Yamaken-gumi
{{short description|Street gang founded in Kobe, Japan}}
{{Infobox criminal organization
| name = Yamaken-gumi
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| founded = {{start date and age|1961||}}
| founder = Kenichi Yamamoto
| named_after =
| founding_location = Kobe, Japan
| years_active = 1961–present
| territory = Kobe, Japan
| ethnicity = Japanese
| membership_est = ~800
| leaders =
| activities =
| notable_members =
}}
{{nihongo|The Fourth Yamaken-gumi|四代目山健組|Yondaime Yamaken-gumi}} is a yakuza gang based in Kobe, Japan. It was the largest affiliate, followed by the Nagoya-based Kodo-kai, of the largest known yakuza syndicate in Japan, the Yamaguchi-gumi until 2015.[http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20050819f3.html "Police wary as Yamaguchi-gumi prepares to fete sixth don"], August 19, 2005, The Japan Times
History
Yoshinori Watanabe was kumicho (Godfather) of the Yamaken-gumi from 1982 to 1989 before becoming kumicho of the Yamaguchi-gumi.[http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn19990719a5.html "Yamaguchi-gumi don celebrates a decade at the top"], July 19, 1999, The Japan Times Watanabe retired from that post in July 2005, but the Yamaken-gumi remains largely loyal to him. Many of its members were upset that the sixth Yamaguchi don was not chosen from their ranks, instead, the Nagoya-based Kenichi Shinoda was chosen.
In 2015, the Yamaken-gumi, along with several other organisations, withdrew from the Yamaguchi-gumi and formed the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi. From 2015 to 2020, it was under the umbrella of the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi.{{cite web |title=新組織、文書で「神戸山口組」周知 「山菱」も使用 拠点は淡路市の侠友会本部か |url=https://www.sankei.com/west/news/150907/wst1509070069-n1.html |website=sankei.com |access-date=16 August 2021}} In August 2020, Koji Nakata, the head of the Yamaken-gumi, declared that the Yamaken-gumi had become independent of the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi.{{cite web|url=https://bunshun.jp/articles/-/40300|title=「若頭の刺傷からガタガタし始めた」名門・山健組が神戸山口組から独立宣言《勾留中の組長が指令》|pages=|website=Bungeishunju|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002234219/https://bunshun.jp/articles/-/40300|accessdate=31 March 2024|archive-date=2 October 2023}}
On 16 September 2021, the Yamaguchi-gumi announced that it will be welcoming back Yamaken-gumi members who had disunited from them in 2015. As a result, the Yamagken-gumi once again became the umbrella organisation of the Yamaguchi-gumi.{{cite web |url=https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14442470 |title=Yakuza group Yamaguchi-gumi welcomes back gang that split |date=17 September 2021 |access-date=21 December 2021 |publisher=The Asahi Shimbun |quote=According to sources, Yamaguchi-gumi executives notified members on Sept. 16 that they were welcoming back returning Yamaken-gumi members. The same day, executives of Yamaken-gumi met to confirm they were rejoining.}}{{cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/cb04347982b1baddeee4285daff470bdc74c1a82|title=【最新データを入手！】勢力差は25倍に拡大…10年目を迎える山口組分裂抗争「驚きの最新勢力図」|pages=|website=Yahoo News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324171110/https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/cb04347982b1baddeee4285daff470bdc74c1a82|accessdate=30 March 2024|archive-date=24 March 2024}}
Before the split, the Yamaken-gumi was estimated to have between 3,000 and 7,000 members. Following the split the number dropped to around 800.{{cite book |last1=Mizoguchi |first1=Atsushi |title=暴力団 ("Boryokudan: Twenty-two Designated Boryokudan") |date=2011 |isbn=978-4-10-610434-3 |page=19}}
Leadership
- 1st kumicho (1961-1982): {{nihongo|Kenichi Yamamoto|山本 健一}} who was a {{nihongo|eldest son|若頭|wakagashira}} of the Third Yamaguchi-gumi. He was a former member of {{nihongo|Yasuhara-kai|安原会}}.
- 2nd kumicho (1982-1989): {{nihongo|Yoshinori Watanabe|渡辺 芳則}} who was wakagashira of the Fourth Yamaguchi-gumi. He was 1st {{nihongo|kaicho|会長}} of the {{nihongo|Kenryu-kai|健竜会}}, and would later become kumicho of the Fifth Yamaguchi-gumi.
- 3rd kumicho (1989-2005): {{nihongo|Kaneyoshi Kuwata|桑田 兼吉}} who is a {{nihongo|eldest son's assistant|若頭補佐|wakagashira-hosa}} of the Fifth Yamaguchi-gumi. He was kaicho of the Second Kenryu-kai.
- 4th kumicho (2005-2018): {{nihongo|Kunio Inoue|井上 邦雄}} who was a {{nihongo|kambu|幹部}} of the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi. He was kaicho of the Fourth Kenryu-kai. He is an adopted son of Kuwata.
- 5th kumicho (2018-): {{nihongo|Koji Nakata|中田 浩二}} who is a {{nihongo|kambu|幹部}} of the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi. He was kaicho of the Fifth Kenryu-kai.
References
{{reflist}}
Category:Organizations established in 1961
Category:1961 establishments in Japan
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