Kodo-kai
The Kodo-kai (弘道会 Kōdō-kai, Koh-doh-kai) is a yakuza criminal organization based in Nagoya, Japan.[1] It is a secondary organization of the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi, the largest known yakuza syndicate in Japan.[2] With an estimated membership of 4,000,[3] it is the second-largest Yamaguchi affiliate after the Yamaken-gumi, and operates in at least 18 prefectures.[4]
The Kodo-kai is under close surveillance by the National Police Agency, as the NPA considers the organization to not be a traditional yakuza organization, but to be more like a mafia-type organization or terrorist organization.[5] The Kodo-kai is notorious for its defiant attitude toward the official, and has dispensed with the yakuza's traditional policy of co-operating with the police.[3]
The Kodo-kai has been one of the wealthiest clans in the Yamaguchi-gumi, with an immense working capital estimated at around $5 billion.[5]
History
The Kodo-kai was founded in 1984 by Shinobu Tsukasa[6] with 24 other members including Kiyoshi Takayama.[5] At this time, Tsukasa became a formal member of the Fourth Yamaguchi-gumi. When the Fifth Yamaguchi-gumi started in May 1989, Tsukasa assumed the position of wakagashira-hosa (one of the third-ranking bosses).
Kiyoshi Takayama was promoted to the number-two boss (wakagashira) in 1989, and to the 2nd president (kaicho) in March 2005.[6] The Kodo-kai expanded under Takayama's administration,[6] and by late 2009 its total membership reached 4,000.[5]
Takayama became a formal member of the Fifth Yamaguchi-gumi in April, 2005, and assumed the position of wakagashira-hosa in June, 2005. And when Tsukasa became the kumicho (Godfather) of the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi in July 2005, his Kodo-kai partner Takayama was given the position of the wakagashira (number-two boss) on August 8.[8]
Era
1st (1984–2005)
Shinobu Tsukasa, also one of the third-ranking bosses (wakagashira-hosa) of the Fifth Yamaguchi-gumi and the founding head of the Tsukasa-kogyo. He would later become the head of the Hirota-gumi and the supreme boss of the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi.
2nd (2005–)
Kiyoshi Takayama who is the number-two boss (wakagashira) of the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi and the founding head of the Takayama-gumi, and former chief director (rijicho) of the Ryoshin-kai.
Activities
Described as a "financial mafia" by a former officer of the Aichi Prefectural Police Department, the Kodo-kai's activities include banking or investment banking for the criminal underworld.[5] The Kodo-kai is allegedly also very active and powerful in traditional "yakuza-friendly" businesses, such as the real estate business, securities business and show business.[9]
A senior member of an other Yamaguchi-affiliate has revealed that the Kodo-kai manages a private intelligence organization which specializes in espionage including police-targeted intelligence.[10]
Affiliates
The Kodo-kai's known branch organizations have included :
- Seibu Rengo, based in Hakata, Fukuoka, Kyushu.[11]
- Komatsu-gumi, based in Tokyo. Launched around 1987, Komatsu-gumi have its offices in several districts in Tokyo, including Taito and Minato.[12]
- Koike-gumi, based in Chiba.[13]
- Fukushima Rengo, based in Sapporo, Hokkaido.[14]
- Jido-kai, based in Nagano, Nagano, the largest Kodo affiliate in Nagano Prefecture.[15]
- Omi-ikka, based in Otsu, Shiga. The Omi-ikka was founded in 2003 by the eldest son of Tokutaro Takayama, the fourth president of the Kyoto-based Aizukotetsu-kai.[16]
among others.
References
- ^ "Nation's No. 2 gangster arrested", November 19, 2010, Daily Yomiuri
- ^ "Police anti-gang drive in trouble", December 11, 2010, Asahi Shimbun
- ^ a b "Yakuza chief arrested in Japan", November 18, 2010, The Guardian
- ^ "Police wary as Yamaguchi-gumi prepares to fete sixth don", August 19, 2005, The Japan Times
- ^ a b c d e "The "Top Operations" for destroying the Yamaguchi-gumi Kodo-kai, arresting from the kumicho to the number 3", December 17, 2010, Weekly Friday Template:Ja icon
- ^ a b c "2010 Police White Paper Chapter 2 : Furtherance of Organized Crime Countermeasures, Columun 1 : Kodo-kai Countermeasures", 2010, National Police Agency Template:Ja icon
- ^ "Police internal document with a strategy for destroying the 'Kodo-kai'", July 7, 2010, Gendai Business Template:Ja icon
- ^ "From rackets to real estate, yakuza multifaceted", February 14, 2007, The Japan Times
- ^ "Police's 'Yamaguchi-gumi Cleanup Operation' behind the O-zumo's 'Baseball Gambling'", July 1, 2010, Gendai Business Template:Ja icon
- ^ "Muddy Stream of Doubt : One year until the Yamaguchi-gumi kumicho's prison release, Will there be any 'industry reorganization'? Boryokudan maneuver to assemble information" 2/5, May 2, 2010, Sankei Shimbun Template:Ja icon
- ^ "The Kodo-kai Kyushu top is arrested, relating to the construction works for the Nagasaki University Hospital", June 25, 2011, Yomiuri Shimbun Template:Ja icon
- ^ "Yamaguchi-gumi Kodo-kai affiliate kumicho is arrested, on suspicion of extorting", January 29, 2011, 47 News Template:Ja icon
- ^ "Kodo-kai affiliate kumicho is arrested, on suspicion of a car loan fraud", January 21, 2011, Chiba Nippo Template:Ja icon
- ^ "Nine are arrested for unregistered loaning, the system finance belonging to the Kodo-kai", January 18, 2011, 47 News Template:Ja icon
- ^ "Kodo-kai wakagashira-hosa is arrested on suspicion of fraud — Aomori, Nagano Police", December 4, 2010, Asahi Shimbun Template:Ja icon
- ^ "The background of the arrest of the wakagashira Kiyoshi Takayama, is a fierce conflict for the 'Kyoto concession'!", November 25, 2010, Gendai Business Template:Ja icon