they were called the famous Ronin, who later organized themselves in the service of the people to finally become one of the oldest and most respected mafias in the world, the Yakuza.

The famous phrase that says “power corrupts”, for the Yakuza was not the exception.At the beginning of the 20th century, drug trafficking, money laundering, gambling houses and even prostitution in Japan were controlled by this mafia.

Even so, the Yakuza follow the organization and discipline of the samurai, where the code of duty and obedience is strong,but disloyalty and betrayal are paid for in the worst possible way.

One of the most used punishments among them is the amputation of the phalanges of the little finger, which is commonly used when one of the members of this mafia makes a mistake. In the form of compensation and voluntarily the person who failed, removes a part of the little finger.

One of the most fascinating characteristics of the Yakuza mafia, are the elaborate tattoos, which until a few years ago were a secret of this clan. But thanks to a report by Belgian photographer Anton Kuster, the world has learned about the artwork the Yakusa have made of their bodies. Each of the tattoos is particularly unique and has meanings for each of its members, such as their status within the mafia, which family they belong to and experiences that have marked their lives.

Throughout the history of Japan, the Yakuza have been involved,thus being an important piece of the tradition of this country.Despite their reputation as mercenaries and bloodthirsty, they follow the principles of their ancestors the samurai.

That is to say, the protection and help to the people of Japan, so much so that after the catastrophic event of the earthquake in 2011, all the members of the 3000 clans of this mafia, went to help the affected populations, rescuing many lives and even donated important economic aid, so that the country of the rising sun would overcome this disastrous event.

Image: wikipedia.org