Yamaguchi-Gumi pledges end to Yakuza war

Kobe (Jiji Press) — The Yamaguchi-gumi submitted to the police Monday a letter pledging that the designated yakuza group will end turf battles, it was learned the same day.

According to investigative sources, the document, filed by Yamaguchi-gumi executives with the Hyogo prefectural police headquarters in Kobe, also says the crime syndicate will not cause any trouble from now on.

Turf battles have intensified since the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi was formed in 2015 by more than a dozen gangs that had bolted from the Yamaguchi-gumi, with 150 incidents linked to their conflict occurring across Japan until last year.

Underscoring the importance of closely watching how Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi reacts to the Yamaguchi-gumi’s move, a high-ranking Hyogo police officer expressed intention to increase vigilance.

Both groups have shrunk year after year since their war began, people familiar with the matter said.

The combined number of members and quasi-members of the Yamaguchi-gumi stood at some 6,900 at the end of 2024, down from around 14,100 at the end of 2015, while the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi’s members and quasi-members decreased more steeply to 320 or so from about 6,100.