Tyger Claws

The Tyger Claws (虎鉤衆) are a Japanese gang that can be found in Night City.

Overview
The Tyger Claws are ruthless territorial gang based in Japantown. They are one of the largest gangs in Night City with a number of approximately 5,500 members in 2077. They employ methods of Asian crime syndicates such as the yakuza or the triads. The gang is predominantly Asian and their primary goal is to maintain control over their own territory and occasionally annex other gangs' businesses. Tyger foot soldiers are easily recognized by their Asian luminous tattoos, fast street bikes, katanas, and tantos. Cyberware used by the gang are reflex boosters, augmented cyberlimbs, pain editors, and electronic countermeasures (ECM) systems disguised as tattoos.

2020
Formed in 2020, the 'Tyger's Claw' was a small defensive combat gang who claimed turf in the original Japantown, and the residential community surrounding it. Generally the gang was not drawn to cyberware, preferring to rely on martial arts, traditional Japanese weapons, and enhanced reflexes. It was rumored that they were backed financially by Arasaka.

2045
By 2045, Arasaka's retreat left the Tyger's Claw in tatters. Shinobu Nakagawa, renowned actor and owner of the Nakagawa Kabuki Troupe, began to reform the gang. He convinced the local heads of several Japan-based Corps to organize the Night City Co-prosperity Sphere (NCCS). He also funded and organized the exodus of residents from Old Japantown to what would become the Kabuki area of the Watson Development. In this context, the Tyger's Claw were reformed into the modern guardian gang known as the Tyger Claws.

The Kimen-Gumi served as the gang's public face. Several security contracts essentially deputized them as law enforcement in specific territories. Despite their frightening appearance, the Kimen-Gumi were disciplined, loyal to their duties, and provided good publicity for the gang as a whole. The leadership of the Tyger Claws came to operate out of an office in the Nakagawa Kabuki Theater.

2077
By 2077, the gang had changed very little: their fixation on motorcycles for transportation continued, and they more regularly used cyberware, with the stipulation of having their own version of the Smart Link. From their small humble beginnings, they had become one of the largest gangs in the city.

Philosophy and Structure
The business strategy of the Tyger Claws is similar to the Yakuza. Crossing the lowest level member can cause a quick and violent reaction from the entire gang, but if they get what they want everything should be fine.

The top brass of the Claws believe business is preferable to war in the long run, but many of the rank-and-file gangers are sadistic brutes prone to violence. Abduction, torture, sexual assault, and cruel or unusual killings are just a few examples of their depravity. It is not uncommon for young, brash, or drunk Tygers to undermine the gang's ideologies by abusing their status on their turf, harassing outsiders, and provoking fights. This behavior would be considered dishonorable by their crime bosses, but an outsider reacting to ganger's behavior in kind will rarely go unpunished.

Most people outside of the gang's ranks who are provoked wisely avoid direct confrontation with Tygers - unless they have connections with high-ranking members of the gang.

Sources of Income
Japantown is Night City's lead nightlife district and the Tygers control a significant portion of it. They own more businesses in Night City than any other gang: bars, restaurants, braindance clubs, brothels, and casinos. Many of these businesses are registered as legal businesses, but act as fronts for illegal operations and money laundering.

The gang makes most of its money from human trafficking and prostitution. The Tyger Claws also make money from manufacturing and distributing drugs, most notably "glitter". Tygers also hire themselves out for hit jobs.

The gang also has corporate connections who visit their establishments to blow off steam and have fun. The Claws have especially close ties to Arasaka upper management, who outsource them side-jobs, paying them with cybertechnology and military-grade automatic weapons.

Vehicles

 * ARCH Nazaré "Itsumade"
 * Mizutani Shion "Kyokotsu"
 * Quadra Turbo-R "Raijin"
 * Yaiba Kusanagi "Mizuchi"

Trivia

 * The fact that several Tyger Claws gangers have irezumi (traditional Japanese tattoos) implies that they were previously members of the Yakuza (Japanese organized crime) - such as Wakako Okada.