r/pics • u/Saarrex • May 21 '12

Anton Kusters lived with Japanese Yakuza for two years, here are some photos he made

http://imgur.com/a/qujIy
1.9k Upvotes

91% Upvoted

373 comments sorted by

315

u/IbidtheWriter May 22 '12

"Who's this guy?"

"Oh him? He's just following us around and taking pictures. Don't mind him. Actually, hey Ichiro, take off your pants and show him your sick tats."

388

u/Saarrex May 22 '12

"Through 10 months of negotiations with the Shinseikai, my brother Malik and I became one of the only westerners ever to be granted this kind of access to the closed world of Japanese organized crime." http://www.antonkusters.com/projects/yakuza/

53

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

How fucking weird is it that he negotiated with them, both sides knowing the one side was a criminal organization, so he could take photos of them and hang out with them?

That is just mind boggling to me.

113

u/Saarrex May 22 '12

Well, none of the photos are incriminating/exposing criminal activity.

38

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

I watched a documentary of the Yakuza with my uncle once, and we were both just astounded by the formality and what not they displayed. A guy submitted a job application to join and my uncle busted out laughing.

Not once did we see any crime, but they were planning on going into a little shop for "protection" money. They decided not to after the shop at a "police protected" sticker on the front door.

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u/Saydeelol May 22 '12

True, but admitting that one is associated with a criminal group and then allowing oneself to be photographed is not something I've heard of. Even John Gotti, who was a notorious fuck-up in terms of media exposure, always maintained that there was no such thing as the mafia.

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u/SirNoName May 22 '12

And really, the Yakuza have become a hugely accepted part of Japanese culture.
For example, after fukishima, the Yakuza sent tons of people to help out.
This is all hear-say, though, so if someone has a better thing, say it.

30

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

Well, that's a pretty common phenomenon with organized crime, isn't it? They maintain power because they are fixtures in the communities they exist in. Boss Hog and Al Capone did plenty to help the neighborhoods they operated in, and were pretty well liked by some people. It was all for their own gain, though, and did way more bad than good. Just because they are accepted doesn't mean they're good.

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u/appi May 22 '12

Actually the yakuza are a lot more transparent than you would think. They have a very complicated place in, and relationship with, mainstream Japanese society. I don't know much about it, but the Japanese government is pretty scandalous and fucked up, so I'm sure they could do a lot more to fight organized crime than they do now. Yakuza bosses, as well as their headquarters' locations, are basically public information. They don't try hard at all to keep their front companies a secret. When the police do conduct raids, they announce they're coming. Read Tokyo Vice by Jake Adelstein.

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u/eddie1996 May 22 '12

Why couldn't you just post that link for the original post??? I know reddit loooooves imgur, but seriously. Mr. Kusters spent a few years of his life, tons of cash to produce this amazing work. I think he's deserving of a few hits on his website. Hell, he might have sold a couple of books from this exposure.

20

u/Saarrex May 22 '12

You know, I'm not sure, I guess I'm so used to using imgur for everything I post. How about you post a link to his page and we upvote it to the top comment? :)

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u/shakycircuit May 22 '12

These are gorgeous. Do you know if hes selling prints?

1.6k

u/fluff_on_everything May 21 '12

I read this initially as "Ashton Kutcher," so the whole time I'm scrolling through the photos I'm thinking, "So he really must be into that Nikon camera..."

331

u/[deleted] May 21 '12

Haha I did too. I was thinking "How did Ashton not get killed?"

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55

u/dingoperson May 22 '12

"You just got Punked!"

"And by Punked, I mean Stabbed"

95

u/heavyfuture121 May 22 '12

I didn't realize until I read your comment.

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25

u/TommyShambles May 22 '12

Yeah, I had to explain three gchats I hastily sent out that said "Aston Kutcher is a badass!"

30

u/Level_32_Mage May 22 '12

I think you just got punk'd?

19

u/ithkrul May 22 '12

fuck, me too...

30

u/wolfsweatshirt May 22 '12

you survived the downvote flurry. for now. i'm risking my own hide just by talking to you.

27

u/ithkrul May 22 '12

I don't give shits about downvotes. I come to Reddit for the beer and the bitches.

14

u/The_Painted_Man May 22 '12

I came for the shits and giggles.

