KYOTO (TR) – Prosecutors here have demanded a life sentence for a high-ranking yakuza boss accused of gunning down the “Gyoza King” in 2013.
During the proceedings, defendant Yukio Tanaka, 59, a senior member of a gang affiliated with the notorious Kudo-kai crime syndicate, dramatically maintained his innocence in a Kyoto court, reports Mainichi Broadcasting System (June 29).
Tanaka is charged with the December 2013 murder of 72-year-old Takayuki Ohigashi. The victim, then-president of Ohsho Food Service, which operates Gyoza no Ohsho (Gyoza King), was fatally shot in the early hours of the morning in the company’s parking lot in Yamashina Ward, Kyoto City.
“Extremely grave”
During a hearing at the Kyoto District Court on Monday, prosecutors requested life in prison, painting a picture of a cold-blooded and calculated corporate assassination.
“He obtained a motorcycle and a handgun in advance, firing four shots that all struck the victim,” the prosecution stated in its closing arguments. “The defendant shows a severe disregard for human life and absolutely no remorse. The criminal responsibility for this highly organized, planned and dangerous act is extremely grave.”
Lacking direct evidence, prosecutors have built their case on a web of circumstantial clues. During the trial, they revealed that two cigarette butts found near the crime scene matched Tanaka’s DNA. Furthermore, investigators testified that just before the hit, Tanaka told fellow gang members he was going on a trip and cut off contact, while later telling an acquaintance he was in Kyoto.
“Chivalrous way”
Tanaka, who refused to answer questions during a scheduled interrogation session in March, used his final statement to passionately deny being the triggerman.
“Judge, I respectfully speak to you. I am truly not the culprit,” Tanaka declared in court. “If permitted, I would grab the shoulders of every single person here, shake them, and tell them, ‘I am not the culprit!'”
The yakuza boss has consistently claimed he is being set up. During his initial hearing last November, Tanaka leaned into his underworld background to proclaim his innocence.
“As a man pursuing the chivalrous way [ninkyo-do], I am prepared to swallow a false accusation or two,” Tanaka said at the time. “But I absolutely cannot accept being framed for such a sensational case.”
With the defense and prosecution fiercely contesting the circumstantial evidence, the Kyoto District Court is scheduled to hand down its verdict on October 16.
