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Yakuza Tattoos

Even Japan’s infamous mafia groups are helping out with the relief efforts and showing a strain of civic duty. Jake Adelstein reports on why the police don’t want you to know about it.

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The Yakuza are an organized violent crime group in Japan, also referred to as "gokudo". There are roughly 86,300 known members and they one of the largest organized crime groups in the world.

Many Yakuza have full body tattoos that are hand-poked, instead of using electric needles. These marking are very recognizable in Japanese culture and are used to immediately identify a Yakuza member.

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Michael Rubenstein / Redux
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Michael Rubenstein / Redux
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Michael Rubenstein / Redux
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Michael Rubenstein / Redux
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Michael Rubenstein / Redux
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Michael Rubenstein / Redux
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Michael Rubenstein / Redux