Why do the Yakuza members have tattoos?
During 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. During 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. 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. 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. Around this time, the Yakuza was becoming a known group, and tattoos were outlawed in Japan and only criminals or outlaws had tattoos. Therefore, the Yakuza were embracing their own heritage and revolutionary rebelling against society with their tattooed bodies. Today, they dress like regular Japanese businessmen and have expanded into the financial world in addition to their affiliations. 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.