Yubitsume is an act of self-mutilation that has become associated with members of the Japanese mafia, which is also known as the yakuza or boryokudan. Theauthors review this practice of the yakuza.
What is the meaning of yubitsume?
Yubitsume (指詰め, “finger shortening”) or otoshimae is a Japanese ritual to atone for offenses to another, a way to be punished or to show sincere apology and remorse to another, by means of amputating portions of one’s own little finger.
Do yakuza actually cut off fingers?
In a ritual known as “yubitsume,” yakuza members are required to chop off their own digits to atone for serious offenses. The left pinkie is usually the first to go, though repeated offenses call for further severing.
Who is head of the yakuza?
Kenichi Shinoda (篠田 建市, Shinoda Ken’ichi, born January 25, 1942), also known as Shinobu Tsukasa (司 忍, Tsukasa Shinobu), is a Japanese Yakuza, the sixth and current kumicho (supreme kingpin, or chairman) of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan’s largest yakuza organization.
Why did yakuza cut off pinky?
In the gang, members are expected to cut off their pinky fingers as a show of remorse for an offence that they have previously committed. The ritual involves cutting off the topmost portion of the left pinkie with an extremely sharp knife, known as a tanto.
Do yakuza use guns?
Japan’s yakuza are putting away their weapons after an unprecedented death sentence was passed on a crime boss. Gangs affiliated with the Yamaguchi-gumi, the country’s biggest crime organisation, have been ordered not to use guns “in public” after the conviction of the head of a rival crime group.
Why is yakuza legal?
Even though the police had attempted to crack-down organized crime, the Yakuza simply diversified their portfolios, allowing them to withstand the pressure of law-enforcements. The purpose of the law is to “control the intimidation and violent acts carried out by the boryokudan (violent groups)” (NPA).
How rich are the Yakuza?
The Yamaguchi-gumi, which Morgan Stanley analyst Robert Feldman once called Japan’s second largest private equity group, operates in 44 of Japan’s 47 prefectures, with a yearly net revenue at $80 billion, as estimated by Fortune magazine.
Do Yakuza target tourists?
11. Yes, the Yakuza Are Real (But Don’t Worry) This really shouldn’t be a problem at all—the Yakuza, that is, the Japanese mafia, tend to stay away from foreigners (to the point where I’ve heard amusing stories about foreign guys scaring them off).
What does yubitsume mean?
Yubitsume (指詰め Japanese for “finger shortening”?) is a Japanese ritual to atone for offenses to another, a way to be punished or to show sincere apology to another, by means of amputating portions of one’s own little finger. It is almost exclusively performed by the Yakuza, the prominent Japanese criminal organization .
What is yubitsume (dead finger)?
Under the yakuza code there are two general forms of yubitsume. The first is shinu yubi, or “dead finger”, which is performed when a yakuza commits some sort of offense. The offender severs his finger with a tanto (a Japanese short sword) and offers it to his oyabun (boss) wrapped in a white napkin as payment for said offense.
What movies have yubitsume been in?
In popular culture. William Gibson’s 1984 novel Neuromancer contains a passing reference to Yubitsume. In the 1990 movie Darkman, the underworld boss Robert G. Durant uses a cigar cutter to remove the fingers of his rivals. In the opening scene, each time he made a point to a rival mobster, he cut off a finger.
What is yubitsume in fast and the Furious?
In the 2006 movie The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, a yakuza member starting the final race is shown to be missing four fingers (the ring and little finger on each hand). Michael Slade’s novel Kamikaze has many instances of yubitsume as a punishment for failing the kumicho (Godfather) of the local yakuza.