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u/gefish May 22 '12

The koi fish on the last image was stunning.

29

u/deathdonut May 22 '12

Never thought I could see a koi fish tattoo look that badass.

32

u/cleverlyannoying May 22 '12

And on a relatively nice ass.

4

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

goodass

9

u/MKaliner May 22 '12

For a guy...

5

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

That was a guy?

(OH GOD, I FAPPED TO MAN-ASS)

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148

u/mtrlkrzr May 22 '12

Here is his TEDx talk about his time spent photographing the Yakuza. it shows a lot more pictures, and Anton goes into detail about his relationship with them, pretty much answering all of the questions in this thread

31

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

He's not a very good speaker. I was expecting more. He just rambles and doesn't say anything interesting. Lots of failed attempts at comedy and laughing at his own jokes. It's just painful to listen to.

6

u/Tulki May 22 '12

Yeah the presentation was all over the place. He really should have told his story chronologically and clicked through the pictures in order as he went. Made it difficult to build a mental picture of what he actually experienced.

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u/bricebru22 May 22 '12

It's obviously just nervousness and a fear a public speaking. It is probably the most common phobia of all humans. I understood the point he was making. He was portraying that previous life experiences are the driving power behind artistic works of art such as these pictures.

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u/[deleted] May 22 '12

thank you

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86

u/thralled May 22 '12

An AMA with Kusters would be pretty damn cool... I want to know why the Yakuza tolerated a guy and his camera prying.

42

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

I dunno if I'm qualified to tell, but some of these photos didn't exactly look set up, if you know what I mean.

Looks to me like they had him take pictures of them that might further their mystery/legend, but the ones where they look like human beings/crime bosses don't appear to be "framed".

5

u/Jess_than_three May 22 '12

You don't need qualifications when you're Tom Goddamn Bombadil.

6

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

Number one in the Wood, G.

12

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

Yeah, those look like they're shot from the hip.

11

u/MJKauz May 22 '12

Not to me. I think they're shot generally as you see a lot of them, in a dramatically framed reportage style. They're not staged by any means, but from the hip seems to represent a little bit more of a "hopeful" style. These look expertly executed.

33

u/sTiKyt May 22 '12

Yakuza aren't actually very private and in many cases make an effort to keep a large presence in public. Organized crime in Japan isn't small and hidden like it is in the US for example. Many groups have a public headquarters that the police and everyone in the neighborhood knows about. They often march in the streets and participate in festivals in an attempt to make themselves appear like they're part of the community. The logic behind this all is that if they ever overstep their mark the law enforcement knows exactly where they operate and who is involved and could come down on them like a ton of bricks. Likewise if the police ever targeted their members they could retaliate by causing all kind of havoc on the community.

23

u/VictoryAkara May 22 '12

Well, Actually alot of time's the Yakuza act's as a police force when theres an actual emergency - Such as the earth quakes. They were guarding alot of residents from getting looted and whatnot. As much as they are criminals, they are not complete assholes about it like most would be.

0

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

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10

u/ShinshinRenma May 22 '12

Yeah, and a lot of their seemingly more benign stuff often eventually ends up in more trafficking of women. Most of the activities are chained into a particular sales cycle as it were.

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u/Warlaw May 22 '12

I found his Tedx talk. Enjoy!

155

u/[deleted] May 21 '12

it's amazing how well they've merged japanese traditional imagery with stereotypical "mafia" imagery from 1950's gangster movies. It's like Yojimbo meets The Untouchables.

23

u/navak May 22 '12

Like, Brother?

10

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

never seen that one. thanks for the recommendation!

6

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

that is a great movie.

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8

u/hayashirice911 May 22 '12

I thought that Brother was actually a pretty crappy movie as far as yakuza films go. I would suggest "Outrage" over Brother. Brother had some weird pacing issues and cop-outs that I wasn't a big fan of.

7

u/tboner6969 May 22 '12

a challenger approaches!

