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.”

The previously mentioned investigative official added, ‘The second reason for the split is the increased control since the sixth-generation system was established.’ Tsukasa Shinobu, from the influential organization Kōdō-kai, became the leader of the sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi. He appointed Kiyoshi Takayama (76) from the same group as his number two, the young head. The leadership was monopolized by these two, leading to strong-arm management by Takayama. The official also stated, ‘It is clear that the transition to the sixth-generation system made things more oppressive for the veteran members from the relatively free fifth-generation era.’

After the split, things remained relatively calm for a while. However, starting in February 2016, there was a surge in incidents including shootings at offices and accidental brawls on both sides. The conflict spread nationwide, with several incidents occurring in a single day.

As tensions continued to rise, a decisive event occurred in May of the same year in Okayama City. Noboru Takagi, the young head of the Ikeda-gumi and a key figure in the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi, was shot and killed. The arrested suspect was a member of the Kōdō-kai, a group under the sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi. The killing was carried out with meticulous planning and preparation, including surveillance of Takagi’s actions. This incident led to a series of murders of executives on both sides, escalating the conflict further.

Amidst these developments, an event marked the beginning of the contraction of the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi. Yoshinori Oda (57), a senior member of the Yamaguchi-gumi, criticized financial issues and led a faction to leave in April 2017. He formed a new group called the Ninkyō Dantai Yamaguchi-gumi (now Kizuna-kai). The irregular collection of funds in the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi, similar to that of the sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi, led to growing dissatisfaction and eventually rebellion.

During the prolonged conflict, a decisive event marked the ascendancy of the sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi. In October 2019, young head Kiyoshi Takayama completed his prison sentence and was released from Fuchu Prison. Following Takayama’s release, members of the sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi’s affiliated organizations began to compete by instigating incidents.

The most symbolic incident occurred in November 2019, when Keichi Furukawa, an executive of the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi, was killed by multiple gunshots from an automatic rifle in a shopping district in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture. The sound of continuous gunfire echoed through the evening shopping district. The arrested suspect was a former member of the Takekuni-gumi, a faction of the sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi.

Just before Takayama’s release, an incident occurred where two members of the Yamaguchi-gumi, a group under the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi, were simultaneously shot and killed. A member of the Kōdō-kai, a faction of the sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi, was arrested. A different police official stated, ‘The situation rapidly turned in favor of the sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi largely due to Takayama’s release. Takayama was the cause of the split and also the catalyst for the shift in favor of the sixth-generation side. Everything seems to revolve around Takayama.’

An experienced member of a designated violent organization based in the Tokyo metropolitan area, who had been closely observing the conflict, pointed out, “I was questioning the lack of retaliation from the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi side,” and shared the following thoughts.

“Those who joined Kobe were supposed to continue fighting until a resolution was reached, having made the commitment to oppose the sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi. However, there was almost no retaliation from Kobe’s side. This does not set a precedent. In the world of yakuza, if you’re attacked, you retaliate. This is common sense in the yakuza industry, and without it, you cannot make an impression on society.”

Regarding the lack of retaliation from the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi, a previously mentioned police official revealed, “It seems that Inoue (the leader of the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi) did not permit it.”

In May 2018, Inoue had handed over the position of leader of the Yamakenzoku to Koji Nakata. Less than a year into the new leadership of the Yamakenzoku, an incident occurred in April 2019 where Yoshinori Yosuke, the young head of the Yamakenzoku, was severely injured after being stabbed by a member of the Kōdō-kai, a faction of the sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi. Despite this, Inoue did not allow for retaliation, and Nakata, as the leader, took it upon himself to act as a hitman and shot and seriously injured a Kōdō-kai member. The police official explained:

“When Nakata reported the attack to Inoue, rather than being praised, he was reprimanded. Given the ongoing conflict, it is natural for Nakata to want to retaliate, especially since it was the young head Yosuke who was attacked. However, Inoue had strictly commanded not to retaliate. The reason for this is unclear, which is quite mysterious.”

Due to dissatisfaction with these measures, the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi began to shrink. The Ikeda-gumi declared its departure in July 2020, followed by the Yamakenzoku in August of the same year. The Kyōyūkai left in August 2022, and the Takami-gumi followed in September. The Masaki-gumi had already disbanded, meaning that all five core organizations supporting the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi had left. The large Yamakenzoku organization, which was a significant loss, was revealed to have returned to the sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi in September 2021.

The Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi fractured and its influence dwindled. However, violence continued unabated. Incidents of sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi executives being shot occurred frequently. In January 2022, an executive was shot and killed by a visitor at an office of a sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi organization in Mito City. In April 2023, a sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi Kōdō-kai leader who was also the manager of a ramen shop in Kobe City was similarly shot and killed. In both cases, the shooter arrested was  Shigeki Kanazawa, a young head of the Kizuna-kai (formerly the Ninkyo Dantai Yamaguchi-gumi).

Despite this, there remains a significant disparity in the scale of the organizations, as mentioned at the beginning. The Ikeda-gumi and Kizuna-kai each currently have about 60 members. The Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi has approximately 140 members, while the sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi has around 3,500 members, representing a considerable difference. As a result, some view the conflict as essentially over. However, Inoue of the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi shows no intention of surrender, and killings continue to occur.

The Yamaguchi-gumi split conflict has become an unusually long-term struggle. As it enters its 10th year, it is not surprising if further developments occur—tension lingers between the two camps.