The Yamaguchi-gumi’s No. 2 Appears in Asakusa in Broad Daylight… The Reason Behind His Visit to a “Long-Established Kanto Yakuza Group” with Top Inagawa-kai Executives

Investigators rushed in from all over the country

In mid-June, Tokyo was blessed with clear, midsummer-like weather just before the start of the rainy season.In weather so hot that sweat clung to one’s clothes just from standing still, burly men in suits and ties stood at attention in neat formation in front of the office building of the fifth-generation Kokusuikai, a yakuza group headquartered in a residential neighborhood of Asakusa, Taito Ward.Surrounding them, more than 20 investigators from the local Asakusa Police Station, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Kanagawa Prefectural Police, and the Hyogo Prefectural Police stood guard, casting sharp glances at anyone entering or leaving the building. From early morning, an unusually tense atmosphere hung in the air.

“He’s here—!”

Shortly after 11:00 a.m., a particularly loud voice rang out, breaking the tense silence.Stepping out of the lead car in a convoy of three luxury vehicles was Shomei Takeuchi (66), the second-in-command of Japan’s largest organized crime group, the Sixth-Generation Yamaguchi-gumi. The lined-up gang members simultaneously shouted, “Thank you for your hard work!” as they welcomed him. Vice-Chairman Takeuchi entered the hall with a stern expression.

“The Sixth-Generation Yamaguchi-gumi holds the ‘Three-Group Friendship Gathering’ three times a year on a rotating basis with its Kanto-based sister organizations, the Inagawa-kai and the Matsuba-kai, and on this day, it was the Sixth-Generation Yamaguchi-gumi’s turn to host.Since the Fifth-Generation Kokusuikai is a direct affiliate of the Sixth-Generation Yamaguchi-gumi, it provided the venue for this gathering.

As the name suggests, this gathering is an occasion for several top executives from each group to deepen their bonds over lunch. The top leaders do not attend. While it was previously rare for the Vice-Chairman of the Sixth-Generation Yamaguchi-gumi to attend, Vice-Chairman Takeuchi has attended every time since taking office last April.“He is actively engaging in diplomacy with other groups, not only at the Three-Group Fellowship Meeting but also by serving as the ‘atomin’ (ceremonial escort) at succession ceremonies for affiliated and friendly groups in the Kanto region and Fukuoka Prefecture,” said a journalist familiar with the Yamaguchi-gumi.

About 20 minutes later, the motorcades of the Inagawa-kai and the Matsuba-kai arrived one after another. Four top executives from the Inagawa-kai and four top executives from the Matsuba-kai attended. The Three-Group Friendship Meeting took place for about 30 minutes starting shortly after 11:30 a.m.

Shortly after 12:15 p.m., Inagawa-kai executives were the first to leave the hall, followed by Matsuba-kai executives; Vice-Chairman Takeuchi was the last to appear. Vice-Chairman Takeuchi boarded his car at a leisurely pace and left the hall. The friendship gathering appeared to have concluded without a hitch.

  More Organizations Are Adopting a “Presidential System”

The journalist mentioned earlier explains the moves of Deputy Leader Takeuchi.

“It has been just over a year since Vice-Chairman Takeuchi took office. He has not limited himself to proactive diplomacy with other organizations; Vice-Chairman Takeuchi is also taking action ‘internally.’ He has implemented a major youth-oriented reshuffle of the executive leadership and reportedly increased the frequency of executive committee meetings to once a week. He is rapidly advancing organizational reform.”

What lies behind these proactive activities “both inside and outside” the organization?

“He is aiming to realize the ‘peaceful coexistence of yakuza society’ championed by Shinobu Tsukasa (84), the sixth-generation leader of the Yamaguchi-gumi. Last September, Tsukasa stepped down as chairman of the Kodo-kai, handing the position over to current Chairman Masahiro Nonai, thereby establishing a structure that allows him to devote himself entirely to leading the sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi.Since then, an increasing number of organizations under the Sixth-Generation Yamaguchi-gumi umbrella have adopted the ‘president system.’ This system aims to ensure a smooth transition of leadership by having the previous boss remain in the organization as president and manage it alongside the next generation.

“It was originally introduced by Senior Advisor Seiji Takayama (78) during his tenure as Wakagashira of the Sixth-Generation Yamaguchi-gumi. Wakagashira Takeuchi, who had been a close aide to Takayama since that time, observed the system firsthand. Under Takeuchi’s own leadership as Wakagashira, the chairman system has been adopted by five affiliated groups,” (ibid.)

Meanwhile, police authorities have not lifted the designation of the Yamaguchi-gumi as a “triple-designated organized crime group” in conflict with its rivals—the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi, the Ikeda-gumi, and the Kizuna-kai—even after the Sixth-Generation Yamaguchi-gumi unilaterally submitted a written pledge declaring an “end to the feud” last April. Security measures appear to be more stringent than ever wherever Vice-Chairman Takeuchi goes.

In July, the Sixth-Generation Yamaguchi-gumi is set to host its annual event, during which affiliated and friendly groups from across the country visit to exchange seasonal greetings. While the “embers of conflict” continue to smolder, organizational reforms within the Sixth-Generation Yamaguchi-gumi are ongoing.