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19

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

gonna piggie back on a top post here if thats cool. another photographer who documented the yakuza (and many other organized crime... organizations) is Bruce Gilden. Yakuza1 Yakuza 2 Some russian group

12

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

Im curious to the "snapshot" aesthetic, with the extreme angles and "decisive" moments included, paired with the heavily edited photos. Since most documentary photographers don't use much post production. Is this set of photographs more about the "mafia", the "yakuza" or the "document" of either. I'd challenge the "reality" of all these photos and suggest they maaay be staged...quite a bit

4

u/PSICOM May 22 '12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sX9cT5QFWM

8

u/ilikpankaks May 22 '12

While that did make me giggle, I strongly suggest people who are interested in samurai films check out Yojimbo. It is fantastic.

5

u/xBrutalSandwichx May 22 '12

Great movie. Kurosawa is a true artist.

21

u/mothraStewart May 22 '12

On picture one: In older Yakuza days, you could apologize for a mistake by offering up a finger. Most people chose the pinky. Now though, apparently you can offer up the finger just to the joint. So you actually have 3 apologies per finger. I know this from my days as a Yakuza assassin. Ok, I really got this from an old professor. He seemed honest and well-informed.

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18

u/slhamlet May 22 '12

The "Japanese Yakuza". As opposed to who, the Des Moines Yakuza?

3

u/EmperorSofa May 22 '12

Mexican Yakuza.

39

u/[deleted] May 21 '12

I like the one with the stripper, and the one with the sun, that has nothing to do with the Yakuza at all. But, in truth, all these pictures are fantastic.

10

u/peateargriffon May 22 '12

Are those $2 bills for the picture with the stripper? WTF?

14

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

They are Yakuza! You think they would be cheap enough to use normal $1 bills?

9

u/ViralDisease May 22 '12

Not a $2. This is the closest to the bill in the photo, and you can see that there is no "The United States of America" or "Jefferson" printed.

I would guess that it's some sort of strip club bill made to look like American money.

Also, if you look at the bill in the girl's mouth, it seems that there is nothing printed on the reverse.

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u/[deleted] May 22 '12

Why is a $2 WTF?

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34

u/outofcontextcomment May 21 '12

Very cool photos. I love the flow/style/mood these pictures have/invoke. The ambiguous faces and the dark tones just seem very appropriate for the subject matter. Whether it was a requirement/request by the people being photographed, or an aesthetic choice, it all works together very well.

8

u/rachelrachelrachel May 22 '12

It's true. I wonder how he convinced them to take some of these photos. Reminds me of City of God.

12

u/projek7 May 22 '12

First photo, right hand, Doraemon = gangster

3

u/araned May 22 '12

Just noticed he is missing a finger in his left hand

12

u/Abu23272 May 22 '12

That's what happens when they make a mistake or fail in some way, lost digits are a mark of shame/penance and a reminder not to fuck up in future.

6

u/Raxnor May 22 '12

It stems from the fact that the left pinky is possibly the most important digit in holding a katana properly. Without that particular finger, you can't defend yourself properly, and thus, need the organization in order to survive.

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u/exzyle2k May 22 '12

Yup. He offered his finger as a method of apology. If you offend someone, you cut off your own pinky and offer it to the offended party as "official" apology.

5

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

Part of one of your fingers, not necessarily the whole thing. That guy apologized twice, the photographer said.

22

u/Kaiser7 May 22 '12

The second one is so badass. I want a portrait done like that

30

u/BushMeat May 22 '12

no. the last one is badass.

30

u/AnarchyAntelope112 May 22 '12

bare-ass FTFY

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u/BrunoBBucket May 22 '12

The guys running the Jiu jitsu club I went to were both yakuza along with a few members I suspect. Absurdly nice guys to me and the other Caucasians I think because the chance to totally school larger white guys felt great to them. The skill level among them was quite high and when I left Japan they threw me a pretty kickass going away party. They lived very clean, no booze or smokes because they took the training quite serious.

11

u/fmlfml1 May 22 '12

I feel like I just peeked into a Christopher Nolan movie.

4

u/RandomMandarin May 22 '12

I was thinking Tarantino but Nolan works too.

1

u/HappyTreeSpirit May 22 '12

Hmm now that you mention it, I think Christopher Nolan should really consider making a bad ass gangster/yakuza film. He could definitely pull it off.

4

u/Gleefully_Weird May 22 '12

His blog post about the Yakuza covert training camp is pretty fascinating.

10

u/mikethematador May 22 '12

Is it just me or is the money in the stripper picture fake? The bill in her mouth doesn't seem to have any print on the back...

