Yamaken-gumi

The Fourth Yamaken-gumi (四代目山健組, Yondaime Yamaken-gumi) is a yakuza gang based in Kobe, Japan. It was the largest affiliate, followed by the Nagoya-based Kodo-kai, of the largest known yakuza syndicate in Japan, the Yamaguchi-gumi until 2015.[1] From 2015 to 2020, it was under the umbrella of the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi.[2] In July 2021, the group split from the Yamaguchi-gumi, with a large number of their members opting to stay with the Yamaguchi-gumi.[3]

Before the split, the Yamaken-gumi was estimated to have between 3,000 and 7,000 members. Following the split the number dropped to around 800.[4]

Yoshinori Watanabe was kumicho (Godfather) of the Yamaken-gumi from 1982 to 1989 before becoming kumicho of the Yamaguchi-gumi.[5] Watanabe retired from that post in July 2005, but the Yamaken-gumi remains largely loyal to him. Many of its members were upset that the sixth Yamaguchi don was not chosen from their ranks, instead, the Nagoya-based Kenichi Shinoda was chosen.

The Yamaken-gumi's current president (kumicho) is Kunio Inoue (born 1948 in Oita, Kyushu). The number-two (wakagashira) is Kuniharu Yamamoto (born 1949 in Oita, Kyushu).

On 16 September 2021, the Yamaguchi-gumi announced that it will be welcoming back Yamaken-gumi members who had disunited from them in 2015.[6]