The top executives of Kodokai, the core organization of Yamaguchigumi VI, also participated… The inside story of the “Sake-bai restoration ceremony” performed by a famous martial arts yakuza in Nagoya.

The “sake cup ceremony” conducted by the martial yakuza

It was a holiday in late May when a group of tough-looking men gathered in a quiet residential area.

From early in the morning, members of the Kamiya clan, a long-established yakuza gang, had gathered in front of their headquarters, located about five minutes by car from the center of Tsu, the prefectural capital of Mie Prefecture. Surrounded by investigators from all over the country, including the local Mie Prefectural Police, Aichi Prefectural Police, and Hyogo Prefectural Police, the area was on alert, and the atmosphere in the vicinity was tense.

Tension at the scene was heightened when, with the clock ticking down to 9:45, a black luxury car entered the headquarters and Masatake Minami, a young leader of the Kodokai, the core organization of the Yamaguchi-gumi VI, alighted.

The Kodokai is an influential organization that has produced the leader of the Yamaguchigumi VI, Shinobu Tsukasa (84), and the advisor Seiji Takayama (78). What was the purpose of the appearance of the number two member of the Kodokai in the midst of a high alert situation?

On the day of the meeting, a sibling and parent-child drinking ceremony was being held at the headquarters of the Kamitani family to determine the succession of the Inabachi family, the secondary branch of the Kodokai. In the presence of the executive committee, including the head of the Inabachi-ike, Masashi Hayashi, was inaugurated as the new head of the Inabachi-ike.

The Inabachi Ike is a well-known organization whose territory is Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, and has been in existence since the end of the Edo period.’ It is also known as a martial yakuza, having been at the forefront of the fighting in the Yamaguchigumi VI split that broke out in 2003, causing multiple shootings and shoot-to-kill incidents. It was a replacement of an organization that put its body on the line for the sake of the gang, and the young leader Minami of the Kodokai was present in person. The venue for the event was the Kamiya family, which, like the Inabachichi family, is a secondary organization of the Kodokai. It is likely that they lent their headquarters to the event for the sake of the ceremony.

The ceremony for the succession of the head of the family, which started at 10:00 a.m., seemed to have ended without a hitch, and before 12:00 p.m., Young Headman Minami came out of the Kamitani family headquarters. He got into a pick-up car and left the headquarters while the newly appointed head Hayashi and other members of the Inabachi clan saw him off.

After successfully completing the second group ceremony, Kodokai has been going through a period of major change over the past year.

Last September, Shomei Takeuchi, 66, then chairman of the Yamaguchigumi VI, was replaced by Masahiro Nouchi, the current chairman. Wagashira Minami, who participated as a witness this time, also assumed his current post at this time.

As the organization continues to rejuvenate itself, a former assistant wakagashira from the Kodokai was appointed chairman of the Toseikai, a well-known organization in the Kanto area, in March of this year. It became a topic of conversation that behind this was a plan to expand the Kodokai – Yamaguchigumi VI into the Kanto region. In Kodokai, which is proceeding with organizational reform, the replacement of the Inabachi family is also of great significance.

The police authorities are also becoming increasingly alarmed by this series of disturbing developments.