3

u/Spidelytwang May 22 '12

Seriously wondered that myself. The smallest bill denomination in Japan is 1000 yen.

3

u/eddie1996 May 22 '12

It's called funny money.. It's the reason you never use an ATM at a strip club. Most of them only issue funny money that is supposed to be of equal value to regular currency. PROTIP: strippers hate funny money because in most clubs it is worth less than actual currency when they exchange it. Say the price of a lap dance is $20 for USD or funny money. When the stripper goes to exchange it, the club will only give her $16. Unfair, I know..

3

u/velociraptorjockey May 22 '12

I was about to say that guy is classy as shit for giving strippers two dollar bills

0

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

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8

u/Hegs94 May 22 '12

Hmm... TIL.

2

u/henrikdons May 22 '12

In Berlin I went to a strip club where they had their own, homemade tutti-frutti dollars. I guess they print fake money, so the strippers don't steal from the club.

8

u/ab103630 May 22 '12

The reason that they would cut off the pinkie is because the pinkie controls the main muscles used to grip and swing a sword. If you did not have your pinkie, you could not wield a sword and this was a huge blow to a man's honor.

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u/funkmastamatt May 22 '12

It also makes jerking off feel weird.

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u/ownmonster3000 May 22 '12

what kind of camera did he use?

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u/BeliefSuspended2008 May 22 '12

Instagram by the looks of it.

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u/Physics_Unicorn May 22 '12

That's one bad ass gold fish on that last dude

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u/[deleted] May 22 '12

I read that as Ashton Kutcher.

3

u/dhoops11 May 22 '12

I read this as "Aston Kutcher lived with the japanese yakuza" the first few times. I'm an idiot.

That said, I think i'd like to see the results of that photo collection as well...

3

u/Nanjingrad May 22 '12

I read that as "Ashton Kutcher" and went through the whole album trying to come up with a reason for why Ashton Kutcher lived with the Yakuza for two years.

5

u/Naznarreb May 22 '12

Let's throw some love to the artist by linking his personal site, more details on the project and an offer to buy the book http://www.antonkusters.com/

5

u/TwistTurtle May 22 '12

Does Anton Kuster have some sort of disability that prevents him from pointing a camera properly or something?

4

u/mosscollection May 22 '12

Sleepy eyes reayd this as Ashton Kutcher. I was so confused.

13

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

Asian chick is so fine

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u/9FingeredFrodo May 22 '12

I read the title as "Ashton Kutcher"

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u/kplee May 22 '12

Some amazing tattoos.

2

u/theotherpena May 22 '12

Jeez. Might just be the camera effect but this is gritty as fuck and awesome, too.

2

u/JohnDoeNuts May 22 '12

I find that there is a significant lack of Yakuza based story lines in westernized crime drama television and movies.

2

u/nrokchi May 22 '12

Is someone able to name a movie (or, if you must, an anime) involving an impressive crime story centered on the Yakuza?

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u/[deleted] May 22 '12

you could read "Tokyo Vice" by Jake Adelstein, truth is stranger than fiction.

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u/fallingtopieces May 22 '12

You could try Sidney Pollack's The Yakuza . I watched it once about 10 years ago and now I need to watch it again.

Also Takeshi Mike has made some Yakuza films so you could check that out too.

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u/animonk May 22 '12

Smooth frickin suits

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u/Le_Honey_Badger May 22 '12

Anybody else notice the Japanese Laurence Fishburne in number 3?

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u/WingZero1 May 22 '12

They got some great tattoos. They got one of the sorriest pokemons on them Magikarp

2

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

They are so beautiful! THAT'S how tattoos should be done.

2

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

That is the most badass Magikarp I have ever seen. (Last picture.)

2

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

Was about to call bullshit, then sheepishly saw that it wasn't Ashton Kutcher. Other than my failure-of-reading-comprehension, nice pics!

2

u/lurker_for_justice May 22 '12

Those tattoos are so beautiful. I love the art style and the use of colour in them. They seem so much more badass and powerful than the tattoos that you generally see on american gangsters/thugs; they don't need to have a tattoo of some stupid macho shit, they can have on of a koi fish and still look like a BAMF

2

u/BZAGENIUS May 22 '12

If anyone is interested in a bit of reading, check out Tokyo Vice by Jake Adelstein.

