Exploring the Yamaguchi-gumi Split Conflict from Police and Yakuza Perspectives as it Enters Its 10th Year

“August 27 of this year became a significant day for the world of organized crime. The split conflict between the sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi and the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi has entered its 10th year. This conflict, which has become an unusually long-lasting struggle, is reviewed by non-fiction writer Masahiro Ojima, who is known for books such as ‘The Truth Behind the Yamaguchi-gumi Split,’ reflecting on the trajectory of the past 9 years.”

The largest organized crime group in Japan, the sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi, split on August 27, 2015. The Yamaguchi-gumi split conflict with the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi, which separated from it, has entered its 10th year. Since the split, numerous conflict incidents have occurred between the two sides, including murders, shootings at offices, Molotov cocktail attacks, vehicle assaults, and brawls in entertainment districts. The number of incidents exceeds 100, with over a dozen deaths.

According to police authorities, at the time of the split, the sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi had about 6,000 members, while the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi had about 2,800, showing a difference of more than double. Initially, there was momentum with organizations joining the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi, but over time, the sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi intensified its offensive. As of the end of 2023, the sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi has about 3,500 members, while the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi has about 140, making a difference of 25 times. What has happened over these 9 years to this day? We want to revisit the trajectory of the split conflict.

 

Background of the Split: ‘Excessive Donations’

The Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi was formed from a core group of five influential organizations under the sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi: the Yamaguchi-gumi, Takumi-gumi, Ikeda-gumi, Kyoyu-kai, and Masaki-gumi, making a total of 13 organizations. The leader of the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi became Kunio Inoue (76 years old, age as of now), the head of the Yamaguchi-gumi. Yoshio Irie, the leader of the Takumi-gumi, was appointed as vice-leader, and Shu Teraoka, the president of the Kyoyu-kai, became the young head.

The Yamaguchi-gumi was an organization founded by Kenichi Yamamoto, the young head of the third-generation Yamaguchi-gumi, and is considered prestigious for producing Yoshinori Watanabe, the fifth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi leader. It is regarded as a ‘brand’ not only within the Yamaguchi-gumi but also among organized crime groups nationwide. The Takumi-gumi was founded by Masaru Takumi, the young head of the fifth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi, and was known as a powerful organization for many years. Investigative officials point out the following as the cause of the split:

“The primary cause of the split was money. The monthly donation for direct-line leaders (the head of a directly affiliated group) was over 1 million yen. Additionally, during seasonal times such as New Year and Obon, and for the birthday of the sixth-generation leader Tsukasa Shinobu (82 years old), demands for 50 million yen or even 100 million yen were made. Under the sixth-generation system, the financial burden increased significantly.”