or ''otoshimae'' is a Japanese ritual to atone for offenses to another, a way to be punished or to show sincere apology and remorse to another, by means of amputating portions of one's own

little finger The little finger or pinkie, also known as the baby finger, fifth digit, or pinky finger, is the most ulnar and smallest digit of the human hand, and next to the ring finger. Etymology The word "pinkie" is derived from the Dutch word ''pink' ...

. In modern times, it is primarily performed by the

yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media (by request of the police) call them , while the yakuza call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ''yak ...

, a collection of Japanese

criminal organizations Organized crime is a category of transnational, national, or local group of centralized enterprises run to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally thought of as a form of illegal business, some ...

Origin

The ritual is thought to have originated with the

bakuto ''Bakuto'' (博徒) were itinerant gamblers active in Japan from the 18th century to the mid-20th century. They were one of two forerunners (the other being ''tekiya'', or peddlers) to modern Japanese organized crime syndicates called ''yakuza'' ...

, itinerant gamblers who were predecessors of the modern

.Kaplan, D.; Dubro, A: ''Yakuza'', p. 14. University of California Press, 2003 If a person was unable to pay off a gambling debt, yubitsume was sometimes considered an alternative form of repayment. Yubitsume was a form of credit and reputation score. Yubitsume is also a sign of surrender by the defeated in a yakuza war. The reason for this is that in Japanese swordsmanship (

kendo is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords ( shinai) as well as protective armor ( bōgu). It began as samurai warriors' customary swordsmanship ex ...

and

iaido , abbreviated , is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to sudden attacks.Christensen, Karen and Allen Guttmann et.al (2001) ''International Encyclopedia of Women and Sport ...

), the sword cannot be held tightly, and the little finger's grip is the tightest on the

hilt The hilt (rarely called a haft or shaft) is the handle of a knife, dagger, sword, or bayonet, consisting of a guard, grip, and pommel. The guard may contain a crossguard or quillons. A tassel or sword knot may be attached to the guard or pomme ...

. 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, and thus overall weakening the family's ability to fight in a war. As such, it can be seen as a sign of insurance of compliance with the terms of truce imposed upon the loser by the victor.

Ritual details

To perform ''yubitsume'', one lays down a small clean cloth and lays the hand onto the cloth facing down. Using an extremely sharp knife, or

tantō A is a traditionally made Japanese knife () that was worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The dates to the Heian period, when it was mainly used as a weapon but evolved in design over the years to become more ornate. were used in tradit ...

, 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 and submits the "package" very graciously to his oyabun ("godfather" or boss), who is also referred to as a ''kumicho'' (patriarch/head of the family) – or to whomever this gesture of atonement is made, if it is not to his own boss. 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, a person expelled from a ''yakuza'' gang might be required 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".

References

{{reflist Yakuza Organized crime terminology Culture of Japan Amputation