The Hidden Meanings Behind The Tattoos On This Arrested Yakuza Boss Will Surprise You

A retired Japanese Yakuza boss has been arrested in Thailand after photos of his gang-related tattoos went viral.

The fugitive Yakuza boss fled Japan in 2003 after allegedly killing his rival while part of the notorious criminal organization.

Shigeharu Shirai, 72, was apprehended while he was shopping on Wednesday in the central market town of Lopburi.

Shirai escaped from the Japanese authorities in 2003 and hid in Thailand, where he got married and settled down to a peaceful life.

The yakuza emerged in the chaos of post-war Japan turning into multi-billion-dollar criminal organizations involved in everything from gambling, drugs, and prostitution to loan sharking, protection rackets and white-collar crime.

They were long tolerated as a necessary evil to keep order on the streets and getting things done quickly - however dubious the means.

A local person took a photo of Shirai, who was playing checkers during that time and shared it on Facebook.

The person had no idea of the old man’s identity and thus innocently placed a caption on the photo.

"Uncle, you’re my idol. When I grow up, will I look like you?"

The images were shared more than 10,000 times and caught the attention of Japanese police, who alerted the Thai authorities.

There were other identifying factors in the image, including how the little finger on Shirai’s left hand was missing. Yakuza members often slice off the tip of a finger to atone for an offense

Fascination with Shirai’s striking tattoos persists and the meaning behind each one is intriguing; wrapped up with Japanese culture and history.

In Japan, the process these gang members go through is called Irezumi.

In the Edo period (1600-1868), tattoos were used by authorities as a punishment to criminals; as they would be branded for life and would find it difficult to re-enter society once out of prison.

The designs usually include dragons and other mythological beasts.

Another distinctive detail with Yakuza tattoos is the flower design.

One of Shirai’s back tattoos depicts a samurai – a popular choice for gang members.

according to Ranker, represents the Bushidō code, with an emphasis on 'honour, courage, loyalty, and proper action'.

Bushidō means 'the way of the warrior', a philosophy the Yakuza have drawn when shaping their own identity.

Right on Shirai's right nipple, you can see a yellow flower, which could be a peony, a lotus or a chrysanthemum.

While it might seem boring to split hairs over what breed of flower it is - they mean very different things. A peony, in Irezumi symbolism, represents wealth, elegance and prosperity. In addition to that, it can relate to masculinity and a daredevil attitude.

Chrysanthemum has connotations of joy and longevity, while the lotus represents unfulfilled potential.

The final tattoo element related to Shirai is the water on his lower back. That's supposed to illustrate change, adaptation, and life - which is probably what the crime boss was hoping for when he became a fugitive.