The police were on high alert… The circumstances behind the appearance of the Yamaguchigumi VI head, Shinobu Tsukasa, and Seiji Takayama, in a “residential area in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, together.

Early in the morning of mid-December 2011. A corner of a residential area in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, was enveloped in a somber atmosphere.

By 7:30 a.m., a number of black luxury cars were coming and going, entering a building in the residential area. Lined up in a row on the premises were the executives of the Yamaguchigumi VI. In the vicinity, about 50 investigators dispatched from the police headquarters of the 10 prefectures in Japan are on guard.

In the tense atmosphere, a luxury car arrived at around 8:30. At that moment, the tension at the scene rose to an all-time high. The man who got out of the back seat was Shinobu Tsukasa, head of the Yamaguchigumi’s sixth Yamaguchi clan. He is wearing a black half-coat over a sweater with a unique picture on it. He is wearing a black half-coat over a sweater with a unique picture on it, and although it is hard to tell because he is wearing sunglasses, there is no smile on his face. He was greeted by the executives and entered the building.

What was taking place that day was the Yamaguchigumi VI’s bartering meeting. Since the Yamaguchigumi headquarters was restricted by the Violence Prevention Law, we have been holding the New Year’s party at the headquarters of the Kokuryoya family in Shizuoka since 2008 instead of the beginning of the New Year’s party. This time, too, all the direct members participated in the party,” said a police official who was in charge of security.

Upon the arrival of Mr. Tsukasa, the party began. Prior to that, the “Sai Sai Ceremony” was held in which the new direct supervisors who had been promoted received the sake cup directly from the head of the Tsukasa clan. After that, as usual, the Yamaguchigumi Code of Conduct was recited, followed by a greeting to the head of the Yamaguchigumi by Seiji Takayama (read by General Manager Morio on behalf of the head). The announcement of the guideline for the new year was also made, and the party ended without a hitch.

The guideline for Reiwa 2024 is ‘harmony and parental unity,’ and it has been the same for eight consecutive years. In this, we feel the strong will of the head of the Tsukasa clan to aim for the convergence of conflicts through the whole clan” (a journalist familiar with the Yamaguchigumi situation).

Afterwards, a banquet was held. Companions arrived one after another in one-box cars. As usual, a karaoke contest was held, and the drinking party seemed to be very lively. After that, the party seemed to end after 1:00 p.m., and the participants left the headquarters of the Kokuriya family in order, starting with the head of the Tsukasa clan.

This August will mark the 10th year since the Yamaguchigumi split war began. Will there be any major developments before this milestone year?

According to the latest announcement by the National Police Agency, the Yamaguchigumi VI has about 3,800 members, while the Kobe Yamaguchigumi has about 330. The difference in strength is overwhelming, but it is believed that Kunio Inoue, the leader of the Kobe side, is holed up in his house in Kobe City. Both sides will continue to engage in a tense standoff, but there is a possibility of a major shift in the war situation. The war is likely to continue.

The situation may be about to take a major turn before the “10-year anniversary of the start of the war.