Former mobster cleans up and becomes a preacher - 'I believe it was God's intention'
FREE Catholic Classes
Tatsuya Shindo, a Japanese man covered in tattoos and missing the tip of his pinkie finger - a Japanese gang custom to show atonement for an offense or as a punishment for one - once lived for money. Today, he lives for God.

The Japanese mobster found God (Benjamin Parks).
Highlights
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
2/17/2017 (8 years ago)
Published in Living Faith
Keywords: Yakuza, Tatsuya Shindo, faith, God
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Shindo joined the Japanese mafia, known as the yakuza, when he was 17-years-old.
"I was a child," he told CNN. I didn't think too deeply. And I admired the yakuza for what was visible only on the surface. They have lots of money, spend their money lavishly, and play glamorously. The bad guys looked so cool in my eyes."
Like other gangs and mafias, the yakuza promoted loyalty and a sense of family but, as Shindo quickly discovered, the price of being a member was often paid for in blood.
"My boss was killed. People were killed in power struggles. People's legs were shot. A guy who was doing drugs with me died of intoxication. Suicides happened. Sudden deaths. I've seen many deaths," Shindo shared. "I saw my henchmen get stabbed to death."
He became addicted to crystal meth and got the tattoos promoted by the yakuza. To exclude mafia members from the rest of society, visible tattoos are not allowed in most public places, leaving yakuza members to receive their tattoos in places easily hidden by clothing.
Shindo lost the tip of his pinkie finger after getting high, driving and crashing his boss' car. He was arrested seven times and was imprisoned three times from the time he was 22-years-old.
By 32, he ha been excommunicated by the yakuza after he spent 8 of a 10-year sentence. While incarcerated, he was in solitary confinement and began reading the Bible.
He studied more and more until he realized he wanted to share the Word and become a preacher.
"I know how bad I was and the bad things I had done," he told the Tokyo Reporter. "At the same time, I know how much I was forgiven by God. So I wanted to engage myself in God's work."
When he was released from prison, he took over the June Bride, an old bar and karaoke spot owned by his mother. He replaced the stage with a large crucifix and filled the place with rows and rows of seats.

Pastor Shindo is now a man of the cloth who reaches out to ex-gangsters in a prefecture on the outskirts of Tokyo.
Shindo's mother, Yoshimi Shindo, explained: "When he came back [from prison], he apologized and said, 'I survived for you, mother.' When I heard those words, I decided to forget everything that happened in the past. And now, I'm very happy."
At first, she was the only one he could share the Gospel to but over time, more and more people from all walks of life began to stream in.
"In the beginning, it was only me," Shindo recalled. "So I was preaching to the walls."
Then suddenly people began to appear for his Sunday services.
"A lot of people with different backgrounds come here," Shindo stated. "Those who are divorced, bankrupt and cast away. There are also parents who have missing children, those whose sons are put into jail, or those who've been abandoned after prison. This is a place to restart your life."
Knowing everyone has their own story, Shindo shared: "They are seeking divine intervention. They want God to help them with their problems."
The Lord has always encouraged reform and offered forgiveness. Shindo's mother explained God's work in her son has also encouraged others in a way she never would have guessed. By divine intervention, her son went from yakuza to preacher and she couldn't be more proud.
"I think this place has significance that God provided here for us," she explained. "I believe it was God's intention. I believe my son's life portrays God's surprise ending."
---
'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'
Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online
Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.
-
- Easter / Lent
- Ascension Day
- 7 Morning Prayers
- Mysteries of the Rosary
- Litany of the Bl. Virgin Mary
- Popular Saints
- Popular Prayers
- Female Saints
- Saint Feast Days by Month
- Stations of the Cross
- St. Francis of Assisi
- St. Michael the Archangel
- The Apostles' Creed
- Unfailing Prayer to St. Anthony
- Pray the Rosary

‘Young Women of Deep Faith’: Catholic School Mourns Sisters Lost in Texas Hill Country Floods

As Violence Worsens in Gaza, Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Talks Resume

Pope Leo Leads Prayers for Victims of Texas Floods as Catholic Relief Efforts Continue
Daily Catholic
Daily Readings for Tuesday, July 08, 2025
St. Grimbald: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, July 08, 2025
Look over me lord : Prayer of the Day for Tuesday, July 08, 2025
Daily Readings for Monday, July 07, 2025
Bl. Ralph Milner: Saint of the Day for Monday, July 07, 2025
- Prayer to God the Father: Prayer of the Day for Monday, July 07, 2025
Copyright 2025 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2025 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.
Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.