Yubitsume
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese ritual to atone for offenses to another, a way to be punished or to show sincere apology to another, by means of amputating
portions of one's own little finger
. It is almost exclusively performed by the Yakuza
, the prominent Japanese criminal organization.
The act of committing yubitsume is also referred to as , meaning "finger flying" ("he made his finger fly").
, itinerant gamblers who were predecessors of the modern Yakuza. If a person was unable to pay off a gambling debt, yubitsume was sometimes considered as an alternate form of repayment.
In Japanese swordsmanship, the little fingers' grip is the tightest on the hilt
. A little finger-amputee was therefore unable to grip his sword properly, weakening him in battle and making him more dependent on the protection of his boss.
, the person cuts off the portion of his left little finger above the top knuckle on the finger or the tip of the finger. He then wraps the severed portion in the cloth his hand was resting on and submits the "package" very graciously to his oyabun (boss), who also is referred to as a kumicho (Godfather).
If more offenses are committed, then the person moves on to the next joint of the finger to perform yubitsume. More infractions could mean removing portions of the right little finger when no more joints of the left finger remain. In some cases being expelled from a yakuza gang might be accompanied by the person being expelled having to perform the yubitsume ritual.
The finger of the yakuza directly responsible for an offense is called an iki yubi, "living finger", while the finger of the yakuza that is directly in charge of him is called a shinu yubi, "dead finger".
American films in which the ritual appears include the 1975
Sydney Pollack
film The Yakuza
, starring Robert Mitchum
, and the 1989
Ridley Scott
film Black Rain, starring Michael Douglas
.
Yubitsume was portrayed in a more humorous (if perhaps less accurate) light in a skit on the TV show Saturday Night Live
. The skit featured an American character, played by Chris Farley
, who unwittingly went on a game show while on vacation in Japan. Not speaking Japanese, the protagonist was horrified to see the other two contestants that incorrectly answered a question have a finger chopped off as a penalty.
Yubitsume occurs in three of Takeshi Kitano's films: Boiling Point, Brother
, and Outrage
.
The Yubitsume ritual is also seen in the movie Showdown in Little Tokyo
, starring Dolph Lundgren
, and Brandon Lee
, and the book Shimotsuma Monogatari (Kamikaze Girls
in the United States), where the main character's father took a portion of the money for his family. He then proclaims, "Not that one, that's my piano playing finger!"
In the 2001 movie Ichi the Killer
, the character Kakihara cuts out his entire tongue with a sword after a Yakuza boss tells him a finger alone will not be enough to pay back for his crimes of brutally torturing an innocent member of his group. There is a similar scene in the Korean movie, Oldboy
.
In the oneshot Horror manga Mr. Sarubato's Rowdy Classroom by Waita Uziga, the students are forced by their mentally unstable sensei Mr. Sarubato to have one of their limbs severed by him as punishment for inappropriate behavior in class. As a result, many of the students in his class have missing limbs or other body parts depending upon the seriousness of the offense.
In the 2006 movie Dirty Sanchez: The Movie, Matthew Pritchard
has the end of his little finger on his right hand cut off in Japan with a cigar cutter
.
In the 2006 movie The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
, a Yakuza member starting the final race is shown to be missing four fingers (the ring and little finger on each hand).
Michael Slade
's novel Kamikaze has many instances of yubitsume as a punishment for failing the kumicho (Godfather) of the local Yakuza.
William Gibson's 1984 novel Neuromancer
contains a passing reference to Yubitsume.
In the 1990 movie Darkman
, the underworld boss Robert G. Durant uses a cigar cutter to remove the fingers of his rivals. In the opening scene, each time he made a point to a rival mobster, he cut off a finger. When he got to point three, he says that he has seven more points to make, before he cuts off the third finger.
In the 2010 film Predators, one of the characters is Hanzo, a Yakuza assassin who does not speak much throughout the film, and when asked why, he responds, "Because I talk too much" and showed that he is missing the ring and pinky fingers of his left hand, revealing he had committed yubitsume.
In the Battletech
novel Lethal Heritage, the Yakuza status of Shin Yodama is called into question because "he still has all his fingers". Another character points out this simply means he is very good at his job.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese ritual to atone for offenses to another, a way to be punished or to show sincere apology to another, by means of amputating
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
portions of one's own little finger
Little finger
The little finger, often called the pinky in American English, pinkie in Scottish English , or small finger in medicine, is the most ulnar and usually smallest finger of the human hand, opposite the thumb, next to the ring finger.-Muscles:There are four muscles that...
. It is almost exclusively performed by the Yakuza
Yakuza
, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
, the prominent Japanese criminal organization.
