The Japanese mafia, known globally as The Yakuza, is made up of approximately 50,000 members, forming one of the largest criminal networks in the world. In 2009 Anton Kusters, a Belgian photographer was allowed entry into one of Japan’s Yakuza families. Over two years, he captured the lives of those living in the underworld. Kusters made a short documentary for The Economisttitled Inside the Syndicate. Very well documented but a bit short for my tatse, feels more like an introduction. I wish they were a longer version! (lucky enough Anton did a Ted talk about it, watch it here)
The three highest ranking bosses of the family – the Godfather in the centre – pose for a portrait during a traditional dinner at a restaurant in Kabukicho, Tokyo – 2009Members of different families paying their respects at the funeral service for Miyamoto-san – 2010
“In the hotel bar in Niigata, I’m only slowly starting to understand the extremely subtle social interaction that is continuously happening, the micro-expressions on the faces, the gestures, the voices and intonations, the body language.
As the bar is evacuated to make room for the godfather having a coffee, everything seems to be strictly organized but at the same time seems to come naturally: strangely, I don’t need anyone to tell me what to do, where to sit, when to talk or when to shut up.
It’s like I literally feel the boundaries, the implicit expectations, and I am slowly learning when I can move forward, and when to best hold back. Sitting at the table with a bodyguard looking straight through me, I drink from my iced coffee. I’m feeling the acute sensation of walking on eggshells.”
Tattooed hands with a digit missing. A traditional Japanese tattoo, as used often by the Yakuza, Is a very old and time-consuming process of manually sticking a stick with at the point several sharp inked needles in the skin. This has to happen at a precise angle (depending on skin thickness) and at a precise speed (120/minute), and this is a skill that only traditional Japanese tattoo masters possess. The result is an intricacy, a color palette and a pattern which is not possible with the modern way of tattooing with a machine.Master Tattooist Hori Sensei invites you, he does not accept regular clients. With him, completing a traditional Japanese tattoo takes about 100 hours, can cost up to $10,000, and a schedule of daily or weekly visits needs to be made. As a client, you have only a little say in the design of the tattoo. Hori Sensei determines what is best for you after taking time to talk to you and to get to know you. Only a few traditional Japanese tattoo experts are still alive today in Japan. – 2009Young prostitute in a bar showing the tattoo on her leg – 2009The Godfather rolls down his car window while leaving a commemoration service for a deceased member of the family – 2009
