Yakuza, Mafia, Tattoo, and Tebori: Darker Tradition in Japan
In Japan, it is widely thought that if you have a tattoo you are in the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia. Many establishments, especially hot springs and bath houses, will not let you enter their establishment if you have tattoos.
This is fast changing as more and more of the Japanese youth begin to get tattoos.
Dragons, flowers, mountainous landscapes, turbulent seascapes, gang insignias and abstract designs are typical images used for yakuza body art. The application of these extensive tattoos is painful and can take hundreds of hours, but the process is considered a test of a man’s mettle.
Tebori or traditional Japanese tattoo involves using a set of needles attached to the end of a handle made of wood or metal. The tattooist dips the needles in ink and creates a tattoo by pressing the needles rapidly and rhythmically into the skin. The method of penetrating the skin by hand is much the same as an electric tattoo machine with the difference being that the capillary action of opening the skin is different. According to many tebori enthusiasts the hand method does not do as much tissue damage as is possible with an electric needle.
Below you can see some of the Japanese tattoos. These are very customary for Yakuza style tattoos and if i had to guess i would say they are probably all members of the mafia in Japan.
It’s incorrect to conclude that the people in the photo are Yakuza just because of their tattoos. Tattooing everywhere has moved beyond its traditional sterotypes. Even in Japan where some “mafia” members may still be tattooed, others choose not to do so as it draws the attention of the police.
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