<figure id="attachment_356917" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-356917"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="d72445b9"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/02/735c9cd6ecd58abf3435f5186a64dc85.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-356917" class="wp-caption-text">The head of the Tsukasa clan (center right) after his birthday party. He is flanked on both sides by Wakagashira Takayama (center left) and Assistant Wakagashira Takeuchi (far right). It is rare to see such smiling faces in front of the camera.</figcaption></figure>
<p><span class="strongInContent"><span class="strong-in-content"> &#8220;I can see you!&#8221;</span></span></p>
<p>It was a little after 4:30 in the evening of January 25, when a voice echoed in a certain place in Seto City, Aichi Prefecture, a voice as bold as the cold wind. The voice signaled the appearance of a black luxury car.</p>
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<p>The location was the headquarters of the Seto Family, a secondary organization of the Yamaguchigumi VI. The parking lot was lined with a row of executives of the VI. Amidst the heightened tension, with plainclothes police officers providing security, it was Shinobu Tsukasa, 82, who alighted from the luxury car.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"><span class="strong-in-content"> On this day, we held a birthday party for the head of the Tsukasa clan,&#8221; said Seiji Takayama, 76. After 5:30, a karaoke contest started. As in past birthday parties, a companion was invited to join the birthday party, and in addition to the beautiful voices of the members who were proud of their singing, a woman&#8217;s voice could be heard singing a Fuyumi Sakamoto song at times. The birthday party was very lively and lasted until after 7:00 p.m.,&#8221; said a police official.</span></span></p>
<p>After the party, Mr. Tsukasa came out in a good mood, led by Mr. Takayama and Mr. Takeuchi. His face was flushed, as if he had enjoyed the celebratory sake. After chatting with the executives with a smile that made the corners of his eyes droop, he got into a pickup truck and left the headquarters.</p>
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="Behind the Scenes"></div>
<p>It seems that the birthday party was a fulfilling one, but on the other hand, there are some points that are worrisome. Since Corona, the Tsukasa group leader has held his birthday parties in secret. This year, however, by mid-January, rumors were circulating in the neighborhood. Why did he not hide the holding of the event this time?</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"><span class="strong-in-content"> It must have been because his aim was to show that he was still alive and well. The split war with the Kobe Yamaguchigumi will enter its 10th year this summer. Before that, in order to show the sense of unity of the union inside and outside, they probably dared not to hide the birthday party in which all the executives were present&#8221; (Journalist covering Yamaguchigumi).</span></span></p>
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<p>The split war started in August 2003. The number of members in both camps has been drastically reduced to an estimated 200 on the Kobe side, compared to approximately 3,800 on the Rokudai side. With the gap in strength widening significantly, there was a major upheaval at the beginning of the year before the turning point.</p>
<p>On January 14, a former member of the Yamaguchigumi VI secondary organization was shot to death at a Starbucks in Shikokuchuo City, Ehime Prefecture. The alleged culprit was Yuichiro Maeya, the number two member of the Ikeda-gumi, a former affiliate of the Kobe Yamaguchigumi.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"><span class="strong-in-content"> The Ikeda-gumi is allied with the Kizuna-kai, a martial arts organization that opposes the Rokudai, and in September 2010 it formed an equal kinship with the Kobe Yamaguchigumi, making it a keystone of the &#8220;anti-Rokudai Yamaguchigumi alliance. The significance of the number two being wanted and absent is great.</span></span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"><span class="strong-in-content"> The young leader of the Kizumikai also caused a shooting incident in 2008, was wanted, and disappeared, so the Rengo side has lost another powerful person.</span></span><span class="strongInContent"><span class="strong-in-content"> The shooting incident itself is said to have been the result of a personal grudge, and the Rokugan Rikudai have issued a notice to each block, telling them not to retaliate. The Rokugyo VI side cannot stop laughing as they see the enemy camp destroying itself on its own.</span></span></p>
<p>The Rokume VI side has no scruples about diplomacy. Three days after the incident, Wakao Takayama visited the funeral of a Sumiyoshikai executive and held a three-way meeting with Kazuya Uchibori, 71, chairman of the Inagawa-kai, and Shuji Ogawa, chairman of the Sumiyoshikai. They deepened their friendship. Behind the smiling face Tsukasa showed at the birthday party, he may have been expressing a relaxed attitude toward the split war, which has entered its final phase.</p>
<p>From the February 16, 2024 issue of &#8220;FRIDAY</p>
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="Amazing...Yamaguchigumi VI executives lined up in a row"></div>
<figure id="attachment_358024" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1175px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-358024"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="77536672"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/02/8e1d9b7c546278946c8221ae4f3cf7a1.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-358024" class="wp-caption-text">The headquarters of the Seto family, where the birthday party for the head of the Tsukasa clan was held.</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_358021" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1173px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-358021"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="596327bf"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/02/1167610aa17b0813233fe82d99403e41.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-358021" class="wp-caption-text">Executives lined up in a row. Tension at the site is quickly rising.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_358005" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 4644px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-358005"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="13ae108f"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/02/212263f0c5e8cf474053e0b3cbe7fa33.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-358005" class="wp-caption-text">Among them, there is an assistant to the head of the gang, Mr. Takeuchi (center).</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_358006" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 4875px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-358006"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="5b698b4c"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/02/06db82523aa72b34ea132533c866397f.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-358006" class="wp-caption-text">[Image] A tense shot of &#8220;a smile on his face&#8221; shown at &#8220;82nd birthday party&#8221; of Yamaguchigumi VI and Shinobu Tsukasa, the leader of Yamaguchigumi VI!</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_358009" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 5184px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-358009"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="55cbd16e"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/02/42ab1de3e63e1e6c93be63afd61ce9d6.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-358009" class="wp-caption-text">[Image] &#8220;A smile with a broken face&#8221; shown at &#8220;82nd birthday party&#8221; of Yamaguchigumi VI and Shinobu Tsukasa, the leader of Yamaguchigumi VI!</figcaption></figure>
