If a Yakuza member messes up badly enough, they have to cut the tip of their little finger off.

 

If a Yakuza member messes up badly enough, they have to cut the tip of their little finger off.

The process, called Yubitsume, literally translates into “finger-shortening” and has been practiced by the Yakuza since its foundation.

The origins of Yubitsume go back to the days when Japanese people regularly used swords, and the process meant a great deal more than as the little finger is crucial for maintaining a grip on a Japanese sword.

Without your little finger, you symbolically and literally placed yourself at the mercy of your mob boss.

Still, repeat offenders are common, with another joint removed with each offense.

What’s really most fascinating about the Yakuza is that it’s only in more modern times during the Yakuza’s decline that we know the most about them!

While it will, of course, be a good day when the Yakuza is no more, Japan simply won’t be the same anymore.

While this seems downright bizarre, it makes perfect sense after Japan introduced laws that made gang bosses liable for the actions of their underlings.

The exam involves at least twelve questions, covering topics on what actions are and are not punishable by law, the sentences and fines associated with them, and so on.

It’s enforced by Yamaguchi-gumi, the largest remaining Yakuza faction.