Fascinating story about a Yukako Fukushima, who make prosthetic fingers to help former Yakuza to get back into society:

But for those who have transgressed – by mishandling money, failing to repay a debt, or simply offending their boss – there is a striking physical obstacle to re-entering mainstream society: the painful, and glaringly obvious, self-amputation of their little finger.

That is where Fukushima comes in. For the past two decades, the 44-year-old has hand crafted hundreds of pinkie fingers for former gangsters – a minor cosmetic accoutrement that has helped them find jobs and marriage partners, and a semblance of normal life.