Marge's fast food rivals ask the Yakuza to help shut down Marge's pretzel franchise, where they fight a Mafia family led by Fat Tony. Acting boss Hirotani of the Ohara gang uses his friendship with corrupt cop Kuno to usurp a staged land deal that rival yakuza gang Kawade had arranged through local politicians. Britannica Academic, s.v. [53][54] In the early 1990s, 18 of 90 top bosses of Inagawa-kai were ethnic Koreans. The English equivalent for the term yakuza is gangster, meaning an individual involved in a Mafia-like criminal organization. He has been covering organized crime in Japan since 1993 and is the author of “Tokyo Vice,” “Operation Tropical Storm: How an FBI Jewish-Japanese Special Agent Snared a Yakuza Boss … It is friendly with the Sumiyoshi-kai. It renamed to Kanto-Sekine-gumi in 2017. Anegasaki is a place name. As of 2013, the U.S. Treasury Department has frozen about US$55,000 of Yakuza holdings, including two Japan-issued American Express cards. The name yakuza originates from the traditional Japanese card game Oicho-Kabu, a game in which the goal is to draw three cards adding up to a score of 9.If the sum of the cards exceeds 10, its second digit is used as the score instead, and if the sum is exactly 10, the score is 0. Frank Zeller/AFP/Getty Images Share Its origin stems from the traditional way of holding a Japanese sword. The term yakuza is preferable to gangster, because the latter, which refers to members of street gangs, is much too broad a term to describe the yakuza, which are sophisticated syndicates Yakuza (Japanese: ヤクザ, IPA: [jaꜜkɯza]), also known as gokudō (極道, "the extreme path", IPA: [gokɯꜜdoː]), are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. Since this is a Japanese organization, there is a strict hierarchy among the members: Kumicho: The oyabun or over-all boss Highest ranking member in a family is a Oyabun/Kumicho (Father/Head boss) who is the highest ranking member of the whole family. foster parent). Open warfare erupts between the two gangs. This practice has started to wane amongst the younger members, due to it being an easy identifier for police.[19]. It was founded in 1915 and split from the. It is very rare to have a female boss. Formerly known as Sanshin-kai (山心会). Takezawa is the surname of the boss. Structurally, Sumiyoshi-kai differs from its principal rival, the. Member of the Kantō-Shinnō-Doushi-kai. This is usually done by people to atone for an offense or punishment for offending the yakuza. Adam's brother Michael Noshimuri was also part of the Yakuza. Kumicho are at the top, and control various saikō-komon (最高顧問, senior advisors). Yakuza frequently engage in a unique form of Japanese extortion known as sōkaiya. Bakuto (gamblers) had a much lower social standing even than traders, as gambling was illegal. ("Happy Hour") Dwight recruits Hide to apply for the "Print in All Colors" executive training program because he wants t… If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. It was split from Takezawa-kai. The Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi is the fourth largest yakuza family, with 1,500 members. The yakuza – real-life yakuza, not the avatars or movie characters – are composed primarily of Korean-Japanese nationals and burakumin, Japan's equivalent of … The Yakuza make an appearance outside 742 Evergreen Terrace in an episode of The Simpsons, "The Twisted World of Marge Simpson". Perhaps because of its lower socio-economic status, numerous Yakuza members come from Burakumin and ethnic Korean backgrounds. The idea is that a person with a weak sword grip then has to rely more on the group for protection—reducing individual action. Yakuza have a complex organizational structure. Koreans are sometimes looked down upon in Japanese society, which feeds into the Yakuza's outsider status. They are a splinter group who broke away from the Yamaguchi-gumi family in 2015. Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Bunta Sugawara, Tatsuo Umemiya, Hiroki Matsukata, Mikio Narita. The Inagawa-kai is the third largest Yakuza family in Japan, with roughly 2,100 members. To top it off, there are a jumble of ways to talk about your boss. Raz, Jacob. It was split from Takezawa-kai. The Inagawa-kai is the third largest yakuza family in Japan, with roughly 2,100 members. Yakuza: Kind-hearted criminals or monsters in suits? This is usually done by people to atone for an offense or punishment for offending the yakuza. Iijima is the surname of the boss. Japanese police yesterday arrested the leader of a particularly brutal yakuza organised crime syndicate for allegedly gunning down a man in public. Prospective Yakuza come from all walks of life. For example, they stop other criminal organisations acting in their areas of operation. It is friendly with the Sumiyoshi-kai. Yakuza films have also been popular in the Western market with films such as the 1975 film The Yakuza, the 1989 film Black Rain, the 2005 film Into the Sun, and the 2018 film, The Outsider. [45], In California, the Yakuza have made alliances with local Korean gangs as well as Chinese triads. Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Bunta Sugawara, Tatsuo Umemiya, Hiroki Matsukata, Mikio Narita. Last modified 17 April 2011. However, gang-wars, and the use of violence as a tool have caused their approval to fall with the general public. In a much later period, the code of jingi (仁義, justice and duty) was developed where loyalty and respect are a way of life. [33] The Philippines, for instance, is a source of young women. As a result of this, he fled the country and went to America to start a new life. [27] After the Organized Crime Countermeasures Law was enacted, many Yakuza syndicates made efforts to restructure to appear more professional and legitimate. The boss drinks his fill while the initiate merely sips [source: Crime Library]. [45][46] The Yakuza are said to use Hawaii as a midway station between Japan and mainland America, smuggling methamphetamine into the country and smuggling firearms back to Japan. Sumiyoshi-kai is a confederation of smaller yakuza groups. [25] Groups are designated as boryokudan if their members take advantage of the gang's influence to do business, are structured to have one leader, and have a large portion of their members hold criminal records. Merged with the Inagawa-kai. foster child) owe their allegiance to the oyabun (親分, lit. It was split from Yamaguchi-gumi in 1997. [36] Japan's Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission has knowledge of more than 50 listed companies with ties to organized crime, and in March 2008, the Osaka Securities Exchange decided to review all listed companies and expel those with Yakuza ties.[37]. Introduction Yakuza is the name given to organized crime syndicates in Japan. [47] This is the area where they are still the most active today. This is in line with the idea that their activities are semi-open; theft by definition would be a covert activity. For example, Yoshinori Watanabe headed the Yamaguchi-gumi fifth; on his retirement, Shinobu Tsukasa became head of the Yamaguchi-gumi sixth, and "Yamaguchi-gumi VI" is the group's formal name. Japanese-born people of recent Korean ancestry are considered resident aliens because of their nationality and are often shunned in legitimate trades, and are therefore embraced by the Yakuza precisely because they fit the group's "outsider" image. Formerly known as Zen-Masuya-rengō-kai. Photo: Wikimedia Commons. Its current head (会長 kai-cho) is Isao Seki. A retired Japanese yakuza crime syndicate boss, who does not want to be identified, shows the tattoo on his back at his residence in Tokyo, on March 20, 2009. It was split of Matsuba-kai as Matsubakai-Sekine-gumi in 2014. Member of the Kanto-Shinno-Doushi-kai. Instead of harassing small businesses, the Yakuza harass a stockholders' meeting of a larger corporation. (Series 1993–1997) ", This page was last edited on 17 January 2021, at 17:20. They are respected but they don’t have authority or power within the groups. Disbanded in 1988, the remaining organizations have subscribed to Kenryu-kai and Kodo-kai. Disbanded. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. The regional gangs themselves are governed by their local boss, the shateigashira.[18]. [citation needed], Although Yakuza membership has declined since the implementation of the Anti-Boryokudan Act in 1992, there are still approximately 28,200 active Yakuza members in Japan as of 2019. Every part of his body would be marked. Member of the Kanto-Shinno-Doushi-kai. Kaplan and Dubro (2003) Preface to the new edition. In the Japanese Television series Midnight Diner (Japanese TV series) and the subsequent Netflix continuation, two prominent characters are members of the Yakuza. The most romantic tales tell how Yakuza accept sons who have been abandoned or exiled by their parents. Last updated on: September 30, 2020, 03:20h. [45], Handguns manufactured in the US account for a large share (33%) of handguns seized in Japan, followed by China (16%) and the Philippines (10%). Those who have received sake from oyabun are part of the immediate family and ranked in terms of elder or younger brothers. It was renamed from Okinawa-Kyokuryū-kai in 2011. Thai police arrested 74-year-old Shigeharu Shirai last Wednesday in a province