Behind the Yakuza: documenting the women of Japan’s mafia (2018)

“There is a grey area”, she clarifies, “as hostesses are sometimes the men’s wives or mistresses, but it doesn’t mean that all women working in these bars are working for the Yakuza. They’re something that is really going to put you outside the box” – Chloé Jafé

Having the women pose to take snaps of their tattoos was the easiest starting point for the photographer, who said, “They never show (their tattoos) to anyone because they can’t, but they’re quite proud of them.” Slowly, the Yakuza top man introduced Jafé to his wife and others, and Jafé discovered a patriarchal structure where women could fill only a limited number of roles.

Source: www.dazeddigital.com