Yubitsume (指詰め; 'finger shortening') or otoshimae is a Japanese ritual to atone for offenses to another, a way to be punished or to show sincere apology and remorse to another, by means of amputating portions of one's own little finger. In modern times, it is primarily performed by the yakuza, a collection of Japanese criminal organizations.
Yakuza (Japanese: ヤクザ; IPA:[jaꜜkɯ(d)za]; English: /jəˈkuːzə,ˈjækuːzə/), also known as gokudō (極道; "the extreme path", IPA:[gokɯꜜdoː]), are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media (by request of the police) call them bōryokudan (暴力団; "violent groups", IPA:[boːɾʲokɯꜜdaɴ]), while the yakuza call themselves ninkyō dantai (任侠団体; "chivalrous organizations", IPA:[ɲiŋʲkʲoːdantai]). The English equivalent for the term yakuza is gangster, meaning an individual involved in a Mafia-like criminal organization.
The yakuza are known for their strict codes of conduct, their organized fiefdom nature, and several unconventional ritual practices such as yubitsume, or amputation of the left little finger. Members are often portrayed as males with heavily tattooed bodies and wearing a fundoshi, sometimes with a kimono or, in more recent years, a Western-style "sharp" suit covering them.