Mako Nishimura, a slight woman standing just five feet tall, is likely the only woman to have ever been a full-fledged yakuza. For nearly 40 years, she never lost a fight, often taking down opponents by striking their legs first. Her journey into Japan's feared criminal underworld began in 1986 when she was a 19-year-old runaway. One night, she received a call that a pregnant friend named Aya was in trouble. Nishimura grabbed a baseball bat and confronted five men attacking Aya. After the police arrived, she fled to Tokyo and later returned to Gifu, where a yakuza recruiter approached her. She initially declined but eventually joined the Inagawa-kai syndicate under the mentorship of Ryochi Sugino, a convicted murderer with a paternal aura.
Rise in the Yakuza
Nishimura formalized her membership in a sake-sharing ritual called sakazuki, pledging lifelong loyalty to Sugino. She embraced the yakuza lifestyle, engaging in extortion, running sex workers, and trafficking methamphetamine. Despite facing taunts for being a woman, she earned respect by bringing in significant profits. The yakuza were thriving in the 1980s, operating casinos, golf courses, and high-rises, and extorting publicly listed corporations. However, Japan's economic bubble burst in the early 1990s, leading to public demand for crackdowns on organized crime. Tougher laws and competition from international gangs weakened the yakuza.
Drug Addiction and Decline
Nishimura's drug addiction spiraled out of control. She used methamphetamine heavily, leading to paranoia and hallucinations. The Sugino-gumi outlawed drug use, and when Sugino discovered the addiction problem, Nishimura performed the yakuza punishment of cutting off her little finger. She later helped other members perform the same act for a fee. After serving two and a half years in prison for drug possession, she was greeted by a yakuza guard of honor upon release, but she soon relapsed into meth use.
Motherhood and Attempts to Leave
In 1995, Nishimura became pregnant by a rival clan member. Motherhood changed her, and she vowed to quit meth. She broke contact with her gang and tried to live a normal life, but her tattoos and missing finger made it impossible to hold legitimate jobs. She returned to crime, running a massage parlor and dealing meth. After a drug overdose in 2014, she reached out to her old yakuza friends, but the gang was broke and engaged in scams she despised. She left the yakuza for good.
Redemption and Family Reunion
Nishimura met Satoru Takegaki, a former yakuza enforcer who founded the NGO Gojinkai to help ex-gangsters reintegrate into society. Inspired by his work, Nishimura opened a Gojinkai branch in Gifu, helping former members with housing and drug rehab. She also sought to reunite with her family. After decades of estrangement, she met her mother and brother in 2025, apologizing for the pain she caused. Her older son, now a champion kickboxer, meets with her occasionally, though her younger son is not yet ready. Nishimura reflects on her past with regret but hopes her work with Gojinkai can bring redemption and restore her family bonds.
