Sumiyoshi-kai Boss Arrested for Alleged 50 Million Yen Theft from Former Leader’s Home

The Police Motive Behind It

With his closely cropped hair neatly combed, and a calm demeanor and expression, his gaze toward the assembled press was as sharp as a razor.

On the morning of December 7, NHK and private broadcasters, major newspapers, and news agencies had gathered outside the Chiba Nishi Police Station from early morning. At 9:30 a.m., coming out of the building was Osamu Ogawa (72), chairman of the designated yakuza group Sumiyoshi-kai. The police officers present for his escort radiated a tense atmosphere. Ogawa kept staring at the press until he got into the car.

“Ogawa became the 9th chairman of the Sumiyoshi-kai in April 2021. According to the prefectural police, from the night of May 31 to the morning of June 1, 2022, following the death of former chairman Isao Seki, he conspired with six heads of participating organizations to break into the former chairman’s residence in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, and stole 50 million yen from the safe. The arrest charges are trespassing and theft.

Additionally, a year after the incident, Ogawa allegedly instructed multiple people to surround a woman (then 51) who managed the former chairman’s home and force her to receive 20 million yen in cash to withdraw a damage report. Ogawa is said to have directed his subordinate executives to carry out the series of incidents.” (National newspaper social affairs reporter)

At the former chairman’s funeral, Ogawa acted as the host, and top executives from across the country, including Shinobu Tsukasa of the 6th Yamaguchi-gumi, attended, making it a significant gathering even as a matter of obligation. The crime, carried out amidst this opportunity, has been called a violation of the code by those within the organization.

Some reports indicate that the 50 million yen was the subject of a dispute over ownership between the former chairman’s heirs and the group, but the police proceeded with the arrest of Ogawa and the Sumiyoshi-kai leadership. What is their ultimate goal? Crime journalist Taihei Ogawa comments:

“The Sumiyoshi-kai is a large organization, second only to the 6th Yamaguchi-gumi. Just as there are various splits and conflicts within the Yamaguchi-gumi, internal disputes are commonplace in large organizations like the Sumiyoshi-kai. However, the fact that it reached the point where the chairman himself was arrested, rather than a subordinate, exposes the organization’s vulnerabilities.

It is unclear whether the case will lead to prosecution, but for the police, being able to arrest the head of such a massive organization carries enormous significance. It is certain that they are aiming to cause internal fractures and weaknesses from within.”

In fact, five months earlier, Friday Digital had captured a meeting between Tsukasa and Ogawa in Shizuoka. Ogawa, along with his top executives, had visited the 6th Yamaguchi-gumi for seasonal greetings. Just three days before the arrest, on December 3, he had made a similar visit, and the two organizations had been deepening their relations in recent years. In this context, the arrest of the Sumiyoshi-kai top is likely to have significant implications for the relationship between the two groups.