The yakuza

Shoko Tendo - the daughter of yakuza boss Hiroyasu Tendo - shows her tattoos, including a large one on her left shoulder of Jigoku Dayu, a famous courtesan from the Muromachi era Photograph: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert/freelance

In the 1880s tattooing was fashionable in many sectors of society, but today it has become the hallmark of yakuza gangsters Photograph: Asian Art & Archaeology, Inc./Corbis

In this photograph from 1946, A tattoo artist works on the back of a woman while two other clients watch Photograph: Horace Bristol/Corbis

Members of the yakuza organisation Yamaguchi-gumi attend a memorial service for their leader, Masahisa Takenaka in Kobe in 1988 Photograph: Asahi Shimbun/AP

A still from Teruo Shii's film about the yakuza, Koi To Taiyo To Gang Photograph: TOEI/The Kobal Collection

A yakuza member displays his hands. Fingers are cutoff as a sign of loyalty Photograph: TWPhoto/Corbis

Kazu Arai shows off his 'irezumi', or full-body tattoo, which features a water dragon motif once revered by 18th century Japanese firefighters Photograph: Janet Jarman/Corbis

A yakuza member at a public bath Photograph: Gideon Mendel/Corbis

Ken Takakura in The Yakuza, directed by Sydney Pollack Photograph: Ronald Grant Archive