Mafia group Yakuza publishes its own magazine

AL-QAEDA did it - now a major mafia group has launched its own magazine to boost morale.

Japan's Yakuza mafia has published a magazine for its members featuring everything from poems to gangsters' fishing diaries, the Tokyo Times reports.

The publication is seen as a move to strengthen ties inside the group, with widespread reports Yakuza is facing difficulty raising money and respect for its name.

Yakuza mafia gained notoriety for crimes including gambling, drugs, prostitution and protection rackets.

But Japan's National Police Agency figures show the numbers have dwindled by the thousands in recent years.

A police source told the Tokyo Times: ''They may feel that it has become harder to carry on with their activities under anti-mafia ordinances that bar them from opening new bank accounts and signing real estate contracts.''

It's not the first organised crime group to produce its own publication.

Terrorist group al-Qaeda publishes Inspire magazine online to reach its audience. Inspire includes bomb-making instructions to help members carry out attacks.