Ever since the inception of the Yakuza franchise, now known as Like a Dragon, the tattoos of its central figures have stood as one of its most important thematic elements. Of course, real-life ...

These astonishing photographs give an unprecedented glimpse inside the world of the Yakuza, the Japanese organised crime syndicates, known for their brutality, tattoos and strict code of honour ...

Most of his fellow inmates are yakuza criminals, recognizable by their irezumi tattoos. Nick saves a yakuza named Kiyoshi from being hanged to death; the Shiromatsu, a yakuza clan to which Kiyoshi ...

Although tattoos have increasingly been used as fashion statements, especially in overseas countries, they are still associated with yakuza gangsters and other “anti-social elements” in Japan.