The Yama-Ichi Yakuza War (1986-89)

this video is brought to you by magellan tv many of you have already subscribed to this new documentary streaming service for those of you who have we highly recommend that you check out the documentary series crimes that made history in this series you'll learn about such famous criminals in history such as jack the ripper and events like the saint valentine's day massacre and how they have shaped society for those that haven't subscribed yet magellan tv is a documentary streaming membership service founded by filmmakers bringing you premium content diving deep into the subjects you want to learn more about magellan tv has the richest and most varied content on history available anywhere magellan tv has over 2 000 plus documentary movies series and exclusive playlists many available in 4k they have ancient modern current early modern war and biographical history science space and even true crime which can be watched anywhere on your television laptop or mobile device all of the shows are without interruptions from commercials and we have a special offer where you can check it out all for free simple history viewers get a one month free trial membership just go to try.magellantv.com simplehistory or click the link in the description below [Music] the yamaichi war kansai region japan 1985 through 1989. the yamaichi war was a feud mainly fought in the south central japanese region of kansai between the yamaguchi gumi and gangster syndicates in the 1980s though its roots were in 1984 when the yakuza apparent gang of the yamaguchi gumi was sectioned into two factions the feud was at its most violent between january 1985 and february 1986 the origins of the kobe based yamaguchi gumi can be traced to a labor union for dock workers in the 1930s over the decades the group evolved into japan's leading crime organization by the 1970s they dominated the japanese entertainment industry they had control over boxing wrestling and sumo games controlled over a hundred production companies along with talent agencies and booking firms they even rigged baseball games auctions and horse races much of their revenue came from the sale of drugs particularly methamphetamine heroin and speed as well as from running high state gambling events smuggling contraband racketeering and loan sharking the business was run as a blend between corporate and feudal structures characterized by an efficient financial regulation membership fees a tributary system among the 600 member gangs and strict codes of honor reminiscent of bushido ideals by the 1980s the multi-billion dollar network had spread across 36 of japan's 47 prefectures and the yakuza controlled over 2500 businesses in a wide array of sectors from education and health to the gaming and adult industries a tattoo or even a quick flash of the gang's badge a diamond-shaped lapel could clear rooms close deals and turn a no into a yes the yakuzas viewed themselves as gentlemen their membership was a privilege yakuza would even go so far as to practice self-mutilation to show their commitment to the syndicate sometimes even surgically graphing an amputated toe to part of a cut finger at the top of this criminal pyramid was mafia boss kazuo tahuka kazuo the third kumicho or chief of the yamaguchi gumi had been in charge since 1946 and was the man responsible for the syndicate's rise to power he was dubbed kuma or the bear for his signature attack of clawing people's faces in combat however he was always seen as a gentleman among his inferiors a man of reason and balance that could quickly resolve any hostilities between member gangs because of this he became known as the godfather of all godfathers but his 35-year underground shogunate came to an end in 1981 when he suddenly died of a heart attack the japanese criminal underground went into mourning on a sunday a huge buddhist stay funeral took place in kobe in the ex-boss's honor 1300 yakuza from 200 gangs came to pay their respects while 800 riot police stood guard hundreds of japanese entertainers were present artists actors and singers whose careers had all benefited from the godfather's generous investments [Music] his successor was to be kenichi yamamoto konichi founded the yamaken gumi gang in the 1960s which would eventually become a close affiliate to the yamaguchi as kazuo's right-hand man kinichi operated as a somewhat chairman of the board for the yamaguchi corporation but a few years before the death of his boss the number two or wakagashira was arrested for extortion and sentenced to jail he later died of liver failure just seven months after the death of kazuo the syndicate now headless was thrown into complete disarray police crackdowns were also on the rise internal division was creeping in among the ranks and rival gangs were capitalizing on the disorder to ramp up their influence desperate for order eight crime bosses joined together to find a successor a key player in this was kazuo's 62 year old widow fumiko taoka this was unprecedented as the yakuza held women to not be fit for this kind of role fumiko tauka's leadership was to be a temporary one that was to last only during the process of finding a new male leader two candidates were selected among the eight bosses hiroshi yamamoto a moderate in his late 50s who was affiliated with the yamakin group and who was popular because of the growth of the yamaguchi gumi onto kyushu and masahisa takenaka a bellicose but popular crime boss with a colorful criminal history and a personal favorite of kazuo's widow fumiko the influential fumiko got her way masahisa was voted in as the yamaguchi gumi's fourth kumijo the election was a troubled one yamamoto never accepted the results bitter at the outcome hiroshi broke ties with fumiko and her loyalists refused masahisa's offer of being his wakakashira and even went to the press to vent his outright rejection of the vote many yakuza also refused to recognize the outcome calling the vote rigged disapproving