Yubitsume is a Japanese ritual to atone for offenses to another, a way to be punished or to show your gratitude to another. Primarily performed by the Yakuza, which is a "mafia" crime organization in Japan.

Origin

The ritual is thought to have originated with the Bakuto . A form of "debt repayment" where gambling was concerned and the person couldn't pay off the debt. The amputee was therefore unable to grip his sword in the same manner, weakening him in battle.

Details of Yubitsume

To perform Yubitsume, one lays down a small clean cloth and the person performing the ritual lays their hand onto the cloth facing down. Using an extremely sharp knife or tanto, the person performing Yubitsume cuts off the portion of the left pinky finger above the top knuckle on the finger or the tip of the finger. The ritual continues by the person who cut off the portion of the finger wrapping it up in the cloth their hand was resting on. The "package" is then submitted very graciously to the offender's Oyubun (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 a continuous process moving on to the next pinky finger when no more joints of the first finger are left. In some cases being expelled from a Yakuza gang might be accompanied by the person being expelled having to perform the Yubitsume ritual.

Yubitsume in the Media

Many motion pictures have been made with the ritual Yubitsume being performed for the audience. One notable motion picture is: Black Rain, starring Andy Garcia and Michael Kirk Douglas. In Black Rain, Michael Kirk Douglas character Nick, must apologize for his actions in order for the character to progress on to the next phase in the plot. The Yubitsume depicted in the motion picture is very realistic. "Nick" performs Yubitsume and then the plot takes a turn towards Nick's favor.

Yubitsume was portrayed in a more humorous (if perhaps less accurate) light in a skit on the TV show Saturday Night Live. The skit featured an American character, played by Chris Farley, that unwittingly went on a gameshow while on vacation in Japan. Not speaking Japanese, the protagonist was horrified to see a contestant that incorrectly answered a question have his finger chopped off as a penalty.

Links

Black Rain (1989) .... Nick - Internet Movie Database