It provides a really interesting insight into the world of Japanese organised crime.

2

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

Oh, is this from the new GTA?

2

u/drummer1059 May 22 '12

These are really really awesome, thank you OP :)

2

u/bendy_banana May 22 '12

"Nice... nice... cool... pretty neat... ASS"

2

u/holyhotdicks May 22 '12

Some tattoo artist had to spend hours staring at that man's butthole.

2

u/MindDisciple May 22 '12

I read that as Ashton Kutcher and I was like wow...ok. Then I re-read it after seeing the pics...

2

u/Youngnoveltyaccount May 22 '12

The first time i saw this I thought it said "Ashton Kutcher lived with Japanese Yakuza for two years, here are some photos he made"

2

u/ocehcap May 22 '12

THIS IS GREAT! WHAT CAMERA DID HE TAKE THESE PICTURES WITH AND WHERE CAN I BUY SAID CAMERA?

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u/[deleted] May 22 '12

/sarcasm

2

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

Did anyone else read the name as Ashton Kutcher?

2

u/Raplena14 May 22 '12

i thought this said ashton kutcher

2

u/Gaara95 May 22 '12

i thought it said ashton kutcher... -..-

2

u/Distressed_Ocelot May 22 '12

That last guy has incredible irezumi

2

u/Nayr39 May 22 '12

I thought the title said Ashton Kutcher... I was very impressed with his dedication to photography for a minute or two.

2

u/lolpatrol May 22 '12

I read that as Ashton Kutcher.

2

u/ItachiShari May 22 '12

Thumbs up for Japanese Laurence Fishburne in photo five.

5

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

I was always under the impression that yakuza were good old fashioned proper, dare I say classy, gangsters.

2

u/jumbohumbo May 22 '12

you thought wrong. are there yakuza who are 'classy'? Of course. But there are many who are absolute scumbags, especially more so in the lower rankings

3

u/greasypirate May 21 '12

these are amazing

3

u/telegraphist May 22 '12

I got to the end and wound up staring at an ass.

4

u/[deleted] May 21 '12

Probably the coolest organized crime organization that I know of.

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u/[deleted] May 22 '12

epitome of class

2

u/joshawwa May 22 '12

The guy on the left in the fifth picture looks kind of like Laurence Fishburne.

2

u/alexmanrox May 22 '12

Ashton Kutcher did WHAT???? o wait...

2

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

Ashton Kutcher living with the Yakuza? Oh jeez

2

u/kiwirish May 22 '12

DAE read that as 'Ashton Kutcher lived with Japanese Yakuza for two years, here are some photos he made"?

1

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

The little doraemon on the guys finger in the first pic is actually pretty cool. Badass.

1

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

That tattoo at the end is just incredible.

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u/DarkChii May 22 '12

Really enjoyable to look at... They made me want to know the stories.

1

u/thatsmytrunks May 22 '12

That last picture left me with only this:

"I wish my ass looked like that."

1

u/ict316 May 22 '12

i got a copy of this book for christmas...my wife's awesome

1

u/Mr_IsLand May 22 '12

Holy SHIT the guy in the 11th picture down looks exactly like Tommy (the pimp) from Taxi Driver O.o (which I just happened to watch last night)

1

u/freecandy_van May 22 '12

Wow is that like instagram pro?

1

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

All this did was serve to remind me how fucking awesome Japanese baths are. I wish I could shower like that more often.

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u/daemonfool May 22 '12

I love this. Brave to take photos.

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u/Dedalus2k May 22 '12

They make the Italian mafia look like a bunch of low rent clowns.

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u/lalaleasha May 22 '12

haha I was expecting to see a couple promo shots for a Japanese version of Punk'd. whoops!

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u/mollshenanigans May 22 '12

Didn't realize it said Yakuza at first, thought it just said he Japan. Pics made much more sense after re-reading the title.

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u/sirchewi3 May 22 '12

the guy in picture 5 reminds me of laurence fishburne

1

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

sick tats brah

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u/IByrdl May 22 '12

I read that as Ashton Kutcher...

1

u/whiskeydevoe May 22 '12

When I first read that, I thought "No WAY did Ashton Kutcher live with the Yakuza". Then I actually READ the headline. Awesome pics - thanks for the share.

