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Tattooed Titan: The Rise and Redemption of Japan's First Woman Yakuza
22 Oct, 2025
Summary
- Mako Nishimura, a former female yakuza, now helps other retired gangsters reintegrate into society
- Nishimura was officially recognized as Japan's first woman yakuza after being jailed for drug possession at age 22
- She left the yakuza syndicate in her late 20s to marry and raise her son, but later rejoined before quitting again in her 50s
In the past, Mako Nishimura, now 58 years old, was one of the few women to have navigated Japan's yakuza criminal syndicate. For three decades, she has been a part of the yakuza's patriarchal hierarchy, where brute force and authoritarian leadership reign. Nishimura was officially recognized as Japan's first woman yakuza after being jailed for drug possession at the age of 22.
However, Nishimura has since left the underworld behind. Around five years ago, she put the yakuza syndicate behind her and now spends her days helping other retired gangsters reintegrate into society. Nishimura ekes out a living at demolition sites, one of the few jobs that tolerates her full-sleeve tattoos, and leads the Gifu branch of Gojinkai, a non-profit dedicated to assisting ex-criminals.
Nishimura's criminal past was marked by brawls, extortions, and selling illegal drugs. She even cut off her own fingertip as part of the yakuza's ritualistic self-punishment. But in her late 20s, she absconded from the syndicate and was "excommunicated," putting gangsterism behind her to marry and raise her son. Now, Nishimura has found a new mentor in Gojinkai chairman and prominent former gangster Satoru Takegaki, and her recently published autobiography is helping her make ends meet.
