A Famous Yakuza Boss, Portrayed as the Lead in *Yakuza and the Constitution*, Reveals What It Means to Go “From Yakuza to an Ordinary Citizen”

The gang disbanded, and the office is now a vacant lot.

In a residential neighborhood of Sakai City, Osaka, the man stood in front of the vacant lot where a certain organized crime group’s office once stood. Kazuhide Kawaguchi (73).He is the former chairman of the Seiyukai, the second-generation faction of the designated organized crime group Higashi-gumi, and the central figure in the documentary *Yakuza and the Constitution*, which aired on television in 2015 and was released as a film in 2016.

The work brought cameras inside the gang’s office to lay bare the daily reality of yakuza society. Amid a nationwide trend toward the exclusion of organized crime groups, it cited examples such as “a child being refused admission to kindergarten simply because he was the child of a gang member,” challenging the public on the relationship between organized crime and human rights and sparking a major response.

More than 10 years have passed since then.Mr. Kawaguchi washed his hands of the yakuza world in 2022, and his gang was disbanded. There is a so-called “five-year rule” under which yakuza members are, in principle, considered antisocial forces for five years even after leaving their gang, but that restriction will be lifted next spring. Ahead of this milestone, he opened up about his life over the past four years.

“Even now, there are credit cards I can’t get from certain companies. I can’t buy a car, and I can’t get insurance. Those kinds of inconveniences are just a given. However, in my case, I happened to be able to open an account at a local bank. I don’t know what led them to that decision, but I’m grateful.”

The office was demolished three years ago, and the land was sold to a third party. He says his retirement was anticlimactic.

“I called the officer in charge of organized crime at the Osaka Prefectural Police and told him, ‘I’m taking down the sign.’ I didn’t submit any formal documents like a dissolution notice. That was the only procedure. It was all very straightforward.

There were all sorts of paintings and antiques at the office, but I sold them to make a little money or gave them away to people who’d helped me out, so I don’t have anything left. Well, there’s no point in keeping them for myself anyway.”

As for the reason for his retirement, he says, “There were all sorts of things—unfair treatment, betrayals, and so on…” and doesn’t say much about it now. However, after that, he faced a series of harassments from people associated with the organization he used to belong to.

Her car windows were smashed, a fire extinguisher was discharged inside the vehicle, and on one occasion, a raw pig’s head with a knife stuck in it was left at an acquaintance’s house. Retiring didn’t mean she could live in peace.

The group of about 30 members has scattered

By 2015, the group—which had numbered about 30 members—had scattered, and the whereabouts of quite a few remain unknown. Some have turned to illegal activities to make ends meet, and others are currently serving prison sentences.

“I don’t think there are many who can actually make a living. Once you’re labeled a ‘yakuza,’ you can’t even get a job. After all, that yakuza past follows you around forever.
Several people, including some executives, have been arrested.

Even if you leave the gang, the police still keep an eye on you. Since the group has already disbanded, I hardly ever contact them myself, but I do try to offer advice if anything comes up.”

Even so, Mr. Kawaguchi never returned to his old world. That’s because he made friends among law-abiding citizens.

“They’re in all sorts of industries—real estate, manufacturing, transportation, and logistics. Even though the gang members are gone, in terms of getting to know these kinds of people, I’m glad I left the yakuza.”

Mr. Kawaguchi stopped attending school halfway through junior high.In his second year, he set fire to the school building after being subjected to discriminatory treatment by a teacher. Shortly thereafter, he entered the world of organized crime. By the age of 17, he was living a life of bloodshed as a hard-line fighter, even shooting a member of a rival gang with a handgun and seriously wounding him.

On the other hand, despite growing up in poverty, his strict father instilled in him the principle of “never picking on the weak,” and he reportedly never laid a hand on ordinary citizens. Even now, when he stops by his favorite restaurants and shops, regulars casually greet him as “Chairman,” and he sometimes shares a drink and a chat with people he’s meeting for the first time.

Now that he has left behind the world of organized crime, where he spent over 50 years, what are his thoughts? When asked about his current state of mind, he replied:

“In terms of mastering one’s path, it’s the same no matter where you are. I just do what I can only do in my current position. From now on, I intend to contribute to society, such as by supporting employment for people with disabilities. I spent nearly 30 years in prison, so if you subtract that time, I still feel like I’m only about 40 years old. My life is just beginning.”

Saying this, Mr. Kawaguchi smiled quietly.

From the July 31, 2026 issue of *FRIDAY*