News Navigator: What kind of group is Japan’s Kudo-kai crime syndicate?

The Mainichi Shimbun answers some common questions readers may have about the Kudo-kai organized crime syndicate, known as a particularly violent yakuza group.

Question: I saw a banner hung from the Fukuoka Prefectural Police headquarters proclaiming an “operation to eliminate the Kudo-kai is underway.” What is the Kudo-kai?

Answer: The Kudo-kai, headquartered in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, is one of 25 designated criminal syndicates in Japan, and the only one officially labelled as “dangerous” under the anti-organized crime law. Other groups include the Yamaguchi-gumi and the Sumiyoshi-kai. The Kudo-kai first received this designation in 2012, for reasons including a series of attacks on civilians opposing the group’s wishes. The designation has been renewed and continuously applied to the group since. This allows police to immediately arrest Kudo-kai members who engage in activities such as demanding illegal protection fees within a specific warning area.

Q: When did this push to eliminate the Kudo-kai begin?

A: On Sept. 11, 2014, Kudo-kai president Satoru Nomura, now 77, was arrested on suspicion of murder. This marked the beginning of a top-down arrest strategy by the police. Between September 2014 and 2023, Fukuoka Prefectural Police apprehended 451 Kudo-kai members, while also offering support for them to leave the organization and find work.

Q: So, September marks 10 full years since this began. Is the operation still “underway?”

A: Yes, it is. The number of Kudo-kai members within the prefecture has fallen to fewer than one-third of where it stood at the end of 2013, from 540 to 160 at the end of 2023. However, it has yet to be eradicated. Although the group’s head office, which served as a symbol of its power, has been demolished, there is information that related groups are stepping up their activities in the Tokyo area, and the Fukuoka police are staying vigilant.

Q: What should we watch out for next?

A: Satoru Nomura’s trial. He was charged with murder and other crimes in four cases that involved civilians, but denies the allegations. The Fukuoka District Court found him guilty on all counts and handed down a death sentence, but the Fukuoka High Court overturned a portion of that ruling and reduced the sentence to life in prison. Both defense and prosecution have appealed. As Nomura is believed to remain a major influence in the Kudo-kai organization, the Supreme Court’s final judgement will be closely watched.

(Japanese original by the Kyushu News Department)