north of Bangkok, where he had been hiding for more than ten years to escape murder charges in Japan. "Yakuza," accessed 30 September 2018. Gunji is the boss of his own Yakuza clan. [52], While ethnic Koreans make up only 0.5% of the Japanese population, they are a prominent part of Yakuza because they suffer severe discrimination in Japanese society alongside the burakumin. Formerly known as Zen-Takezawa-rengō-kai. The yakuza is the Japanese mafia and their name essentially means “good for nothing.” The name is believed to be drawn from the lowest hand in the Japanese card game baccara, which is similar to Blackjack. Disbanded, then joined to the Matsuba-kai. Chōjiya means clove merchants. Bruno, A. This was done without prior consultation of the NPA. [13] This hierarchy resembles a structure similar to the family – in traditional Japanese culture the oyabun was often regarded as a surrogate father, and the kobun as surrogate children. Because of the economic situation during the mid-Edo period and the predominance of the merchant class, developing Yakuza groups were composed of misfits and delinquents who had joined or formed Yakuza groups to extort customers in local markets by selling fake or shoddy goods. "[43] Such actions by the Yakuza are a result of their knowing of what it is like to "fend for yourself," without any government aid or community support, because they are also considered "outcasts" and "dropouts from society". The police stepped in and forced the Yakuza bosses on both sides to declare a truce in public. A retired Japanese Yakuza boss has been arrested in Thailand ending more than 14 years on the run after photos of his gang-related tattoos went viral.. the first renowned modern yakuza. Also, things change considerably if they’re yakuza or a fictional boss in a video game. [citation needed]. Yakuza trick girls from impoverished villages into coming to Japan, where they are promised respectable jobs with good wages. Posted on: September 30, 2020, 02:49h. P:hoto: AFP / … [13] During the Edo period, the government formally recognized the tekiya. Sho Fumimura (Writer), Ryoichi Ikegami (Artist). The brain surgeon, named Hidetoshi Hasegawa, or Hide (pronounced hee-day), claimed that he was the world's best heart surgeon and deliberately killed the Yakuza boss. Eventually, it would become forbidden for a Yakuza to show off his tattoo-covered skin. Last modified 31 October 2016. The tekiya were a highly structured and hierarchical group with the oyabun (boss) at the top and kobun (gang members) at the bottom. If the boss goes to … Yakuza also have ties to the Japanese realty market and banking, through jiageya. As a matter of principle, theft is not recognised as a legitimate activity of Yakuza. Several manga by Ryoichi Ikegami are located in the middle of the Japanese underworld: Members of traditional transnational organized crime syndicates in Japan. Formerly known as Hanamata-rengō-kai. Most of these gambling houses ran loan-sharking businesses for clients, and they usually maintained their own security personnel. Kodo-kai chief Kiyoshi Takayama was arrested in late 2010. Yubitsume, or the cutting off of one's finger, is a form of penance or apology. Sometimes an underboss may do this in penance to the oyabun if he wants to spare a member of his own gang from further retaliation. Yakuza are regarded as semi-legitimate organizations. The Yakuza are believed to run the Japanese sex trade, ... “Yakuza are dropouts from society,” said author Manabu Miyazaki, the son of a former Yakuza boss, told The Guardian recently. It has been merged into Okinawa-Kyokuryū-kai in 2011. Votes: 647 The numbers that follow the names of bōryokudan groups refer to the group's leadership. It is based in the Tokyo-Yokohama area and was one of the first yakuza families to expand its operations outside of Japan. Successor to Kumamoto-rengō. (2007). Just a warning: it’s a long and winding road up and down the proverbial corporate food chain, and as with most things Japanese there is no one clear cut way to say ‘boss’. During the formation of the Yakuza, they adopted the traditional Japanese hierarchical structure of oyabun-kobun where kobun (子分; lit. [12] During Shinto festivals, these peddlers opened stalls and some members were hired to act as security. Much of the undesirable image of the Yakuza originates from bakuto; this includes the name Yakuza itself. 