With Inagawa-kai executives waiting for him… Why the second-in-command of the 6th-generation Yamaguchi-gumi visited a “long-established Kanto yakuza group” in broad daylight

Dressed in a blue suit…

It was a clear autumn day in mid-October in Kashima City, Ibaraki Prefecture. In front of the office of the Matsuba-kai, a designated organized crime group headquartered in this area, nearly 30 investigators had been standing guard since early morning, cameras and video recorders in hand, their eyes scanning the area intently.In addition to the local Ibaraki Prefectural Police, investigators from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and the prefectural police forces of neighboring Kanto prefectures—Saitama, Gunma, Tochigi, and Kanagawa—as well as the Aichi Prefectural Police, had come to maintain security.

“He’s here!”

Just before 11:30 a.m., a senior member’s voice rang out from inside the building. Stepping out leisurely from the back seat of the luxury car that had arrived, while slipping on his suit jacket, was Shomei Takeuchi (66), the second-in-command of the sixth-generation Yamaguchi-gumi. What exactly was taking place here?

“It’s a friendship gathering among the Sixth-Generation Yamaguchi-gumi and its Kanto-based affiliate groups, the Inagawa-kai and the Matsuba-kai. While the group’s top leaders do not participate, four top executives from each organization attend to strengthen ties over lunch.Each group takes turns hosting the event three times a year, and this time it was hosted by the Matsuba-kai,” said a source familiar with the Yamaguchi-gumi.

Once the attendees from each group entered the hall, the iron gates were closed, making it impossible to see anything inside. However, 30 minutes later, at 12:00 p.m., Vice-Boss Takeuchi emerged from the office after the meeting concluded.He exchanged a few words with Matsuba-kai executives who had stepped outside earlier to see him off, and as he boarded his waiting car, he addressed the gang members standing at attention to see him off. His stern yet calm expression made it clear that the meeting had concluded without a hitch.

“Vice-Boss Takeuchi was wearing a blue suit. It’s a color I’ve seen him wear often before, but this time his tie and shirt were also blue, making his presence stand out even more than usual,” said a photographer covering the event on site.

At 12:10 p.m., escorted by Matsuba-kai executives, the motorcades of the Sixth-Generation Yamaguchi-gumi and the Inagawa-kai left the hall, marking the successful conclusion of the Three-Group Fellowship Meeting.

Renewal of the “Designation as a Specific Rivalry”—The Focus of Attention

The Three-Group Fellowship Meeting, held three times a year, is essentially an “annual tradition” for the Sixth-Generation Yamaguchi-gumi, but this time it reportedly held “special significance.” A journalist well-versed in the yakuza underworld explains.

“The Sixth-Generation Yamaguchi-gumi had been designated as engaged in ‘specific feuds’ with each of its rival groups—the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi, the Ikeda-gumi, and the Kizuna-kai—placing it in an unprecedented ‘triple designation’ status. However, the feud designations with the Ikeda-gumi were lifted on September 8 of this year, and those with the Kizuna-kai were lifted on September 21.Since this was the first three-group friendship gathering following the lifting of the conflict designations with those two organizations, all eyes were on the movements of Vice-Boss Takeuchi, who was leading the event on the ground.

Although the Sixth-Generation Yamaguchi-gumi unilaterally issued a “declaration of the end of the feud” last year, authorities have not lifted their state of alert. However, if the feud designation is not renewed by the next extension deadline—January 6 of next year—it will be “fully lifted,” effectively ending the feud in both name and reality.“At such a critical juncture, it seems they want to establish a track record of normalcy by steadily carrying out their activities.”

If the conflict designation is lifted, the designation of “alert zones” will also be lifted accordingly. In alert zones, activities such as gatherings of five or more members of designated groups and entry into gang offices are prohibited, but these restrictions will be lifted.

“If the designation involving the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi is lifted, Kobe City will no longer be a ‘caution zone.’ Kobe City is home to the Sixth-Generation Yamaguchi-gumi’s headquarters, so the long-cherished goal of ‘returning to headquarters’ will be realized.

There has been a prolonged period of silence between the two groups since an incident last January, when a former member of an organization affiliated with the Sixth-Generation Yamaguchi-gumi set fire to the home of Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi leader Kunio Inoue (78). It will be exactly two years next January, and if this state of affairs continues, it is highly likely that the designation will be lifted” (ibid.).

Since the establishment of the Takekawa Wakagashira leadership last April, the Sixth-Generation Yamaguchi-gumi has been implementing sweeping organizational reforms.In addition to Vice-Chairman Takeuchi’s proactive diplomatic efforts with multiple groups, various changes are also evident “internally.” These include a significant rejuvenation of the executive leadership and the introduction of a “chairman system,” under which former leaders of direct-affiliated groups are elevated to the position of chairman and involved in the group’s management. Last December, the “Koto-hajime” ceremony—the group’s most important event—was revived for the first time in seven years.

Will the designation as a “specific rival group” finally be lifted? The Sixth-Generation Yamaguchi-gumi is on the verge of a major turning point.