AT a barbershop in Tokyo, yakuza gangster Tekisasu glances in the mirror at his meticulous new cut and thanks the hairdresser for the weekly trim crucial to his mobster trade.

Japan's yakuza operate an organised crime empire worth billions of dollars and have long dominated the country's drug rings, gambling dens and sex trade.

From precise haircuts to sharp suits, many mobsters try to project an image of menace and wealth, and barbers play a key role in crafting it.

"The yakuza are all about vanity," said Tekisasu, whose moniker means "enemy stabber", in an exclusive interview that took months to set up.