For decades, the Yakuza, drug trafficking and violence defined Mako Nishimura’s life. Today, the former gangster is fighting to make a fresh start in Japan and to earn her elder son’s forgiveness. But her past as a member of the notorious Yakuza isn’t something she can simply shake off.

As one of the few women in the male-dominated world of organized crime, Nishimura made her money through protection rackets, drug trafficking and other criminal activities. She served time in prison for her crimes. Now she works in construction and volunteers to support others who have left the criminal life. But the hardest task remains reconciling with her family. To this day, her elder son cannot forget the years of neglect and the consequences of her life as a criminal. Amid guilt, remorse, and the desire for a fresh start, it becomes clear just how difficult it really is to leave Japan’s underworld behind.

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