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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Justin McCurry in Tokyo

Breaking good: the yakuza gangster who became a lawyer

Yakuza Tokyo Mental Health
Yoshitomo Morohashi, a former yakuza member who became a defence lawyer,
Yoshitomo Morohashi, a former yakuza member who became a defence lawyer, says he has finally made his mother happy. Photograph: Justin McCurry/The Guardian

Yoshitomo Morohashi is every inch the lawyer, from his three-piece suit and designer glasses to the sunflower lapel badge identifying him as a member of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.

Then, with little encouragement, he removes his shirt and turns away to reveal a tattoo of an ancient warrior, a samurai sword clenched between his teeth, covering his entire back.

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