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 ter ...

group headquartered in

Kitakyushu, Fukuoka is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, Kitakyushu has an estimated population of 940,978, making it the second-largest city in both Fukuoka Prefecture and the island of Kyushu after the city of Fukuoka. It is one of ...

on the

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surround ...

island of Japan, with an estimated 220 active members."2010 Police White Paper Chapter 2 : Furtherance of Organized Crime Countermeasures"
2010, ''

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 ...

'' The Kudo-kai has been a purely independent syndicate ever since its foundation, and has caused numerous conflicts with the

Yamaguchi-gumi is Japan's largest '' yakuza'' organization. It is named after its founder Harukichi Yamaguchi. Its origins can be traced back to a loose labor union for dockworkers in Kobe before World War II. It is one of the largest criminal organizations i ...

(at least on eight separate occasions in 2000; at least one Yamaguchi-affiliate boss was shot to death by the Kudo-kai in 2000). The Kudo-kai is the largest yakuza group in the

Kitakyushu is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, Kitakyushu has an estimated population of 940,978, making it the second-largest city in both Fukuoka Prefecture and the island of Kyushu after the city of Fukuoka. It is one o ...

area, and like other yakuza groups based in the northern Kyushu region, it is noted for its extremely militant stance, by using the likes of

machine gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles ...

s and

hand grenade A grenade is an explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A modern hand grenade ...

s in their activities. The Kudo-kai is regarded as the best example of

yakuza who strongly oppose the police, get angry easily, and "fight with pride". The

's official report refers to the Kudo-kai as a "particularly nefarious group"."Boryokudan Situation in 2010"
April 2011, ''

'' One notable incident happened in March 1988, while feuding with a Chinese mafia syndicate attempting to enter the Kitakyushu area, the Kudo-kai attacked the

Consulate General A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...

Fukuoka office of the People's Republic of China, which had nothing to do with the mafia, with

shotgun A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small pellet-like spherical sub- pr ...

s and a

dump truck A dump truck, known also as a dumping truck, dump trailer, dumper trailer, dump lorry or dumper lorry or a dumper for short, is used for transporting materials (such as dirt, gravel, or demolition waste) for construction as well as coal. A t ...

. The Kudo-kai is a member of an anti-Yamaguchi fraternal federation, the Yonsha-kai, with three other northern-Kyushu based organizations, the Taishu-kai, Dojin-kai, and Kumamoto-kai.''The Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi Complete Databook 2008 Edition'' : "The funeral of the Fourth Kudo-kai Honorary Adviser Hideo Mizoshita" (p.192–197), 1 February 2009, Mediax, The Yonsha-kai had been known as the "Sansha-kai" until 2005 when the Kumamoto-kai joined it. The Kudo-kai is the principal member of this federation.

History

The Kudo-kai was founded before WWII 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 "Kudo-gumi" in

Kokura is an ancient castle town and the center of Kitakyushu, Japan, guarding the Straits of Shimonoseki between Honshu and Kyushu with its suburb Moji. Kokura is also the name of the penultimate station on the southbound San'yō Shinkansen li ...

by the first president Genji Kudo. In 1987, the Kudo-kai annexed the Kusano-ikka, a Kitakyushu-based yakuza clan which had frequent violent conflicts with the Kudo-kai until then. The Kudo-kai was registered as a designated yakuza group under the Organized Crime Countermeasures Law in 1992. Hideo Mizoshita became the third president in January 2000,"Hideo Mizoshita profile"
''

Takarajima , literally "treasure island", is one of the Tokara Islands, belonging to Kagoshima Prefecture. The island, 7.14 km² in area, has a population of 116 persons. The island can only be reached by boat as it has no airport; there is regular ferry ...

