Why do the Japanese loved the yakuzas so much?

Question:

Nearly everyone I've met in Japan said they aren't harmful & not petty thieves, instead they're working on a much larger crime scale, helping the community once in a while & considered honorable among the communities. But:

1. They'll murder people who get in their way
2. Debt collectors who'd corner people to the point of suicide
3. Blackmailing people to the point of destroying their whole career, family & life
4. Drug dealers who'd ruin the younger generations for their lifetime
5. Pimps who'd encourage your daughters into prostitution
6. Human trafficker a.k.a slave traders
7. Muscled out small businesses with unhealthy business practices
8. Setting people up into gambling, desperation & debts
9. Corrupting the government
10. Destroying the Japanese economy in the long run
11. And overall making a much larger mess in a day than what small petty thieves may have done in their lifetime

I knew they helped communities once in a while, but the impact of their actions had caused immense destructions than mere donations. And yes, their existence helped keeping petty thieves rate low, but won't you rather have the small petty thieves as in general they are way much harmless in the longer/shorter run economy/society wise, compared to the crime lord yakuzas?

Thereby I'm unable to understand, why did the Japanese still adored and worshiped the yakuzas so much, and calling these sociopaths honorable, cool & brave?

Answer:

Don't know where you got your twisted facts from, but nobody love the Yakuzas here. Used to be people join Yakuzas because they can't get jobs. These days its not practical to join because its no longer as lucrative as it used to be. In fact, the Yakuzas are having a hard time recruiting young candidates thanks to the economic progress Japan has made. These days they're so desperate that they're turning to foreigners in Japan. Foreigners/overstayers who can't get jobs & are desperate for scraps.

Not only that, nobody fear them anymore, according to my friend who runs a used car dealership. He said if they were to ask for protection money or try anything funny with him, he'd just call the police on them. Once he even refused to sell a car to an unruly Yakuza customer. Not that he discriminate against them, if they are polite and resonable, he'll still do business with them.