Kazuyoshi Kudo

Kazuyoshi Kudo (工藤 和義, Kudō Kazuyoshi, 1937? – February 15, 2007) was a Japanese organized crime figure. He was the 4th head of the Kokusui-kai, a Tokyo-based yakuza gang. He was also the 7th socho of Kanamachi-ikka.

In August 2005, Kudo shocked the yakuza world when he became sworn brothers with new Yamaguchi-gumi godfather Kenichi Shinoda in a sakazuki (sake-sharing) ceremony. As a result of the ritual, the Kokusui-kai became an affiliate of their former enemies, the Yamaguchi-gumi.

On February 15, 2007, he was found dead bleeding from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.[1] The suicide followed a rash of shootings and retaliations between Kokusui-kai and a rival gang, Sumiyoshi-kai, over gang territory, including the shooting death of Sumiyoshi-kai's boss. The shootings ended with an agreement between the Kokusui-kai and Yamaguchi-gumi to stop fighting on the 8th of February.[2]

References
  1. 『山口組国粋会会長が拳銃自殺か』 2007年2月15日 朝日新聞
  2. 『評論：やくざ地図を変える山口組の盃外交』 2007年12月17日 猪野健治
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.