'' and he died on July 1, 2008, at the age of 61. His funeral was held on July 6 of that year, where the attendees included many yakuza magnates from all over the country, such as those from the

Sumiyoshi-kai The , sometimes referred to as the , is the second-largest yakuza group in Japan with an estimated 4,000 members. Outline Their territories mainly consist of upscale districts such as Kabukichō and Ginza. Shops operating in these territories ...

Inagawa-kai The is the third largest of Japan's yakuza groups, with approximately 3,100 members. It is based in the Kantō region, and was one of the first yakuza organizations to begin operating overseas. History The Inagawa-kai was founded in Atami, Sh ...

Soai-kai The is a yakuza organization based in Chiba, Japan. The Soai-kai is a designated yakuza group with an estimated 120 active members. History The Soai-kai was formed in 1945 by Toramatsu Takahashi, then a member of a Yokohama-based bakuto group ...

Matsuba-kai The , meaning "Pine Needle Society," is a yakuza organization based in Tokyo, Japan. The Matsuba-kai is a designated yakuza group with an estimated 360 active members as of 2020.

, Kyokuto-kai,

Aizukotetsu-kai The (sometimes written Aizu-Kotetsukai or Aizu Kotetsu-kai) is a yakuza organization in Japan based in Kyoto. Its name comes from the Aizu region, "Kotetsu", a type of Japanese sword, and the suffix "-kai", or society. In 1992 the Aizukotetsu-ka ...

Sakaume-gumi The is a yakuza organization based in Osaka, Japan.

Azuma-gumi The is a yakuza organization based in Osaka, Japan.

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 ...

Kyodo-kai The is a yakuza group based in Hiroshima, Japan. The Kyodo-kai is a designated yakuza group with an estimated 80 active members.

Goda-ikka The is a yakuza group based in Yamaguchi, Japan. It is a designated yakuza group and Yamaguchi Prefecture's largest, with an estimated 60 members. History The group was formed in 1948 as the in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi by Koichi Goda, then a me ...

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

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.Kozakura-ikka The is a yakuza organization based in Kagoshima, Kyushu, Japan, with an estimated 60 active members. The Kozakura-ikka is noted for its unique official policy, which the National Police Agency describes as the "Kozakura Monroe Doctrine", of not ...

, Kyokuryu-kai, Okinawa Kyokuryu-kai, and even

Kiyoshi Takayama is a yakuza best known as the second-in-command (''wakagashira'') of the 6th-generation Yamaguchi-gumi, the largest known yakuza syndicate in Japan, and the president of its ruling affiliate, Kodo-kai, based in Nagoya. Takayama has been consider ...

of the

, and possibly some Russian or

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

or Mexican yakuza magnates. In June 2011, following the fourth president

Satoru Nomura is a Japanese Yakuza from Fukuoka Prefecture. He is the fifth president of the yakuza group Kudo-kai. Early life Nomura was born in 1946 as the sixth and youngest child in a rich peasant family. As a teenager, he was addicted to gambling and de ...

's promotion to the Grand President (''sosai''), the fourth number-two (''rijicho''), Fumio Tanoue, became the president. In September 2014, Nomura and Tanoue were arrested. Convicted of ordering four attacks on civilians, one of whom was killed, in 2021 Nomura became the first yakuza leader to be

sentenced to death Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...

, with Tanoue sentenced to life imprisonment.

Activities

The Kudo-kai's illegal activities have allegedly included protection racketeering,

drug trafficking A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalati ...

, unlawful involvement in

public works Public works are a broad category of infrastructure projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community. They include public buildings ( municipal buildings, sc ...

such as public construction projects, and in legitimate businesses such as commerce and trade, including in

nuclear power in Japan Prior to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Japan had generated 30% of its electrical power from nuclear reactors and planned to increase that share to 40%. Nuclear power energy was a national strategic priority in Japan. , of the 54 nu ...

. According to a Wall Street Journal article appearing February 2, 2012: "Like many Japanese gangs, the Kudokai even maintains its own public headquarters, the Kudokai Hall — a four-story, fortresslike white building surrounded by tall walls, barbed wire and security cameras — that sits in the center of Kitakyushu, a city of one million residents."