of masahis's temperament and sharing the belief that kazuo would not have wanted him as his heir on june 19 1984 roshi met with 18 top syndicate figures at a restaurant in kobe by the end of their meals the leaders had come to an agreement they were to secede from the yamaguchi gumi organization and form their own syndicate the ichihakai taking the bulk of the parent group's arsenal as well as half of its manpower 13 thousand yakuza now rallied around the newly created ichiwakai organization becoming almost immediately in the top three of japan's most powerful criminal networks yamaguchi gumi were now significantly weakened and faced a new rival in the form of the ichikawakai defectors but they didn't remain idle though tension was high the yamaguchi gumi took the high road and offered amnesty as well as generous retirement pay to all those who wished to return it worked many of the defectors gradually went back to their original camp ten thousand strong as the months went on the yamaguchi gumi came out on top again by the end of 1984 the ichihakai were down to only 2 800 men and masahisa was expanding his drug empire and criminal network all across japan as well as overseas hiroshi was weaker than ever on january 26 1985 at least four ichiwaka yakuza arrived in a black car at the apartment of masahis's mistress in osaka just as masahisa and his two yamaguchi gumi crime bosses stepped into the elevator they were mowed down by the four hit men before the elevator doors closed in old lifeless bodies within just a few seconds the savage ambush had taken out almost the entire yamaguchi gumi leadership the syndicate was shaken but mainly they were livid within a few days one thousand black suited yakuza gathered to mourn the sudden loss of their godfather this funeral involving a procession of dozens of mercedes and luxury cars was even televised thousands of japanese civilians kept their eyes on the ensuing chaos of a feud that they knew had just torpedoed out of control in early february yamaguchi-gumi bosses met and declared 62-year-old kazuo nakanishi as successor but above all war was declared against the ichihakai after a three-year feud that was relatively contained japanese civilians would now keep their heads down even lower avoiding back streets and criminal hot spots closing shop ending tenancy leases and staying indoors after dark the feud seemed like it was about to explode luckily the police managed to prevent a massacre over the next few months around 1 000 yakuza were arrested and hundreds of weapons were confiscated through the rapid mobilization of riot police at close to 200 key homes and offices of the yamaguchi-gumi nonetheless over 200 armed attacks and 26 deaths occurred within one year of the vicious ambush masashi takanaka particularly wanted to avenge the death of his brother masahisa in september 1985 musashi and hidaomi oda the syndicate's head of the treasury flew down to honolulu hawaii and attempted to strike a deal with they who believed to be prominent gangsters in the american mafia in exchange for 52 pounds of amphetamines and 12 pounds of heroin they tried to purchase three rocket launchers five machine guns and 100 handguns the goal to blow up the heavily fortified headquarters of the ichihakai and dismantle their whole operation in one bloody raid they also requested a private assassin to take down hiroshi in the event that he survived the raid but they were down on their luck as the gangsters they thought they were dealing with were in fact undercover us agents who had even managed to record their conversations the yamaguchi gumi bosses were swiftly arrested after a huge multinational police effort costing them millions of dollars potentially life sentences in an american jail and the loss of respect from the syndicate back in japan in court they tried to claim that they were in hawaii in an attempt to book superstar michael jackson for a tour in japan the yamaichi feud seemed to rage on and on anxious civilians condemned the killings some public bystanders were killed in the crossfire scorecards even began to appear in japanese newspapers listing daily death rates the neutral inagawakai band kept trying to mediate when an ichiwakai member broke a ceasefire his angry boss cut off his finger presenting it to the inagawakai to demonstrate his disapproval as well as his willingness to abide by the group's peacemaking efforts the feud took a dramatic turn when in february 1986 an ichiwakai businessman called hideo shiragami was found dead his body floating in the sea his ears tongue and middle finger had been cut off his ribs were crushed and his head had a gaping bullet hole through the temple the brutal manner in which his body was found shocked the nation the feud was out of control an ashamed yamaguchi leadership instantly denounced the barbaric slaying of hideo and announced an end to hostilities six days later ichiwakai followed suit marking an end to a two-year war involving over 300 shootings which had left 25 dead and vast amounts of money squandered on firearms legal fees security and funeral costs the yamaguchi emerged as victors given their vastly higher membership roles by 1989 they clearly loomed over the ichiwaki syndicate reduced to a gang of just several hundred strong and which quickly disbanded thereafter uh [Applause]

Channel: Simple History

Views: 855,341

Rating: 4.9406705 out of 5

Keywords: simple history, animated history, educational, education, yakuza, japan, kansai, Japan, Yamaguchi-gumi, Kobe, gang, entertainment industry, gambling, money, wealth, economy, boom, 80s, retro, bushido, By the 1980s, the multi-, businesses, Kazuo, kumicho, kuma, Godfather, Kenichi Yamamoto, Kenichi, Chairman, Corporation, wakagashira, syndicate, Fumiko Taoka, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Kyushu, Masahisa Takenaka, Ichiwa-kai, Osaka, mafia, Yama-Ichi Kōsō

Id: kCl2lijmHUk

Length: 12min 32sec (752 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 02 2020