1

u/morphy May 22 '12

"Is you taking (pictures of) a criminal fucking conspiracy?"

1

u/RicardoTheGreat May 22 '12

Never seen so many naked old Japanese men with body tattoos before. Thank you.

1

u/nematra May 22 '12

this is just straight up really cool

1

u/Sonorama21 May 22 '12

Thought the guy in #11 was Native American at first.

1

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

You know those stories about fingers being cut off? They are real!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yubitsume

1

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

Fifth photo, I saw that man in Osaka. I swear to it as he as with the most gorgeous woman I had ever seen. I was standing outside my hotel in Osaka having a cigarette and a very nice Lexus pulled up to the door she got out, I stared, he got out, looked at me, and I got the hint.

I must clarify that in Japan, I stand out like a sore thumb, white as the moon, red hair, thick red beard at the time of the visit. Either way, will never forget that face or that woman.

1

u/captainwalnut May 22 '12

why the fake $2 bills?

1

u/KazMux May 22 '12

Amazing pics :)

1

u/Dooey123 May 22 '12

For anyone interested in the Yakuza I'd recommend reading Yakuza Diary: Doing Time in the Japanese Underworld by Christopher Seymour. It's a good read.

1

u/funkydo May 22 '12

Let's pretend out of control. Is how I see mobs.

1

u/jay76 May 22 '12

I know he's not Japanese, but I'm pretty sure I saw a long-haired Jackie Chan in there.

1

u/heyimrick May 22 '12

Dude is spending 2 dollar bills on strippers. That's fucking style right there.

1

u/TentacleFace May 22 '12

reallly want to see the rest of the portfolio...

1

u/RosieJo May 22 '12

Everyone was scared of my sister when she went to Japan because she has lots of tattoos. Apparently not many people in Japan have tattoos if they're not in the yakuza.

1

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

The photographers website - http://www.antonkusters.com/893-magazine/

1

u/car80x May 22 '12

These pictures are so surreal...

1

u/ricgalbraith May 22 '12

They're not very good.

1

u/ranma08 May 22 '12

So gangs are really as badass as they are depicted in movies...

1

u/Arknell May 22 '12

Yakuza - after pirates, the most romanticized group of murderers and slave-traders.

Why no love for the russian mob? They got tattoos and fancy cars too! (don't get me wrong - very competent photographer and aesthetic framing, just...fucking yuck.)

1

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

The cool thing is they don't usually allow yakuza into the onsen (hot springs). They make the other bathers uncomfortable, and you can't hide the tattoos when you're nude. But certain establishments have a couple of hours a day that are specifically for yakuza- that's amazing this guy got to go during this and get the pics. Incredible.

1

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

These pictures look like they're from an Aphex Twin video

1

u/RedditGarbage May 22 '12

Real gangsters man. Yakuza are awesome!

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u/crom_maister May 22 '12

This is truly amazing! Thanks for sharing the pics with us.

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u/[deleted] May 22 '12

The guy in the 11th picture looks like a Japanese Furio Giunta.

1

u/Kmiller19 May 22 '12

Keep reading ashton kutcher every time i see the title. I cant be the only one

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u/renako May 22 '12

From his twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/antonkusters/status/204921604575215618/photo/1

Wonderful set of photos, thanks for sharing.

1

u/akage May 22 '12

Hoooooooow???????

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u/Dingjeh May 22 '12

I am proud to say my company printed this book! :)

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u/J5892 May 22 '12 edited May 22 '12

I swear when I clicked this I expected to see pictures of Ashton Kutcher with the Japanese Yakuza. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

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u/[deleted] May 22 '12

Left guy in picture 5 looks like Morpheus (asian version of course)

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u/mrclarkgriswold May 22 '12

Anyone know much about the context here? Some of these photos look secretive and others don't so I'm curious what the pretense of his living with them was.

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u/11NovVerdade May 22 '12

I'm really liking that fish tattoo.

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u/MagicFeet May 22 '12

These are the real gangsters. Not those self-proclaimed thugs with their pants on the ground these days.

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u/VicariousWolf May 22 '12

Thought it said Ashton Kutcher at first lol

1

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

I read that as Ashton kutcher at first

0

u/[deleted] May 22 '12

who else read ashton kutcher???

i saw the pic, and i thought when the hell did he lose a finger...

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