![]() Therefore, the Yakuza were embracing their own heritage and revolutionary rebelling against society with their tattooed bodies. These criminal tattoos were placed in noticeable places by the government for each criminal, completely ostracizing that person, and stopping any business from hiring them.Īround this time, the Yakuza was becoming a known group, and tattoos were outlawed in Japan and only criminals or outlaws had tattoos. This was a revolutionary idea because these groups were taking punishment tattoos (often put on people’s foreheads and limbs) meant for outlaws, and reinventing their usage into a way to express themselves. This was done in order to instill fear and loyalty towards the boss.Īlso, if a Yakuza member decided they wanted to leave the gang for whatever reason, they would suffer losing their little finger and therefore always be branded as a former Yakuza member.ĭuring this time, people from the lower castes of society were developing their own tattoos, called irezumi, which are the basis for today’s Japanese decorative tattoos. The tekiya were a group who stole or scammed goods and resold them, and the bakuto operated illegal gambling operations.įrom the bakuto came the tradition of cutting off the first joint of the little finger in order to punish a group member for doing something wrong. They were forced to stick together in order to survive.ĭuring the mid-Edo period of Japanese history (1603-1868), there were two main groups of burakumin, both low ranking in society, that would most likely form the basis of the early Yakuza. They were the untouchables and had to bear extreme discrimination from the government and society. Some were criminals, while others worked jobs that no one else wanted to work in Japanese society at the time. ![]() Meaning “hamlet/village people,” the burakumin were the lowest of the low. In Japan, there was a strict caste system enforced by the shogunite which put down those in the burakumin class the worst. However, we have found a good amount of information about the tales of their origin and history up until the present day. Yakuza Tattoo Historyįor an underground group, we know a surprising amount about the origins.Īs with most underground groups their stories are considered confidential. However, they hide their artwork when in public with even high-necked shirts and often only show off their tattoos to other Yakuza members. The Yakuza would even have people watch as they were tattooed, as part of a ritualistic process. This is why you often see Yakuza tattoos covering the entire body. The Yakuza believed more pain in the tattoo and a larger tattoo meant that the member had a higher commitment to the group. In addition, the story Suikoden, a tale about heroic men and bravery, was used as a basis for dragons, tigers, and flowers to be used as Yakuza tattoos. Nara ink changes to a blue-green color when oxidized under the skin. One such source of inspiration is woodblock prints dating back hundreds of years, which were always used as the basis of inspiration for large and colorful tattoos.īack in the day, the tattoo artist often was the woodblock artist themselves, and they used the same principles used with woodblock art: the artist would etch and gouge designs into the client’s skin using nara ink. ![]() The Yakuza have many sources of inspiration for their tattoos. They typically cover the entire body from the shoulders down to the legs, called a Yakuza bodysuit.įocused on Japanese mythology and the history of the Yakuza, these Japanese tattoos show the person’s identity to the world. Yakuza tattoos can be colorful or complicated black outlines. The Yakuza’s tattoos are meaningful to the specific person and what they want to show to the world.įor example, samurai Yakuza tattoos are popular because they show that the individual is a warrior who does not let fear consume them and whose decisions are noble. They cover their tattoos with their clothes because only one percent of Japanese citizens have tattoos and they are still highly stigmatized in their culture. Today, they dress like regular Japanese businessmen and have expanded into the financial world in addition to their affiliations. Metaphorically, this referred to how they were dealt a bad hand in life with being part of the lowest part of society. The name Yakuza came from the name of a bad hand in an old card game these groups of criminals and lower caste members would play.
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