4 1. In 1997, one verified Yakuza member was caught smuggling 4 kilograms (8.82 pounds) of heroin into Canada. [citation needed][22], A designated boryokudan (指定暴力団, Shitei Bōryokudan)[23] is a "particularly harmful" Yakuza group[24] registered by the Prefectural Public Safety Commissions under the Organized Crime Countermeasures Law (暴力団対策法, Bōryokudan Taisaku Hō) enacted in 1991. The Yakuza play a very important role in the Hawaii Five-0 remake. Member of the Yonsha-kai. At various times, people in Japanese cities have launched anti-Yakuza campaigns with mixed and varied success. As the Yakuza … [57][19] Notable Yakuza members of Korean ancestry include Hisayuki Machii the founder of the Tosei-kai, Jiro Yanagawa the founder of the Yanagawa-gumi, Hirofumi Hashimoto the founder of the Kyokushinrengo-kai, Tokutaro Takayama the head of the 4th-generation Aizukotetsu-kai, Jiro Kiyota the head of the 5th-generation Inagawa-kai, the head of the 5th/7th-generation Goda-ikka, Shinichi Matsuyama the head of the 5th-generation Kyokuto-kai, Kuniyasu Makino the head of the 5th-generation Matsuba-kai, Akira Takamura the head of the 5th-generation Soai-kai, Chojiro Murakami the head of the 1st-generation Kyushu Seido-kai, Masahiro Namikawa the head of the 2nd-generation Kyushu Seido-kai & founder of the Namikawa-kai, the head of the 3rd/4th-generation Fukuhaku-kai, and the head of the 6th/7th/8th-generation Sakaume-gumi. Ametoku is the nickname of the first boss. Since 2011, regulations that made business with members illegal as well as enactments of Yakuza exclusion ordinances led to the group's membership decline from its 21st century peak. According to David E. Kaplan and Alec Dubro, burakumin account for about 70% of the members of Yamaguchi-gumi, the largest Yakuza syndicate in Japan. Member of the Kanto-Shinno-Doushi-kai. [17], Many Yakuza have full-body tattoos (including their genitalia). A retired Japanese yakuza crime syndicate boss, who does not want to be identified, shows the tattoo on his back at his residence in Tokyo, on March 20, 2009. In March 1995, the Japanese government passed the Act for Prevention of Unlawful Activities by Criminal Gang Members, which made traditional racketeering much more difficult. Yakuza groups are headed by an oyabun or kumichō (組長, family head) who gives orders to his subordinates, the kobun. [20], When Yakuza members play Oicho-Kabu cards with each other, they often remove their shirts or open them up and drape them around their waists. The yakuza – real-life yakuza, not the avatars or movie characters – are composed primarily of Korean-Japanese nationals and burakumin, Japan's equivalent of … They have been known to provide relief in times of disaster. Varied, including illegitimate businesses, an array of criminal and non-criminal activities. Instead, they are forced into becoming sex workers and strippers.[34]. Although the modern Yakuza has diversified, some gangs still identify with one group or the other; for example, a gang whose primary source of income is illegal gambling may refer to themselves as bakuto. According to the media, encouraged by tougher anti-Yakuza laws and legislation, local governments and construction companies have begun to shun or ban Yakuza activities or involvement in their communities or construction projects. This adds pressure to the group from the U.S. as well where an executive order in 2011 required financial institutions to freeze Yakuza assets. Name Japanese Name Headquarters Reg. The boss’s wife is often called anesan (姉さん – older sister). [4] This group is still regarded as being among "the most sophisticated and wealthiest criminal organizations". In the FXX adult animation series Archer, Pam Poovey, human resources director of the ISIS espionage agency, participates in competitive drift races with the Yakuza. It was renamed to Kizuna-kai in 2020. Lead character Kono Kalakaua's husband Adam Noshimuri was the former head of the Yakuza who took over after his father Hiro Noshimuri died. Disbanded, then taken over by Matsuba-kai. The wife of the boss has a vital role in the group. A powerful and notorious gang from Tokyo kicked Gunji out of Yokohama. Grand Theft Auto III features a Yakuza clan that assists the protagonist in the second and third act after they cut their ties with the Mafia. This is one of the few times that Yakuza members display their tattoos to others, as they normally keep them concealed in public with long-sleeved and high-necked shirts. The Yamaguchi-gumi is the largest Yakuza family, accounting for 30% of all Yakuza in Japan, with more than 4,100 members. They appeared in all four seasons of the series. The burakumin are descendants of outcast communities of the pre-modern, especially the feudal era, mainly those with occupations considered tainted with death or ritual impurity, such as butchers, executioners, undertakers, or leather workers. The living