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 based in Hiroshima, Japan. 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.

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 ar ...

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 ...

'' 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 and Kagawa. Tenneiji Onomichi01s3872

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

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, 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 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'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