Nishimura Mako: The Only Woman to Join Japan’s Infamous Yakuza
Oxford, England: Nishimura Mako, a petite woman in her late fifties, defies traditional Japanese norms with her heavily tattooed neck and hands, as well as a missing little finger. These markings signify her affiliation with the yakuza, Japan’s notorious criminal syndicates.
In a male-dominated world, women are usually relegated to informal roles within the yakuza. They may serve as anesan, a boss’s wife who cares for young affiliates and mediates between them and her husband. Others may manage yakuza-owned clubs or participate in drug dealing. However, Nishimura took on both roles and went even further by becoming the only woman to partake in the sakazuki ceremony, a ritual that solidifies formal affiliation with a yakuza group.
Nishimura’s journey into the gang began during her rebellious teenage years. Growing up in a strict family of government officials, she sought escape and found companionship among unruly peers and biker gangs. It was through these connections that she met a young yakuza member who introduced her to the criminal world. Under his guidance, she learned the ropes of collecting protection money, settling disputes, engaging in blackmail, and scouting girls for prostitution.
Her life took a pivotal turn when she intervened in a fight, leaving a trail of bloodshed. The boss of a local yakuza group took notice and summoned her to his office. He declared, “Even if you’re a woman, you must become a yakuza.” This marked the beginning of her formal journey into the criminal underworld.
As a yakuza affiliate, Nishimura managed prostitution and drug businesses, collected debts, and mediated disputes. She even gained a reputation as the “master of finger cutting” after amputating her own little finger as a gesture of apology following a collective mistake. Other members who couldn’t bear the act themselves would turn to her for assistance.
However, disillusionment set in as methamphetamine became the group’s primary trade, and Nishimura’s own addiction spiraled out of control. She fled but continued running her meth business independently. Consequently, she was expelled from the yakuza. During this period, she formed a relationship with a member of a rival group, and upon becoming pregnant, she decided to leave the yakuza world behind for a quieter life raising her child.
Despite her efforts, Nishimura’s yakuza past, marked by her tattoos, hindered her from finding regular employment. She married the father of her child, who had become a yakuza boss, and resumed involvement in prostitution and drug dealing. Their relationship turned increasingly violent, leading to frequent police interventions. Eventually, they divorced, and her ex-husband gained custody of their two sons.
Now retired from the criminal life, Nishimura lives alone in a modest home and works in the demolition business. In her quest for acceptance and redemption, she devotes her time to helping others and manages a branch of Gojinkai, a charity dedicated to assisting former yakuza members, ex-convicts, and addicts. Despite being the only woman at the table during their gatherings, Nishimura does not seek to be a feminist icon. Instead, she emphasizes her capacity for violence as the source of respect she earned in an all-male world.
Nishimura’s story challenges gender roles and loyalty in the brutal realm of Japanese organized crime. Her unique journey of identity and belonging sheds light on the redefinition of boundaries within this secretive world.
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