This is Randi Hacker with another Postcard from Asia from the KU Center for East Asian Studies.

Criminals always worry about being fingered for a crime. Here in Japan, they also have to worry about being de-fingered. If they are members of the Yakuza crime family, that is. The Yakuza, aka the Japanese mafia, traces its roots back to the Edo period in the 17th Century and is known for tight control and strict rules of conduct. Rule breakers risk a punishment called yubitsume or finger severing. Traditionally, yubitsume begins with the first joint of the little finger on the left hand because, in bygone times, this weakened the sword hand. After the pinky, the ring finger. Missing fingers are a dead giveaway of Yakuza membership and some Yakuza members wish to hide this at, say, family gatherings or if they are hoping for a legit job. Hence a thriving custom-fitted finger replacement industry. At about $3,000 per digit, it’s a lot to pay for getting the finger.

With thanks to Chubby Smith for this idea, from the KU Center for East Asian Studies, I’m Randi Hacker. Wish you were here.