More than 100 people gathered from all over Japan, including direct members of the Yamaguchigumi…Yamaguchigumi VI and Shinobu Tsukasa showed their full expression at the “Mochitsuki Festival”.

He said, “Yoisho, yoisho!　Yoisho!

It was the end of the year in Seto City, Aichi Prefecture. At around 9:00 a.m., when it was still bitterly cold from early in the morning, a cheerful voice echoed in a corner of a residential area. The source of the call was the headquarters of the Seto Family, a long-established yakuza gang based in the city.

On that day, a rice-cake pounding contest was being held at the headquarters, inviting the Yamaguchigumi VI. The Seto family’s headquarters was surrounded by a 3-meter-high concrete wall, so it was impossible to grasp the whole scene of the rice-cake pounding from the outside, but a red-and-white curtain hung near the entrance created a festive mood. The gate was covered with a blue sheet to prevent people from seeing inside, and strong-looking men were busily coming and going. The aroma of steaming rice cakes wafted in the air.

A total of about 100 people from direct organizations across Japan were believed to have participated in the event, and in addition to about 20 members of the press, about 15 police officers from the Aichi Prefectural Police, Hyogo Prefectural Police, and other police departments were on site to provide security in their place. The rice-cake pounding event proceeded solemnly under such a high alert, but before 10:30 a.m., the executives, including Seiji Takayama, 77, a young head brewer, came out of the gate in droves.

The meaning of the expressions on their faces during this milestone year

As if on cue, the tension at the site rose dramatically.

As the executives greeted them, a black luxury car appeared, led by a convoy. The man who got out of the car was Shinobu Tsukasa, 82. He was wearing a sweater, jacket, and sunglasses. He entered the venue as the executives greeted him with bowed heads. After that, the entrance was tightly closed, and from inside the venue, the crowd shouted louder than ever before: “Yoisho!

“Yoisho! Yoisho!

and “Yoisho! It seemed that Mr. Tsukasa himself was holding the kine, and from time to time he would shout, “Kumicho! Kumicho! were also heard.

Two hours later, just after noon, the area became noisy again. After about 12:30 p.m., the group leader, who had enjoyed the two-hour rice-cake pounding contest, headed for home.

He was wearing sunglasses, so I couldn’t read his expression, but before he left, I could see his cheeks relax. The 25th year will mark his ’20 years as a clan leader. There was a sense of fulfillment in the air, as if he had renewed his relationship with the members through the event.

The year of his own milestone is at the same time a milestone in a turbulent world. The Yamaguchigumi split war, which has been fought between the Kobe Yamaguchigumi and the Yamaguchigumi since 2003, will be a full 10 years old this summer. Will this be the year in which we can see changes in the protracted war?

The National Police Agency announced that the Yamaguchigumi VI had approximately 3,500 members at the end of 2011. The Kobe Yamaguchigumi, on the other hand, has about 140 members, a 25-fold increase. However, Kunio Inoue, 76, the head of the Kobe Yamaguchigumi, has not yet lost his stance to fight to the end. Even as head of the Tsukasa clan, he must have a strong desire to end the war early, so there may be some major movement before the milestone.

On the other hand, the Yamaguchigumi VI is actively working on organizational reform in order to leave the organization to the next generation. The most prominent example of this is the personnel change in which the key person, Wakagashira Takayama, selected a man who had been his secretary as an assistant to the Wakagashira in 2012. In addition, he has been actively making personnel changes to enhance the metabolism of the organization, such as introducing a presidential system in the secondary organizations. These are also moves made in anticipation of the end of the war. Conversely, the desire to end the war at any cost is also apparent.

The year 2013 may well be a turning point in the history of the world of the Tokugawa Shimbun.