The Infamous History of Yakuza Tattoos

A well executed Japanes tattoo (Horimono or Irezumi) is without peer in complexity and meaning. This traditional art form that has evolved in Japan from as long ago as 11,000 BC has gone through many iterations, the more recent of which is its association with organized crime in Japan – the Yakuza.

This association no doubt came about as tattooing evolved from a method of identifying criminals and possibly even the lower classes hundres of years ago to becoming fashionable among those same people – the exact people from whom the modern Yakuza evolved. As the evolution of attitudes continued, tatooing became an integral part of the underworld in Japan as far back as the 17th century. The true evolution of this fashion, however, goes back much further.