is easy: Yakuza boss’s home. "A Brief History of the Yakuza Organization". By 1997 it would sell for only $500 due to the proliferation of guns in Japan during the 1990s. The Yakuza does not consist of just one group, rather there are many different syndicate groups that together form one of the largest organized crime groups in the world. Beginning in 2009, led by agency chief Takaharu Ando, Japanese police began to crack down on the gangs. Formerly known as Zen-Chōjiya-rengō-kai. Acting boss Hirotani of the Ohara gang uses his friendship with corrupt cop Kuno to usurp a staged land deal that rival yakuza gang Kawade had arranged through local politicians. Methods include that which brought down Al Capone: checking the organization's finances. In a much later period, the code of jingi (仁義, justice and duty) was developed where loyalty and respect are a way of life. in Notes Yamaguchi-gumi VI : 六代目 … Many Chinese or Korean persons who do not know the name "Yakuza" would know the name "Yamaguchi-gumi", which is frequently portrayed in gangster films. Usually, the top females in a Yakuza are the boss’ wife or daughter. The series has been successful, spawning sequels, spin-offs, a live action movie, and a web TV series. In essence, this is a specialized form of protection racket. The bottom three fingers of each hand are used to grip the sword tightly, with the thumb and index fingers slightly loose. This ritual is not exclusive to the Yakuza—it is also commonly performed in traditional Japanese Shinto weddings, and may have been a part of sworn brotherhood relationships.[17]. Member of the Kanto-Shinno-Doushi-kai. Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Bunta Sugawara, Tatsuo Umemiya, Hiroki Matsukata, Mikio Narita. [58], The Yakuza have had mixed relations with Japanese society. [43] In addition, the Yakuza's code of honor (ninkyo) reportedly values justice and duty above anything else, and forbids allowing others to suffer. Sumiyoshi-kai is a confederation of smaller Yakuza groups. The Sumiyoshi-kai is the second largest Yakuza family, with an estimated 2,800 members. The Yakuza saw their potential following the constant Vietnamese cafe shoot-outs and home invasion burglaries throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. It was split of Yamaguchi-gumi VI in 2015. It is a member of the Gosha-kai (Five social gathering). These are some of the most striking Yakuza movies. [1] Japanese Police Arrest Top Yakuza Boss Accused of Running High-Stakes Tokyo Baccarat Den. The Yakuza derive most of their income from a casino, Kenji's, and are currently fighting to keep other gangs from peddling drugs in their territory while seeking to protect their activities from police interference. Disbanded, then taken over by Sumiyoshi-kai. 猪狩先生を弔う日々 : Japan Subculture Research Center", Confessions of a Yakuza: A Life in Japan's Underworld, FBI What We Investigate – Asian Transnational Organized Crime Groups, Blood ties: Yakuza daughter lifts lid on hidden hell of gangsters' families. The roots of the Yakuza survive today in initiation ceremonies, which incorporate tekiya or bakuto rituals. BANGKOK, Thailand – A retired Japanese crime boss has been arrested in Thailand ending more than 14 years on the run after photos of his 'yakuza' tattoos and a missing little finger went viral. In 1989, Susumu Ishii, the Oyabun of the Inagawa-kai (a well known Yakuza group) bought US$255 million worth of Tokyo Kyuko Electric Railway's stock. She is the boss’s shadow. The amputated finger is then wrapped in cloth and offered to the yakuza boss. During the World War II period in Japan, the more traditional tekiya/bakuto form of organization declined as the entire population was mobilised to participate in the war effort and society came under the control of the strict military government. foster child) owe their allegiance to the oyabun (親分, lit. Open warfare erupts between the two gangs. Ryu Kenzaki and Gen, his underling, who later leaves the Yakuza to make an honest living. (2007). Although many Yakuza clans have nationalistic ideologies, Koreans have a strong presence within the Yakuza. As they began to form organizations of their own, they took over some administrative duties relating to commerce, such as stall allocation and protection of their commercial activities. 