Attacks on civilians

The Kudo-kai is notorious for not hesitating to attack ''katagi'' civilians, or ordinary civilians, notably, the Kudo-kai has attacked; the

Kyushu Electric Power (, OSE: 9508, ) is a Japanese energy company that provides power to 7 prefectures (Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Ōita, Saga, Miyazaki, Kumamoto, Kagoshima), and recently, to some parts of Hiroshima Prefecture. Its shortened name of is sometimes used ...

president's house and the Saibu Gas chairman's house located in

Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since anc ...

with grenades (alleged cases), a bar managed by an anti organized crime campaign leader with a hand grenade, future Prime Minister

Shinzo Abe Shinzo Abe ( ; ja, 安倍晋三, Hepburn: , ; 21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 20 ...

Shimonoseki is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. With a population of 265,684, it is the largest city in Yamaguchi Prefecture and the fifth-largest city in the Chūgoku region. It is located at the southwestern tip of Honshu facing the Tsush ...

house and office with molotov cocktails on several occasions, among many others with grenades or firearms. The

NHK Broadcasting Center The , the headquarters of NHK, is located in Jinnan, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. It includes studios and offices, as well as shops and the popular Studio Park, which is a popular attraction for schoolchildren and tourists. Located within the same ...

received a threatening phone call from a man claiming himself to be a Kudo-kai insider after the

NHK , also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee. NHK operates two terrestr ...

television network made a nationwide broadcast about the series of gun attacks on the office buildings of the Saibu Gas allegedly done by the Kudo-kai.

Territories

The Kudo-kai maintains its headquarters office in

Kokura Kita is an ancient castle town and the center of Kitakyushu, Japan, guarding the Straits of Shimonoseki between Honshu and Kyushu with its suburb Moji. Kokura is also the name of the penultimate station on the southbound San'yō Shinkansen line, ...

and its known offices in two 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 ...

. The Kudo-kai's notable "territories" outside of Kitakyushu allegedly include

Harajuku is a district in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Harajuku is the common name given to a geographic area spreading from Harajuku Station to Omotesando, corresponding on official maps of Shibuya ward as Jingūmae 1 chōme to 4 chōme. In popular refere ...

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...

, more specifically the Ura-Harajuku area known as "Ura-Hara". The origin of this "ownership" allegedly traces back to the early 1980s, when the

, the original "owner" of this area, yielded to the Dojin-kai in a conflict in which many of the Sumiyoshi-kai's traditional "territories" were seized by the Dojin-kai. The Kudo-kai was allegedly given this "territory" by the Dojin-kai, and that is the alleged key reason why it was in Kitakyushu where the leading Ura-Hara brand '' Good Enoughs first flag shop opened, and why many leading figures in the 1980s-1990s "Ura-Hara" movement frequently visited Kitakyushu and many of them were actually from Kitakyushu (Toru Iwai, a co-founder of ''Good Enough'', for one), and why the volume of distribution of drugs especially methamphetamines and relatively new drugs such as MDMA in Tokyo has rapidly increased since then. Kudo-kai is known to have sold high-quality, brand-name MDMA drugs made in the likes of the

Benelux The Benelux Union ( nl, Benelux Unie; french: Union Benelux; lb, Benelux-Unioun), also known as simply Benelux, is a politico- economic union and formal international intergovernmental cooperation of three neighboring states in western Europe ...

region, Israel, or Indonesia, not gang-made impure ones.

Authority's view

The Kudo-kai is a designated yakuza group under the Organized Crime Countermeasures Law,"Police of Japan 2011, Criminal Investigation : 2. Fight Against Organized Crime"
, December 2009, ''

'' and has been referred to as a "grossly vicious group" in the

's official report.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kudo-Kai Yakuza groups based in Kyushu