The is a

yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media, by request of the police, call them , while the ''yakuza'' call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ...

group based in

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui h ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. The Kyodo-kai is a designated yakuza group with an estimated 80 active members."The Second Kyodo-kai"
20 February 2008, ''Matsue Joho Center'' and is the second largest yakuza group in the Chugoku region after the

Kyosei-kai The is a yakuza group based in Hiroshima, Japan. History The Kyosei-kai was formed in May 1964 from seven yakuza clans united by bakuto Tatsuo Yamamura.

History

The Kyodo-kai was formed immediately after the World War II as a

bakuto ''Bakuto'' (博徒) were itinerant gamblers active in Japan from the 18th century to the mid-20th century. They were one of two forerunners (the other being ''tekiya'', or peddlers) to modern Japanese organized crime syndicates called ''yakuza''. ...

organization named the in

Onomichi, Hiroshima is a city located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, facing the Inland Sea. The city was founded on April 1, 1898. As of April 30, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 141,811 and a population density of 497.8 persons per km2. The total are ...

by Tokujiro Takahashi. Kokichi Morita, then the highest-ranked senior member of the Takahashi-gumi, formed the Kyodo-kai in January 1969 following the Takahashi-gumi's disbanding. Kokichi Morita's younger brother Kazuo Morita succeeded as president in November 1989."1993 Police White Paper Chapter 1 : The Actual Condition of the Boryokudan"
1993, ''

National Police Agency National Police may refer to the national police forces of several countries: *Afghanistan: Afghan National Police *Haiti: Haitian National Police *Colombia: National Police of Colombia *Cuba: Cuban National Police *East Timor: National Police of E ...

'' The Kyodo-kai was registered as a designated yakuza group under the Organized Crime Countermeasures Law in 1993.

Condition

Based in

, the Kyodo-kai has its known offices in five other

prefectures A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...

including

Okayama is the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The city was founded on June 1, 1889. , the city has an estimated population of 720,841 and a population density of 910 persons per km2. The total area is . The city is ...

and

Kagawa may refer to: * , the smallest prefecture of Japan by area, located on the island of Shikoku * , a district in Kagawa Prefecture * , a town located in Kagawa District * , train station in Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture * Kagawa (surname) Kagawa (w ...

Since 1996, the Kyodo-kai has been a member of an anti- Yamaguchi federation named the Gosha-kai, along with three other Chugoku-based organizations, the

Kyosei-kai The is a yakuza group based in Hiroshima, Japan. History The Kyosei-kai was formed in May 1964 from seven yakuza clans united by bakuto Tatsuo Yamamura.Asano-gumi The is a yakuza group based in Okayama, Japan. The Asano-gumi is a designated yakuza group with an estimated 60 active members. History The Asano-gumi was formed in 1945 as a bakuto organization named the by Kunio Oyama. The group restarted as ...

, the

Goda-ikka The is a yakuza group based in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Yamaguchi, Japan. It is a Yakuza#Designated boryokudan, designated yakuza group and Yamaguchi Prefecture's largest, with an estimated 60 members. History The group was formed in 1948 as the i ...

, and the

Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...

-based

Shinwa-kai The is a yakuza group based in Takamatsu, Kagawa on Shikoku, Japan.

."The Fourth Kyosei-kai"
20 February 2008, ''Matsue Joho Center''

Involvement in Politics

The founder Tokujiro Takahashi was also a politician. He was elected to Onomichi City Council in April 1951 and allegedly later became

Onomichi is a city located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, facing the Inland Sea. The city was founded on April 1, 1898. As of April 30, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 141,811 and a population density of 497.8 persons per km2. The total a ...

's most influential figure. He was eventually elected to Hiroshima Prefectural Council in December 1955, and had been a member of the council until December 1967 when he was arrested for illegal baseball-gambling.

References

{{Designated Boryokudan Organizations established in 1945 1945 establishments in Japan Yakuza groups