How the daughter of the yakuza sank to the bottom and managed not to lose faith in herself

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Born into a Yakuza family, she has faced human cruelty since childhood. She was despised, mocked at her and tried to hit harder. It seemed that Shoko Tendo's life was about to end sadly: correctional school, trampled dignity, beaten body, drugs and promiscuous relationships. And yet she managed to rise from the very day, break with the yakuza and start her life anew.

Born into a Yakuza family

Shoko was born into a Yakuza family in 1968. Her father was a member of the yakuza, the head of a gang in the city of Toyonaka, in the north of Osaka. The head of the family, Hiroyasu, and his wife Satomi raised a son and three daughters and seemed to be quite a prosperous average Japanese family. In addition to being a member of the gang, Hiroyasu ran several businesses, the family lived in a solid house with a swimming pool, and the children were completely happy.

Shoko grew up as a very independent and strong-willed child. She rarely cried and never asked for forgiveness, even if her father punished her physically. In a situation where her sister began to beg for leniency, Shoko only clenched her teeth tighter and waited for the execution to end.

Neighbors did not miss an opportunity to demonstrate their contempt to the children of the bandit, and at school, Shoko was insulted not only by classmates, but also by the teacher. In addition, once she was almost raped by a young yakuza, who often visited their house. At first, the girl was simply silent in response to all the humiliation, but one evening her life changed dramatically.

Maki's sister was only two years older than Shoko, but at the age of 14 she had already joined the representatives of the Yankee subculture and often ran away from home. On that day, she did not manage to leave unnoticed, Shoko saw Maki climb out the window. As a result, they went to a nightclub together. So Shoko, at the age of 12, found herself in the company of teenage rebels.

Her life was going downhill with confidence. The Yankees sniffed the solvent, taking pleasure in it, fought and easily started relationships. Soon, Shoko entered a reformatory school and was able to appreciate all the delights of freedom that she had before. There, one of the guards gave her a book with poems written by other underage girls who were already serving time. There were also poems by her older sister Maki.

After his release, Shoko was taken away by his parents, and the Yankees were waiting at the house. And she left home again.

Life at the bottom

Later, Shoko's father went bankrupt, he in the yakuza clan slid down the hierarchical ladder. The girl's life became like a continuous nightmare. One day, her father's former friend, the usurer Maejima, took her with him. So that this unpleasant person would not stop supporting her father, Shoka left with him. In fact, she was selling her body for the safety of her parents. Maejima soon put the girl on drugs.

Young Shoko's life was steadily going downhill. Attempts to get away from their tormentor ended in failure. Maejima completely subdued the girl, threatening to tell his father about drugs and, in fact, prostitution. She couldn't allow her father to break down because of her. And she continued to fulfill all the whims of her master. He beat and mocked her, but she simply had no right to protest.

One day, Shoko almost went to the next world from an overdose. Then the realization came: doping urgently needs to be abandoned. Soon her tormentor died and the girl gained relative freedom.

For some reason, she always fell in love with unfree men. Shin, whom she met during the time of Maejima, seemed almost perfect to her, but she broke up with him after his wife gave birth to his son. Later there was Ito, about whose marital status she learned when she could no longer leave him.

He was even more sadistic than Maejima and enjoyed seeing her blood. Attempts to get away from him ended in beating and violence. She was able to leave him after a huge ransom was paid for her by a married man who dreamed of making her his mistress, but did not force her to anything.

Path to light

Shoka refused the offer and began to live alone. She diligently helped her parents, who were on the verge of poverty, saved her sister from her first tyrant husband. And she got herself a tattoo of the courtesan Jigoku Daiu on her whole body, similar to a work of art, which became a sign of her belonging to the Yakuza.

Then she met Takamitsu, whom she truly fell in love with. On the eve of her wedding with him, she had to endure another beating. Ito returned, determined to bring the girl back. After his visit, Shoko had scars on his head and face for life. And Taka left the Yakuza clan, chopping off his little finger as retribution.

Two days after her marriage, my mother suffered a stroke. The woman passed away, and another scar appeared on Shoko's heart. Later, she had to abandon her unborn baby due to poverty, to survive the death of her father, who refused to be treated for oncology. And part with her husband.

But still it was the path to light. Slowly, step by step, she found herself. Shoko worked as a "chat girl" and dreamed of the time when she could buy a place to bury her parents' ashes. Later, her ex-husband Taco gave her a large amount for this. After her dream came true, Shoko quit her job and began to think about her future life. Her cries were not only about her own worries. A fragile young woman, after the death of her parents, actually became the head of the family. She helps her sisters and brother in word and deed, rejoices at their successes.

She once dreamed of writing books and decided that her time had come. She started with her own biography. Shoko Tendo wrote, sometimes drowning in tears of bitter and painful memories.

After the publication of the book “The Daughter of the Yakuza. The shocking confession of the daughter of a gangster.”Shoko Tendo realized that her life had changed forever. She was able to get up and fulfill her childhood dream. Today, only a tattoo serves her as a constant reminder of the past. And an incentive to protect her daughter from the cruel world.

Traditional Japanese tattooing (irezumi) has appeared among the yakuza since their inception. Full body tattooing is traditional for the yakuza culture. Today, many yakuza prefer to refrain from tattooing, so as not to be left out of society. Conversely, more and more Japanese people who have nothing to do with the yakuza are getting such tattoos.