Gang leader's bodyguard shot dead in Kobe

Like the old gangster days! Both these guys had some cojones, and I hope that the guy who shot the other one in the face turns himself in ASAP.

I lived through a couple of gang/yakuza shootings down here way back when, and it was a pain in the butt for everyone who lived in the area of the shootings. Yeah it was nice to have the extra police patrols and what not, but the constant stops and searches of my car, damn near on a daily basis were tedious to say the least.

For a fairly small town (Kobe) there is a disproportionate number of bad guys. And it seems something of a contradiction that a country as safe as Japan should have so much organized crime?

Time to go to the mattresses.

 And it seems something of a contradiction that a country as safe as Japan should have so much organized crime?

Shhh...don't let the secret out! You'll scare the people away!

For many, many years Japan's Yakuza stayed away from bringing drugs into the country.... but in the last few years there have many incidents of Yakuza caught with drugs. If you remember the first Godfather movie one group wanted to bring drugs in and the Corleone family didn't.... it ended up being a war between the families. This is what might be currently happening in Japan now. Of course one was Fiction... but fiction based on a lot of real life stories.

Its funny that the old guys are running around guarding turfs...isn't that what the young ones do? Japan is so safe that when a gun goes off people think its a tyre and they run outside?? lol

We used to live in Kobé... right near the BIG Yamaguchi boss's house... but hubby used to say that that made us "safer"...

As long as they kill each other without innocent bystanders I don't see any issues.

The Yak office near us has police outside all day but no movement from within, they do seem to be being more open and confident round here, and now a hit in such a residential area. ;o(

Rest In Peace.

i hope more yakuza leave and live peaceful lives.

RIP.

Know quiet a few former Yakuza, friend is son of one too(Nagoya Yamaguchi).

His dad was released from prison 1yr back for a killing(dying from cancer).

Most of them now no longer punch-perm, no more tattoos, etc so it is easier for them to integrate after leaving.

Still see many yak in the Ueno area, many local hq there.

I wonder what will they do with his car...

And it seems something of a contradiction that a country as safe as Japan should have so much organized crime?

As long as it's organized, I guess it doesn't tarnish the overall image. Public violence only happens once in a while, anyway, and usually among gang members.

Man, I am just heartbroken.

abe should make all yaks into a self defence force like the Dad's Army bbc drama. they can walk children to school, stop drunken fights and control soap lands. they should get a decent salary with medical insurance and pension.

Lol, the average ages of the Yaks are also rising, in line with wider Japanese society.

From TV reports it looked like planned hit.

This won't be the end of this. Retaliation being planned now.

Kobe's the Sicilia/Corsica of Japan, sort of. Perso I don't 'really' mind Mafia wars provided there is no collateral damage (bystanders, judges, cops etc).

We used to live in Kobé... right near the BIG Yamaguchi boss's house... but hubby used to say that that made us "safer"...

My thoughts exactly. Also means less petty criminals, incivilities & random violence in the neighbourhood (not that it is a major pbm elsewhere in Japan anyway).

Kobe's the Sicilia/Corsica of Japan, sort of.

Eh nope, that's Fukuoka. Yakuza activity and largest number of crime groups are highest in Fukuoka.

"Also means less petty criminals, incivilities & random violence in the neighbourhood (not that it is a major pbm elsewhere in Japan anyway)."

The old Robin Hood excuse. Encouraging crime is hardly a strategy to be applauded.

Just has a chat with a very "colorful" guy i know and he told me its all due to ninkyodo basically they have different codes of conduct and this is what causing all the trouble.

Not sure how this will decrease petty thefts like the increasing shop-lifting, bag snatching, etc who are not performed by the Yak.

papigiulio

"As long as they kill each other without innocent bystanders I don't see any issues."

Then, from your sentence, I take it that if they  kill each other with innocent bystanders it  becomes an issue?  lol.

I know what you meant, but your sentence should have used the words  "and not"

instead of "without."  However, I disagree.   I have "an issue" with gangsters shooting each other on the street.....period.

Very old body guard. Bouncers used to be 16 to 29 years old. Shortage ooh people in Japan makes violent groups members down,,. Ever since Yamaguchi Gumi invaded in Kyushu, Japan's yakuza organizations do not treat Y related groups as Yakuza. after Kyushu war, Y wanted to have peace treaty but no oyabuns wanted to participate that it IE in ostracized status now. The status ooh Y is now Boryokudan, boot yakuza.

Eh nope, that's Fukuoka. Yakuza activity and largest number of crime groups are highest in Fukuoka.

Exactly! That's why I call Fukuoka the Medellin of Japan ;)

Never really heard bad stuff about the city (Fukuoka) itself.

It's the small towns in the area (Kurume, Iizuka, Nogata) where you see minor trouble and can come across some seriously unpleasant chinpira....

Drugs/alcohol/firearms/human trafficking/loan sharking, are all elements that make up Crime Families source's of income, yet there are those who to this day refuse to except this as fact. The Yakuza like the crime families of America began in the same manner and like them, they too are contentiously expanding into other enterprises. Guns laws in Japan prevented their usage for years however, times are a changing.

But murder is murder. Police is busy. It suspect attack by. rival gangs in Ygumi.

Police is busy

they are not busy apart from paperwork and harassing local people driving through stop signs.

yakuza should cool down, stop drugs and don't use guns. there is plenty of other dodgy things they can do.

"But guns are ILLEGAL in Japan"

"Safety Japan" strikes again.

At least they weren't lobbing grenades at each other this time.

Polices are busy right now interrogating members of rival y-gumi members right now.

@Bill Wright: Let's discuss about Japanese Yakuza here. Forget about American organized crime, Each has different honor of code and grew differently.

Kobe is not a small town. There are ports where people are working busy all day long.

Y-gumi was one of them

Car on the above photo. Police will find the registered owner and return to his family. Toeing fee, etc added but I assume it belongs to his boss.

"But guns are ILLEGAL in Japan" 

"Safety Japan" strikes again.

yeah that's why you see so few stories like this in Japan, because it's so rare.

For a fairly small town

By population, Kobe is the sixth largest city in Japan at about 1.5 million.

@albaleo: Also Fukuoooka is a large city in Kyushu.

Kobe is not a town. It is a city.

Kobe is a bit odd though, its city centre is tiny but over all its pretty darn large, I like odd ;o) We live and work 5 minute walk from the centre and our rent is 60,000 2LDK ;o)