NG Investigates: Crimes Lords of Tokyo Pictures
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Rebel Rebel
Shoko Tendo is the daughter of a yakuza boss, a man who once ran a construction company as a front for his illegal businesses. As a child, she witnessed scenes that haunt her to this day. The tattoo on her back is called "Prostitute in Hell."
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Time-Consuming Tattoos
"At 20, I had a jealous boyfriend who beat me up almost every day," explains Shoko Tendo. "I left him three years later and got tattoos on my back, both arms, and breast. I chose these tattoo patterns because they remind me of my father’s tattoo on his back. I became more of myself after I got them."
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Full Coverage
Shoko Tendo bears the mark of the yakuza inside and out. "When I was a child," she recalls, "that's when I realized. All the yakuza members who came to our house were covered in tattoos. That's how I knew we were different."
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Mob Boss Daughter
At 22, Shoko Tendo was married to a yakuza member named Katamitsu. They later divorced. "My ex-husband was a sweet guy, though," remembers Shoko.
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Tattoo Rebellion
Eventually, Shoko Tendo followed her childhood dream—to become a writer. She has written a best-selling autobiography called Yakuza Moon: Memoirs of a Gangster's Daughter.
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Yakuza VP
Mitsunori Agata is vice-chairman of Sumiyoshi-kai, the second largest crime syndicate in Japan. His yakuza faction has an official membership of over 6,000. Mr. Agata believes the yakuza have a useful place in Japanese society. "It is not about good or bad," he says. "There are affairs in this society that no one can handle. No one but us."
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Yakuza Tattoos
Mr. Agata received his tattoos at age 30—four decades ago. "It was so painful," he recalls. "I can't explain how much it hurt. But it's how I show my resolution. Once I chose this path, and got my tattoos, I couldn't go back to a normal life."
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Yakuza Family Friends
Vice-chairman Agata stands with his friend Xiao Mu Lee, owner of a successful restaurant in the heart of Tokyo's red-light district. Mr. Lee pays the yakuza a monthly protection fee for the privilege.
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From Gang to God
Former yakuza member Tatsuya Shindo went to prison for gang-related crimes. While serving his time, Shindo experienced a religious conversion.
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Prison Preacher
Shindo is now a pastor, and tries to help young people find their way out of the yakuza.
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Godly Gangmember
Among yakuza, yubitsume or finger amputation is a common practice of atonement. Shindo recalls the time when he crashed his boss' car while driving drunk; to repay the debt, he attempted to cut off his own pinkie finger. A friend had to step in to finish the job.
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Comic Relief
Freelance writer Tomohiko Suzuki writes manga comics about the real-life exploits of yakuza gangsters. Unlike the mainstream media, Suzuki gets his material directly from the source. But he must abide by an unwritten rule: do not embarass the yakuza.
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Downtown Shinjuku
Downtown Shinjuku, Tokyo, is the heart of the battle between cops and gangs.
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Red Light District
Kabukicho is the entertainment and red-light district of Shinjuku, Tokyo. While prostitution in Japan was declared illegal in 1956, the law only applies specifically to sexual intercourse. The exchange of money for other sex acts, including oral sex, is legal. Kabukicho is brimming with strip theaters, peep shows, and clubs where sex acts are for sale 24-7.
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Neon Night
According to the U.S. government's 2011 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, "Japanese organized crime syndicates (the Yakuza) are believed to play a significant role in [human] trafficking in Japan, both directly and indirectly. Traffickers strictly control the movements of victims, using debt bondage, threats of violence or deportation, blackmail, and other coercive psychological methods to control victims."
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Golden Gai Bars
Bars along Golden Gai, Shinjuku.
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Tokyo Traffic
City traffic going around high rises in Tokyo.
