Death of the Yakuza

No criminal group in the world is more closely identified with tattoos than the largest - Japan's Yakuza, 80,000 strong.

In this episode of Marked, we go deep into Japan's underground for an exclusive look at the stunning full bodysuits of ink that mark the skin of today's Yakuza. Hidden within the layers of spectacular imagery are secret codes that reach far back into Japan's bloody samurai history: violent warriors, images of hell, prostitutes, and a range of predators from tigers to dragons.

We hear from Yakuza as they share stories of their criminal pasts, the significance of their tattoos, and the pain they experienced in getting most of their bodies tattooed the old fashioned way: by getting poked over and over again with needles fastened to the ends of sticks.

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S01E04 - The Kill Zone