The act of committing yubitsume is also referred to as , meaning "finger flying" ("he made his finger fly").
Origin
The ritual is thought to have originated with the bakutoBakuto
Bakuto were itinerant gamblers in Japan from the 18th century to the mid-20th century. They were one of the forerunners of the modern Japanese crime gangs known as yakuza....
, itinerant gamblers who were predecessors of the modern Yakuza. If a person was unable to pay off a gambling debt, yubitsume was sometimes considered as an alternate form of repayment.
In Japanese swordsmanship, the little fingers' grip is the tightest on the hilt
Hilt
The hilt of a sword is its handle, consisting of a guard,grip and pommel. The guard may contain a crossguard or quillons. A ricasso may also be present, but this is rarely the case...
. A little finger-amputee was therefore unable to grip his sword properly, weakening him in battle and making him more dependent on the protection of his boss.
Ritual details
To perform yubitsume, one lays down a small clean cloth and the person performing the ritual lays their hand onto the cloth facing down. Using an extremely sharp knife or tantōTanto
A is one of the traditional Japanese swords that were worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The tantō dates to the Heian period, when it was mainly used as a weapon but evolved in design over the years to become more ornate...
, the person cuts off the portion of his left little finger above the top knuckle on the finger or the tip of the finger. He then wraps the severed portion in the cloth his hand was resting on and submits the "package" very graciously to his oyabun (boss), who also is referred to as a kumicho (Godfather).
If more offenses are committed, then the person moves on to the next joint of the finger to perform yubitsume. More infractions could mean removing portions of the right little finger when no more joints of the left finger remain. In some cases being expelled from a yakuza gang might be accompanied by the person being expelled having to perform the yubitsume ritual.
The finger of the yakuza directly responsible for an offense is called an iki yubi, "living finger", while the finger of the yakuza that is directly in charge of him is called a shinu yubi, "dead finger".
In culture
A yubitsume scene is a staple of Japanese Yakuza-eiga, or Yakuza movies.American films in which the ritual appears include the 1975
1975 in film
The year 1975 in film involved some significant events, with Steven Spielberg's thriller Jaws topping the box office.-Events:*March 26 - The film version of The Who's Tommy premieres in London....
Sydney Pollack
Sydney Pollack
Sydney Irwin Pollack was an American film director, producer and actor. Pollack studied with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City, where he later taught acting...
film The Yakuza
The Yakuza
The Yakuza is a 1974 neo-noir gangster film directed by Sydney Pollack, written by Leonard Schrader, Paul Schrader, and Robert Towne.The Yakuza portrays the clash of traditional Japanese values during Japan's transition from the US occupation to economic success in the early 1970s...
, starring Robert Mitchum
Robert Mitchum
Robert Charles Durman Mitchum was an American film actor, author, composer and singer and is #23 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male American screen legends of all time...
, and the 1989
1989 in film
-Events:* Batman is released on June 23, and goes on to gross over $410 million worldwide.* Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million...
Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer. His most famous films include The Duellists , Alien , Blade Runner , Legend , Thelma & Louise , G. I...
film Black Rain, starring Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
.
Yubitsume was portrayed in a more humorous (if perhaps less accurate) light in a skit on the TV show Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
. The skit featured an American character, played by Chris Farley
Chris Farley
Christopher Crosby "Chris" Farley was an American comedian and actor. Farley was a member of Chicago's Second City Theatre and cast member of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1995....
, who unwittingly went on a game show while on vacation in Japan. Not speaking Japanese, the protagonist was horrified to see the other two contestants that incorrectly answered a question have a finger chopped off as a penalty.
Yubitsume occurs in three of Takeshi Kitano's films: Boiling Point, Brother
Brother (2000 film)
All compositions by Joe Hisaishi.#"Drifter... in LAX"#"Solitude"#"Tattoo"#"Death Spiral"#"Party "#"On the Shore"#"Blood Brother"#"Raging Men"#"Beyond the Control"#"Wipe Out"#"Liberation from the Death"#"I Love You, Aniki"#"Ballade"...
, and Outrage
Outrage (2010 film)
Outrage is a 2010 Japanese yakuza film directed by and starring Takeshi Kitano. It competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival...
.
The Yubitsume ritual is also seen in the movie Showdown in Little Tokyo
Showdown in Little Tokyo
Showdown in Little Tokyo is a 1991 action film. It features Brandon Lee in his first American film role, starring alongside Dolph Lundgren. Set in Los Angeles, California, two police officers attempt to take down a new and deadly Japanese drug gang...
, starring Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren is a Swedish actor, director, and martial artist. He belongs to a generation of film actors who epitomise the movie action hero stereotype including Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme.A graduate in chemical...
