Former Members Reveal the Current State of Kanto Rengo and Its Entertainment Ties

The brutality of the Kanto Rengo.

On August 29, 2024, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police released a composite sketch of Shinichi Mitate (45), a fugitive wanted for murder and other charges, showing his current appearance. Mitate, a former member of the motorcycle gang “Kanto Rengo,” is believed to be the mastermind behind the September 2012 attack on a male customer at a nightclub in Roppongi, Tokyo, who was killed due to a case of mistaken identity.

Around two years before the Roppongi club attack, in November 2010, another former member of the Kanto Rengo assaulted actor Ichikawa Ebizo (then 11th generation Ichikawa Ebizo, aged 47) at a private bar in Nishiazabu, Tokyo. The assault left Ebizo with serious injuries that required two months of recovery, and the perpetrator was arrested on charges of assault.

More than a decade has passed since these high-profile incidents. What have the members of the Kanto Rengo been doing, and where are they now? This time, a man in his 50s, Mr. A, who was part of the Kanto Rengo in the 1980s, revealed the roots and present of these semi-gangster individuals.

“I joined a motorcycle gang called ‘Mad Special’ at 15, and I was in the ‘Kanto Rengo’ from ages 16 to 18. You can only remain in a motorcycle gang until you’re 18. When a member turns 18, they have a sort of ‘retirement party’ similar to a high school graduation ceremony, and they become an OB (alumni). ‘Kanto Rengo’ is made up of various motorcycle gangs, such as ‘Black Emperor’ and ‘Demon Mask Party,’ so once you turn 18, you are considered an OB within Kanto Rengo. If someone over 18 claims to be a member of Kanto Rengo, that’s wrong.”

Even after retiring, former members continue to interact with each other. The Toyo Ball murder case in the 2000s and the Roppongi nightclub assault incident mentioned above were both masterminded by OB members.

In the 2000 Toyo Ball murder case, an 18-year-old boy, mistakenly identified as a rival gang member, was attacked by former Kanto Rengo members, beaten with metal bats, and burned with lighters, resulting in his death. In the 2012 Roppongi nightclub assault, Ryosuke Fujimoto, a restaurant owner (aged 31 at the time), was bludgeoned to death with a metal bat by a group of around 10 people. It was later determined that the Roppongi club attack was also a case of mistaken identity.

The brutality and viciousness of these incidents instilled a fear of the Kanto Rengo in the public’s mind. Additionally, it’s notable that celebrities, like Ebizo, often appear in these related events. What are the origins of this group?

 

The Close Relationship with the Entertainment Industry Born in the Disco.

“The connection between Kanto Rengo and the entertainment industry comes from the disco, or what we now call clubs. During the late ’80s to early ’90s, when places like ‘Juliana Tokyo’ and ‘GOLD’ were operating, well-known celebrities and athletes would often visit discos. As former members of Kanto Rengo, we would go to the discos as guests, but at the same time, we took on an unofficial role as security. If a fight broke out between customers, we would step in to mediate. We were never formally hired by the club; we did it voluntarily.

While doing this, we became friends with the staff and were able to be taken to VIP seats. Back then, discos could only operate until midnight, so regular customers could use the VIP seats for a maximum of one and a half hours. However, because we had become close with the club managers, we could stay in the VIP section from opening until closing. While spending time there, we got to know celebrities, athletes, and corporate presidents who were also seated in the VIP area. This is how the connection between the OBs of Kanto Rengo and the entertainment industry began. There was even a celebrity we became friends with at the disco who was involved in selling cocaine. It was just another business at the time.

The Roppongi nightclub attack incident was the worst. The Ebizo incident was the same, but the extensive media coverage caused us a lot of damage. After retiring from Kanto Rengo, some of us work in regular companies. However, a public opinion formed that anyone who was part of Kanto Rengo is part of the underworld. It’s frustrating, and we feel, ‘What have you done to us?'”

In the paid version of FRIDAY GOLD, Mr. A talks about his current interactions with other former members and shares insights about the disbandment of Kanto Rengo.