Three-Hour Succession Ceremony Draws Attention Over High-Profile Attendance at Traditional Ritual

An unusual succession ritual was held

“I see them coming!”

A particularly loud voice from an affiliated member echoed through the area.

On March 17, in front of the headquarters building of Ochiai Kanamachi Rengo, a direct affiliate organization of the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi in Taito Ward, Tokyo, more than 30 people including surveillance officers and press photographers were on standby from early morning, creating a tense and heavy atmosphere. Investigators from the Metropolitan Police Department, Asakusa Police Station, and even prefectural police from across Japan—including Kanagawa, Chiba, Aichi, and Hyogo—had gathered, casting sharp gazes each time a vehicle arrived at the building.

In the midst of this, shortly before 10 a.m., a convoy of luxury cars arrived accompanied by the deep shout mentioned above. The first person to step out of the leading vehicle was Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi Wakagashira Teruaki Takeuchi (66). From the following vehicles came Masahiro Nouchi, chairman of the core Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi organization Kodokai, who had been promoted on March 11 to “kanbu” (executive), a position considered a gateway to becoming wakagashira-hosa (deputy underboss).

Takeuchi wore a black suit with a white tie, while Nouchi wore a suit with a light gold tie. The senior members who welcomed them were similarly wearing gold ties. The two men entered the building with stern expressions.

“On this day, the succession ceremony (sokui-yo) for the head of the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi’s affiliated group in the Kanto region, To-seikai, was being held. Wakagashira Takeuchi attended as an overseer, and Executive Nouchi attended as an inspector. A succession ceremony is, as the name suggests, a ritual held when the head of an organization changes.

In this world, there is a principle that the wakagashira becomes the next boss. However, the person who became head of To-seikai was Tatsuо̄ Ozawa, formerly wakagashira-hosa of Kodokai and known as a close aide to Chairman Nouchi. In October last year, he had entered into an elder-brother–younger-brother sworn sibling relationship with former To-seikai Chairman Yasuhiro Hayano and transferred to To-seikai as a sworn brother. Although they are affiliated through familial ties, it is highly unusual for someone from the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi network to become the head of another organization, and even more unusual for such a succession ceremony to be held at the headquarters of a direct Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi affiliate. In that sense, it had attracted attention within the community,” (journalist familiar with the yakuza industry)

From around 10 a.m., when Wakagashira Takeuchi and Executive Nouchi arrived, the succession ceremony began. The first floor of the two-story headquarters building, which served as the venue, had no windows, making it impossible to see inside. At 11 a.m., former To-seikai Chairman Hayano left the building, seen off by senior members. The succession ceremony appears to have concluded successfully.

Could this become a foothold for expansion into the Kanto region?

The aforementioned journalist continues:

“After this, it appears that so-called ‘sakazuki-naoshi rituals’ were also conducted between Chairman Ozawa, To-seikai members, and others—specifically the elder brother–younger brother sworn bond ceremony and the parent–child sworn bond ceremony. After that, a lunch gathering was held on the second floor’s large hall from around 12:30 p.m. for about 30 minutes.”

Around 1 p.m., Wakagashira Takeuchi and Executive Nouchi left the headquarters, and at around 1:30 p.m., the succession ceremony concluded without incident.

Behind this unusual leadership change, in which a former wakagashira-hosa from a Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi-affiliated organization became the leader of To-seikai, a prestigious Kanto-based group, lies more than 60 years of familial relations between the Yamaguchi-gumi and To-seikai. The journalist explains:

“Although they are separate organizations, in 1963 a sworn elder brother–younger brother pact was made between Yamaguchi-gumi’s third-generation leader Kazuo Taoka, the man credited with revitalizing the organization, and To-seikai’s first chairman, Hidetsugu Machii. It is said that behind this was Taoka’s intention to expand into Tokyo, while To-seikai—still a relatively new organization at the time and under scrutiny from authorities—also sought protection through ties with the Yamaguchi-gumi. Even after the establishment of the sixth-generation system under Tsukasa in 2005, the relationship between the two organizations has continued.”

“There are also claims that To-seikai has been struggling with a declining number of members due to the times. With this succession, To-seikai can preserve its name while beginning a new chapter in its history. For the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi as well, it may serve as a foothold for a more serious expansion into the Kanto region. This succession ceremony can be seen as one where both sides’ intentions were clearly visible,” (same journalist)

On the other hand, authorities remain vigilant. On March 19, the Public Safety Commission announced an extension of the designation period of the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi and Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi as designated conflict-oriented organized crime groups. There are concerns that the succession ceremony could become a new source of tension, and a tense, uneasy atmosphere continues to persist.