Inside the Succession Ceremony That Shook Japan’s Underworld

Men in hakama lined up in formation

On September 25, the headquarters of the long-established yakuza group Hirai-ikka, located in the suburbs of Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture, was enveloped in a tense atmosphere from early morning.

Starting around 7 a.m., several investigators were stationed in front of the headquarters on alert. Their numbers gradually increased, and by 7:30, there were about twenty of them. In addition to the local Aichi Prefectural Police, officers from prefectural police departments across Japan — including Hokkaido, Chiba, Ibaraki, and Hyogo — had gathered. Surrounding them was a large crowd of reporters, giving the scene an air of palpable tension.

The Hirai-ikka headquarters, enclosed by high walls, gave no hint of what was happening inside. However, just before 10 a.m., the shutters suddenly opened—

In front of the entrance, a line of stern-looking men in hakama stood in formation. Soon after, a black luxury car, escorted by a security vehicle, appeared, sending the tension at the scene to its peak. Stepping out was Teruaki Takeuchi (65), the head (sōsai) of Kōdōkai, one of Japan’s most powerful yakuza organizations.

“On this day, the Hirai-ikka was hosting the succession ceremony (keishō sakazuki) for the new Kōdōkai chairman,” explains a journalist familiar with Yamaguchi-gumi affairs. “On September 8, Kōdōkai announced new appointments: Masahiro Nouchi, who had served as wakagashira (deputy boss), became the new chairman, while Takeuchi, who had previously been chairman (and wakagashira of the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi), assumed the role of sōsai. Since both Kōdōkai and the Hirai-ikka are part of the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi hierarchy — the former being a core group and the latter a secondary organization — the location was likely provided for that reason.”

Kōdōkai is renowned for having produced key figures such as Shinobu Tsukasa (83), leader of the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi, and Seiji Takayama (78), its senior advisor. Given that this was a leadership transition at the top of such a central organization, the ripple effects are expected to influence not only the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi but the entire underworld. Authorities recognized the gravity of the event — the number of investigators on guard continued to rise, reaching around forty by 11 a.m.

About an hour and a half after Takeuchi entered the building, the shutters opened once again. Inside, Takeuchi could be seen getting into a car, while Nouchi stood by to see him off. Takeuchi then departed in his convoy, led by a security vehicle. From Nouchi’s relieved smile, it was clear that the sakazuki ceremony had concluded safely.

According to an organized crime expert, this leadership change represents a move to carry forward the ideology of Boss Tsukasa and Advisor Takayama.

“Typically, personnel changes within the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi are finalized between autumn and December, before the traditional Shigoto-hajime (year-start ceremony). However, this year, they even held an extraordinary executive meeting in August, signaling urgency in building a new structure. The timing — just before August 27, marking ten years since the start of the split conflict with the rival Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi — shows a strong determination to reinforce internal governance.

The reshuffling of the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi’s leadership continues. Of the executives who were in office during the split, only Takeuchi and shatei-gashira Utao Morio remain. The organization’s rejuvenation and reforms centered on Takeuchi are steadily progressing. Within this context, the movements of Kōdōkai — the core of the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi — are of critical importance in predicting the syndicate’s overall future direction. The lineage from Tsukasa (Boss) → Takayama (former deputy) → Takeuchi (deputy) now continues to Nouchi, marking a deliberate step in the succession of the Kōdōkai tradition.”

A major turning point for this prestigious organization is now poised to exert significant influence across the entire underworld.