, and Brandon Lee
Brandon Lee
Brandon Bruce Lee was an American actor and martial artist. He was the son of martial arts film star Bruce Lee...
, and the book Shimotsuma Monogatari (Kamikaze Girls
Kamikaze Girls
is a 2002 light novel written by Novala Takemoto that has been adapted into a manga and film.Kamikaze Girls centers around two students, Momoko Ryugasaki and Ichigo "Ichiko" Shirayuri , who are from completely different backgrounds: one is a Lolita girl, the other, her gyaru antithesis, a Yankī...
in the United States), where the main character's father took a portion of the money for his family. He then proclaims, "Not that one, that's my piano playing finger!"
In the 2001 movie Ichi the Killer
Ichi the Killer
is a 2001 Japanese film directed by Takashi Miike, based on Hideo Yamamoto's manga series of the same name.- Plot : While alone with a prostitute, crime lord Anjo is brutally murdered...
, the character Kakihara cuts out his entire tongue with a sword after a Yakuza boss tells him a finger alone will not be enough to pay back for his crimes of brutally torturing an innocent member of his group. There is a similar scene in the Korean movie, Oldboy
Oldboy
Oldboy is a 2003 South Korean film directed by Park Chan-wook. It is based on the Japanese manga of the same name written by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya. Oldboy is the second installment of The Vengeance Trilogy, preceded by Sympathy for Mr...
.
In the oneshot Horror manga Mr. Sarubato's Rowdy Classroom by Waita Uziga, the students are forced by their mentally unstable sensei Mr. Sarubato to have one of their limbs severed by him as punishment for inappropriate behavior in class. As a result, many of the students in his class have missing limbs or other body parts depending upon the seriousness of the offense.
In the 2006 movie Dirty Sanchez: The Movie, Matthew Pritchard
Matthew Pritchard
Mathew Pryderi Pritchard , is a Welsh professional skateboarder, daredevil and one quarter of the Dirty Sanchez crew, who have their own television programme on MTV and also appears on Balls of Steel with Pancho as the Pain Men.-Dirty Sanchez:Pritchard is often seen as the founder of Dirty Sanchez,...
has the end of his little finger on his right hand cut off in Japan with a cigar cutter
Cigar cutter
A cigar cutter is a mechanical device designed to cut one end off a cigar so that it may be properly smoked. Although some cigars are cut on both ends, or twirled at both ends, the vast majority come with one straight cut end and one end in a "cap" which must be cut off for the cigar to be smoked...
.
In the 2006 movie The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift is a 2006 street racing action film directed by Justin Lin. It is the third installment in the The Fast and the Furious film series and currently the sixth in terms of series chronology...
, a Yakuza member starting the final race is shown to be missing four fingers (the ring and little finger on each hand).
Michael Slade
Michael Slade
Michael Slade is the pen name of Canadian novelist Jay Clarke, a lawyer who has participated in more than 100 criminal cases and who specializes in criminal insanity. Before Clarke entered law school, his undergraduate studies focused on history...
's novel Kamikaze has many instances of yubitsume as a punishment for failing the kumicho (Godfather) of the local Yakuza.
William Gibson's 1984 novel Neuromancer
Neuromancer
Neuromancer is a 1984 novel by William Gibson, a seminal work in the cyberpunk genre and the first winner of the science-fiction "triple crown" — the Nebula Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, and the Hugo Award. It was Gibson's debut novel and the beginning of the Sprawl trilogy...
contains a passing reference to Yubitsume.
In the 1990 movie Darkman
Darkman
Darkman is a 1990 superhero action film directed by Sam Raimi. It is based on a short story Raimi wrote that paid homage to Universal's horror films of the 1930s...
, the underworld boss Robert G. Durant uses a cigar cutter to remove the fingers of his rivals. In the opening scene, each time he made a point to a rival mobster, he cut off a finger. When he got to point three, he says that he has seven more points to make, before he cuts off the third finger.
In the 2010 film Predators, one of the characters is Hanzo, a Yakuza assassin who does not speak much throughout the film, and when asked why, he responds, "Because I talk too much" and showed that he is missing the ring and pinky fingers of his left hand, revealing he had committed yubitsume.
In the Battletech
BattleTech
BattleTech is a wargaming and science fiction franchise launched by FASA Corporation in 1984, acquired by WizKids in 2000, and owned since 2003 by Topps. The series began with FASA's debut of the board game BattleTech by Jordan Weisman and L...
novel Lethal Heritage, the Yakuza status of Shin Yodama is called into question because "he still has all his fingers". Another character points out this simply means he is very good at his job.