Editing Yakuza (section)

==== Rituals ====
[[File:Beato, Felice (1834 – 1907) - Tattooed japanese men - ca. 1870.jpg|thumb|right|upright|An early example of [[irezumi]] tattoos, 1870s]]

[[Yubitsume]], also referred to as ''[[yubitsume|otoshimae]]'', or the cutting off of one's finger, is a form of penance or apology. Upon a first offence, the transgressor must cut off the tip of his left little finger and give the severed portion to his boss. Sometimes an underboss may do this in penance to the oyabun if he wants to spare a member of his own gang from further retaliation. This practice has started to wane amongst the younger members, due to it being an easy identifier for police.<ref name="cnn.com">{{cite news| url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/15/asia/yakuza-yamaguchi-gumi-explainer/ | publisher=CNN | title=The Yakuza: Inside Japan's murky criminal underworld}}</ref>

Its origin stems from the traditional way of holding a [[Kenjutsu|Japanese sword]]. The bottom three fingers of each hand are used to grip the sword tightly, with the thumb and index fingers slightly loose. The removal of digits starting with the little finger and moving up the hand to the index finger progressively weakens a person's sword grip.

The idea is that a person with a weak sword grip then has to rely more on the group for protection—reducing individual action. In recent years, [[prosthetic]] fingertips have been developed to disguise this distinctive appearance.<ref name="trutv.com"/>

Many yakuza have full-body tattoos (including their [[genitalia]]). These tattoos, known as [[irezumi]] in Japan, are still often "[[hand-poked]]", that is, the ink is inserted beneath the skin using non-electrical, hand-made, and handheld tools with needles of sharpened bamboo or steel. The procedure is expensive and painful, and can take years to complete.<ref>''[[Japanorama]]'', [[BBC Three (former)|BBC Three]], Series 2, Episode 3, first aired 21 September 2006</ref>

When yakuza play [[Oicho-Kabu]] cards with each other, they often remove their shirts or open them up and drape them around their waists. This enables them to display their full-body tattoos to each other. This is one of the few times that yakuza display their tattoos to others, as they normally keep them concealed in public with long-sleeved and high-necked shirts. When new members join, they are often required to remove their trousers as well and reveal any lower body tattoos.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}}