Tattoos are not very acceptable in visible areas if you intend to have a serious job. It doesn't really have anything to do with being a 'yakuza', it has more to do with sticking out and being different (in contrast to the American attitude of "Look at me I'm a special snowflake"). In that sense, no it's not popular like it is in the US. I daresay some tattoos, such as kanji tattoos, are more popular in the US than in Japan.