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Glite Dictionary
oyabun

oyabun

2 9.9
A leader of a Japanese yakuza crime group
  • noun
  • /oʊjɑːbʌn/
  • Literature
: oyabun
  • - His oyabun.

Examples

  • - Oyabun?

    Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991)

  • I promised the other oyabuns there would be peace.

    Black Rain (1989)

  • Not one oyabun in all Japan would listen to such absurd demands.

    Black Rain (1989)

  • Sugai-san, I want to be an Oyabun... of equal standing to others... and I want my own territory far away from you.

    Black Rain (1989)

  • Four oyabuns will arrive here shortly with their bodyguards.

    Black Rain (1989)

  • Sugai Kunio, top oyabun.

    Black Rain (1989)

  • He is a notorious oyabun known for his influence over the yakuza in Tokyo.

  • Every member of the gang must show respect to their oyabun during meetings.

  • The oyabun called a meeting to discuss the new territories they wanted to control.

Surface Forms

oyabun singular
oyabuns plural

Etymology

Oyabun comes from the Japanese parts oya ('parent') and bun ('role' or 'part'), so it literally means the 'parent role' in a group. That's why an oyabun is the leader or boss, especially of a yakuza crime group.