KOBE (TR) – After last week’s breakup of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan’s largest organized crime syndicate, law enforcement sources on Saturday confirmed that a rival gang will be headquartered on Hyogo Prefecture’s Awaji Island, reports Yomiuri Shimbun (Sep. 6).
Kunio Inoue, the 67-year-old boss of the Yamaken-gumi, will lead the renegade gang, known as the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi, which will be based in Awaji City. Osamu Teraoka, the 66-year-old head of the Kyoyu-kai, will serve as another upper-level boss.
On September 1, the Kobe-based Yamaguchi-gumi chose to finalize the excommunication of 13 affiliate gangs, including the Yamaken-gumi and Takumi-gumi.
As previously reported, the Yamaguchi-gumi’s 72 affiliate groups had become divided over the management policies of current boss, 73-year-old Shinobu Tsukasa.
The Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi is to be comprised of approximately 10 of the dissenting gangs. Of the gang’s 3,000 members, approximately 2,000 will be from the Yamaken-gumi.
With Awaji City located only 20 kilometers from Kobe, law enforcement is on alert over fears that violent clashes between the two gangs will develop.