring sake in a ritual ceremony, the silent figure seated at the head of the zabuton, and the shadow that falls across a city block when his car passes—a title that conflates the warmth of family with the cold finality of command, a prison of duty as much as a home.
noun
- The absolute leader of a yakuza clan. He has an advisor called a saiko-komon.