Part 6/12:
Across the region, stories of transformation reveal the possibility of redemption. In Japan, Pastor Taia Shindo's journey from being a Yakuza gang member to a Christian pastor exemplifies the potential for societal reintegration.
A Former Yakuza's Path to Faith
Once a juvenile delinquent who joined the Yakuza at age 15, Shindo rose rapidly within the criminal hierarchy before becoming addicted to narcotics and serving time in prison thrice. The physical remnants of his past—a missing tip of his pinky finger—are a testament to his atonement through a traditional ritual.