4 1. One day while performing surgery on a Yakuza mob boss, the man died. "Police of Japan 2011, Criminal Investigation : 2. It has inherited the genealogy of Shinmon Tatsugoro. Member of the Kanto-Shinno-Doushi-kai. It was split of Kōbe-Yamaguchi-gumi as Ninkyo-dantai-Yamaguchi-gumi in 2017. Japan's bubble economy of the 1980s is often blamed on real estate speculation by banking subsidiaries. The oyabun-kobun relationship is formalized by ceremonial sharing of sake from a single cup. Votes: 647 Her role is to look after the young recruits and advise the boss. A retired Japanese crime boss has been arrested in Thailand, ending more than 14 years on the run, after photos of his yakuza tattoos and a missing little finger went viral. In 1990, a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver that cost $275 in the US could sell for up to $4,000 in Tokyo. A retired Japanese crime boss has been arrested in Thailand, ending more than 14 years on the run, after photos of his yakuza tattoos and a missing little finger went viral. In the Yamaguchi-gumi, which controls some 2,500 businesses and 500 Yakuza groups, there are fifth rank subsidiary organizations. [60] Movies like Battles Without Honor and Humanity and Dead or Alive portray some of the members as violent criminals, with the focus being on the violence, while other movies focus more on the "business" side of the Yakuza. The removal of digits starting with the little finger moving up the hand to the index finger progressively weakens a person's sword grip. [21], The Yamaguchi family is successful to the point where its name has become synonymous with Japanese organized crime in many parts of Asia outside Japan. The Yamaguchi-gumi is the biggest yakuza family, with more than 4,100 members. Isokichi Yoshida (1867–1936) from the Kitakyushu area was considered[by whom?] For example, immediately after the 1995 Kobe earthquake, the Yamaguchi-gumi, whose headquarters are in Kobe, mobilized itself to provide disaster relief services (including the use of a helicopter), and this was widely reported by the media as a contrast to the much slower response by the Japanese government. A retired Japanese Yakuza boss has been arrested in Thailand ending more than 14 years on the run after photos of his gang-related tattoos went viral.. Towards the end of the third act, the player assassinates the leader of the clan, and the other members are later executed by Colombian gangsters. [44], Yakuza activity in the United States is mostly restricted to Hawaii, but they have made their presence known in other parts of the country, especially in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as Seattle, Las Vegas, Arizona, Virginia, Chicago, and New York City. In return, a yakuza boss or upper level family member calls the younger ones kodomo (子供 – children) and may use other family terms to refer to people. Jiageya specialize in inducing holders of small real estate to sell their property so that estate companies can carry out much larger development plans. Member of the Kanto-Shinno-Doushi-kai. Fight Against Organized Crime", "The Organized Crime Countermeasures Law", The Fukuoka Prefectural Center for the Elimination of Boryokudan, "Boryokudan Comprehensive Measures — The Condition of the Boryokudan", Confessions of a Yakuza: A Life in Japan's Underworld, Blood ties: Yakuza daughter lifts lid on hidden hell of gangsters' families, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Yakuza_syndicates&oldid=1000976297, Articles with Japanese-language sources (ja), Articles containing Japanese-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. A mission in a later game, Hitman, set at a secluded mountaintop hospital, features a notorious Yakuza lawyer and fixer as one of two targets to be assassinated. There is much evidence of Yakuza involvement in international crime. [16] His life and exploits were featured in sixteen films between 1911 and 1940. Member of the Kanto-Shinno-Doushi-kai. They simply scare the ordinary stockholder with the presence of Yakuza operatives, who obtain the right to attend the meeting by making a small purchase of stock. [39] One study found that 1 in 10 adults under the age of 40 believed that the Yakuza should be allowed to exist. In New York City, they appear to collect finder's fees from Russian, Irish and Italian gang members and businessmen for guiding Japanese tourists to gambling establishments, both legal and illegal. If the three cards drawn are 8-9-3 (pronounced ya-ku-sa in Japanese), the sum is 20 and therefore the score is zero, making it the worst possible hand that can be drawn. ", "Reposted: The high price of writing about anti-social forces – and those who pay. Frank Zeller/AFP/Getty Images Share These tattoos, known as irezumi in Japan, are still often "hand-poked", that is, the ink is inserted beneath the skin using non-electrical, hand-made and handheld tools with needles of sharpened bamboo or steel. 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