It's rare to see them in the flesh, however, because of their associations with yakuza, organized-crime syndicates whose activities span drug trafficking to the sex industry. In Japan, tattoos are ...

"The tattoos are crucial to yakuza members," according to Anton. But they're not used as markers to signify you're part of a gang, like they are in some places in Central and North America.

Dem start ova 400 years ago, for di Japan wey feudal lords and samurai bin dey reign, di yakuza bin face dia golden age between di 1960s and 1980s, wen e grow to ova 180,000 members.

The business was partly a shakedown, partly a protection racket and all concluded with typical Japanese decorum. With the yakuza's origins rooted in Japan's ancient feudal society, the gangs were ...

Kazuma Kiryu, the hero of Sega's Yakuza series, has a back full of yakuza-style ink. But it's not only Japanese gangsters who tattoo themselves. Sometimes it's voice actors.

The boss of Japan's most powerful organised-crime syndicate has been jailed after losing an appeal against a conviction for illegal gun possession. Yakuza boss Kenichi Shinoda, who only took over as ...

Recently on 2ch, Japan’s largest forum, there was a thread on why Japanese people were against tattoos. As mentioned above, there are many regular folks in Japan who aren’t!

Japanese Tattoos: From Yakuza to Artisans, Aesthetes By Manami Okazaki Nov. 5, 2013 6:37 am ET ...

"The tattoos are crucial to yakuza members," according to Anton. But they're not used as markers to signify you're part of a gang, like they are in some places in Central and North America.