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="The latest close-up of the leader of the Yamaguchi clan &quot;full of aura&quot; as the leaders bowed...."></div>
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<figure id="attachment_358022" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1183px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-358022"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="164445af"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/02/36bec2b148637723165ed9d633a7d980.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-358022" class="wp-caption-text">A little after 4:30 in the evening, a luxury car enters the premises. At that moment, the executives greet it with a bow.</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_358011" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 4315px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-358011"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="ea4d20b5"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/02/ce950b766661882cd5e750cdac51e365.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-358011" class="wp-caption-text">The head of the Tsukasa clan (center) gets out of the car. Young leader Takayama (far left) greets him.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_358012" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 5184px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-358012"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="28469536"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/02/236e9e69b1ad8c559052dad7730a5f04.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-358012" class="wp-caption-text">A bouquet of congratulatory flowers was brought in immediately afterwards.</figcaption></figure>
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="Mr. Tsukasa is seen off by the smiling executives after the banquet..."></div>
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<figure id="attachment_358014" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1193px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-358014"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="b34ab68c"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/02/9ec411c96f40e5699a51366f5e0f10bd.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-358014" class="wp-caption-text">The Tsukasa clan leader reappears. His face appears to be slightly flushed.</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_358015" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1197px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-358015"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="0c82b12d"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/02/ec4eecc0e24d5319e593931c0567e32e.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-358015" class="wp-caption-text">Mr. Tsukasa is seen off by the management and gets into the car.</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_358016" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 3839px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-358016"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="cbdb5075"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/02/9e710758d45722b3c67a6da1f28f5548.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-358016" class="wp-caption-text">Mr. Tsukasa (center) on his way home.</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_358017" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 4272px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-358017"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="7d66946f"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/02/84ea1e91b1af37ee3c3707e20c1da656.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-358017" class="wp-caption-text">Then, young boss Takayama (center) also went back to his home.</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_358018" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 4475px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-358018"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="b05f0acc"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/02/922fafce33b9910bc7077b32cf973099.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-358018" class="wp-caption-text">[Image] &#8220;A smile on one&#8217;s face&#8221; shown at &#8220;82nd birthday party&#8221; of Yamaguchigumi VI and Shinobu Tsukasa, the leader of Yamaguchigumi VI!</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_358019" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 4682px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-358019"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="84164f31"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/02/d0b436042bafa11515d7da740accc1a0.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-358019" class="wp-caption-text">[Image] The leader of Yamaguchi Gumi VI and Shinobu Tsukasa showed &#8220;a smile with a broken face&#8221; at &#8220;82nd birthday party&#8221;!</figcaption></figure>
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 Shinji Hamasaki

 In late January, a birthday party for the leader of the Yamaguchigumi VI, Shinobu Tsukasa, was held at a certain place in Seto City, Aichi Prefecture. Amidst a heightened sense of tension, with plainclothes police officers providing security, the boss was in a good mood as he left the venue. This may be a sign of his composure in the face of the split war, which has entered its final phase....

 In the midst of the 10th year of the divisional war, a 2.5-hour banquet was held in Seto City, Aichi Prefecture, with a full lineup of executives, including Seiji Takayama, assistant head of the Yamaguchigumi, and Shomei Takeuchi, the head of the Yamaguchigumi VI.

Tense Capture: Woman&#8217;s Voice Singing Sakamoto Fuyumi Song Heard at Chairman Shinobu Tsukasa&#8217;s &#8217;82nd Birthday Party&#8217; of the Sixth Generation Yamaguchi-gumi, as &#8216;Bursting Smile&#8217; Captured!

Tense Capture: Woman’s Voice Singing Sakamoto Fuyumi Song Heard at Chairman Shinobu Tsukasa’s ’82nd Birthday Party’ of the Sixth Generation Yamaguchi-gumi, as ‘Bursting Smile’ Captured!

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