OSAKA (TR) — The Osaka High Court on May 12 dismissed an appeal by prosecutors, upholding the acquittal of a high-ranking yakuza boss accused of gunning down a rival syndicate member in Kobe City.
Hiroshi Nakata, the 67-year-old boss of the Yamaken-gumi, faced charges of attempted murder and firearms violations over an August 2019 shooting that occurred during a period of fierce gang conflict.
Nakata was accused of opening fire on a 51-year-old member of the Kodo-kai — the core faction of the rival Yamaguchi-gumi syndicate — leaving him severely wounded as he sat in the driver’s seat of a light vehicle outside a gang facility.
Throughout his initial trial, Nakata flatly denied the allegations, telling the court, “I am not the culprit.”
With no direct evidence linking Nakata to the crime, prosecutors built their case around a “relay analysis” of security camera footage, attempting to track the shooter’s escape route step-by-step.
However, the Kobe District Court previously dismantled the prosecution’s case in an October ruling. Presiding judge Akira Maruta noted that identifying the shooter based merely on the suspect wearing the same brand and style of jacket as the defendant was far too circumstantial.
The court also examined footage showing the shooter fleeing on a black moped before switching to a white scooter — which Nakata had purchased — and eventually entering Nakata’s residence. The judge ruled that this sequence did not rule out the possibility that someone else was riding the vehicles.
Furthermore, the court cast doubt on the logic of the crime itself, stating it was “somewhat incomprehensible” that a top-tier syndicate boss would personally carry out a hit and expose himself to such a high risk of arrest.
The lower court concluded that “while there is a high possibility the defendant is the culprit, the possibility of it being a different person cannot be denied,” leading to a not-guilty verdict.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, prosecutors appealed, but the Osaka High Court’s recent decision has ensured Nakata’s acquittal remains intact.
