The earnest inside story of the birth of the “Anti-Yamaguchigumi League of the 6th Yamaguchigumi” of Kobe, Ikeda-gumi, and Kizuna-kai. | FRIDAY DIGITAL

The earnest inside story of the birth of the “Anti-Yamaguchigumi League of the 6th Yamaguchigumi” of Kobe, Ikeda-gumi, and Kizuna-kai.

Three cornered organizations teamed up

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Ikeda and Ikeda (right), head of the Ikeda clan, together with Inoue (left) and others, founded the Kobe Yamaguchigumi.’ They parted company once in 20 years.

‘The trigger was the withdrawal of young leader Osamu Teraoka from the Kobe Yamaguchi Gumi, which was decided in late August. Mr. Teraoka had been meeting with the heads of leading organizations around the country since last year in an effort to end the split war. Naturally, he was also strongly opposed to Kobe Yamaguchigumi forming an alliance with Ikeda-gumi and Kizuna-kai. In the end, however, Mr. Teraoka left because he could not reach an agreement with the head of the Inoue Kunio clan, who stated, ‘I will never retire or dissolve. From there, the talk of an alliance proceeded at once.

The yakuza world is in an uproar because these three parties, who were not supposed to team up, have joined forces.

On September 8, Takashi Ikeda, head of the Ikeda clan, an independent organization in Okayama, visited the separate house of Kunio Inoue, head of the Kobe Yamaguchi clan, in Inami Town, Hyogo Prefecture, and formed a relationship of equal kinship. Because of the strong ties between the Ikeda-gumi and the Kizuna-kai, which are said to be a “community of destiny,” a substantial three-party alliance was formed.

The top leaders of the Kobe Yamaguchigumi, Ikeda-gumi, and Kizuna-kai were originally the same Kobe Yamaguchigumi. However, in 2005, Kizumasa Oda, the head of Kizumikai, bitterly criticized “Inoue-gumi’s leader is even more money-grubbing than the sixth generation” and withdrew from the group. In response, a hitman from the Kobe Yamaguchigumi shot and killed Representative Oda’s bodyguard, and the relationship was seen as irreparable.

After the formation of the Kobe Yamaguchigumi, the Ikeda clan had its young leader shot dead by the Yamaguchigumi VI side. However, the Kobe Yamaguchigumi did not return (retaliate) in any way, and it is said that a rift remained between the Inoue and Ikeda gang leaders. After that, the Ikeda-gumi left the Kobe Yamaguchigumi in 2008″ (reporter from the society department of a national newspaper).

After overcoming various ties and forming an alliance, it was time for a counterattack against the Yamaguchigumi VI. However, it is said that there is not that much excitement inside.

“Will they start to return to Yamaguchigumi VI? Realistically, it will be tough. …… Even if we say that we have formed an alliance, it has not been decided how we will specifically work together. Anyway, we are going to cooperate with each other and strengthen our defense” (aforementioned person related to Kobe Yamaguchigumi).

Behind the formation of the alliance, there seems to have been a serious internal situation in the Kobe Yamaguchigumi.

The number of members is decreasing, and we are currently unable to respond in any way to attacks from the Yamaguchigumi VI side. The executives who were working toward the end of the war were not only the young boss Teraoka, but the inside was also shaken. Furthermore, it is reported that a lawsuit has even been filed against properties related to the Inoue clan leader, demanding the transfer of ownership. This is seen as a maneuver on the part of the 6th generation to cause a money jam against the Inoue clan leader. In the midst of all this, Sadamasa Irie, deputy head of the Kobe Yamaguchi Gumi, made a move and put together talks with the Ikeda Gumi. It sounds good to say that it is overcoming grudge and enmity, but it means that the three parties, who have said that they will not return to the 6th Generation side, have joined hands in order to somehow survive” (another Kobe Yamaguchigumi official).

(Another Kobe Yamaguchigumi official) Nevertheless, there is no doubt that there has been a major move in the divisional war, which had been in a stalemate for some time. What kind of development will the war face in the future? Atsushi Mizoguchi, a nonfiction writer well versed in the gang situation, offers his opinion.

From the point of view of Seiji Takayama, the young leader of the Yamaguchigumi VI, who is aiming for an early end to the split war, the situation is not a happy one. Chief Shinobu Tsukasa is 80 years old, but in order to replace him, he wants to end the war and “hand over to the next generation” in a clean state. For this purpose, Kobe Yamaguchigumi must give up, but there is no doubt that the alliance with Ikeda-gumi and Kizuna-kai has provided a better support system than at one time. Attacks by the Yamaguchigumi VI will continue, but the conflict could last for a decade or more.”

The “anti-Yamaguchigumi VI alliance” is likely to prolong the schism even further.

Kizuna-kai and Oda, the head of the Kizuna-kai, who was not expected to return to Inoue’s gang, has practically joined the Rengo.
In June of this year, the head of the Yamaguchi clan, Tsukasa (center), and young head Takayama (figure with cane) appeared at Shin-Yokohama Station. Their future response to the “Rengo” will be closely watched.

From the September 30 and October 7, 2022 issues of FRIDAY

  • PHOTO. Yutaka Asai (1st) Shinji Hamasaki (3rd)

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