Dojin-kai
Encyclopedia
The is a yakuza
organization headquartered in Kurume, Fukuoka
on the Kyushu
island of Japan
, a designated yakuza syndicate, with approximately at least 850 members.
As well as being known as a militant yakuza organization, the Dojin-kai has also been known as a de facto drug cartel
, as its activities have allegedly included large-scale drug trafficking, specifically methamphetamine
trafficking, which is traditionally looked down on in the yakuza world.
With its activities of drug trafficking, the Dojin-kai has allegedly been Japan's largest wholesale dealer in drugs since the late 20th after the Tagawa
-based Sadaoka-gumi, known as the "Methlord in the Showa
era", was crushed by the Taishu-kai
.
yakuza born 1934). Seijiro Matsuo, the Secretary General of the first Dojin-kai, succeeded as the president in 1992. In the same year, 1992, the Dojin-kai was registered as a designated boryokudan group under the Organized Crime Countermeasures Law.
and very much like other yakuza groups based in the northern Kyushu region such as the Taishu-kai
and Kudo-kai
, the Dojin-kai has been noted for its bellicose nature, causing numerous bloody conflicts with other yakuza groups. Notable ones include the Yama-Michi War , where the organization substantially expelled the largest known Yamaguchi-gumi
syndicate from the northern Kyushu area. Another notable one is a brief conflict occurred in 1983, with the Kanto
-based large yakuza syndicate Sumiyoshi Union, in which loads of Dojin members moved to Tokyo and had been hiding out around Tokyo with the plan of slaying all of the Union's 76 senior bosses until the Union made a conceding offer of peaceful resolution (teuchi).
The Dojin-kai is noted for having been isolated in the yakuza world in an uncanny way, in contrast to most other yakuza organizations which usually have at least one ally (sakazuki-shared "brother" organization).
In one notable anecdote, during the time of the Yama-Michi War, there were several offers of help from other organizations but the Dojin-kai reportedly rejected all of them. The Dojin-kai is a member of an anti-Yamaguchi
fraternal federation, the Yonsha-kai, formed with three other northern-Kyushu based independent yakuza syndicates, the Kudo-kai
, Taishu-kai
and Kumamoto-kai, however even the Kudo-kai, the principal member, is said to have avoided getting deeply involved in the Dojin-kai.
The Dojin-kai again started a blatantly vicious conflict, with its splinter group Kyushu Seido-kai
, in 2006.
who, naming themselves the "Kyushu Seido-kai
" allegedly aligned themselves with the Yamaguchi-gumi
, the Dojin-kai's rival and the largest yakuza syndicate in Japan. Seven people were killed during the beginning of the war.
In one incident, a gangster walked into a hospital and shot twice into an innocent man mistaken for a rival. In another, the Dojin-kai's headquarters was sprayed with AK-47
fire. More than five Dojin offices in Kurume and Fukuoka were attacked with bombs and firearms on May 21 of that year, and soon after that, on 24th, Seido-kai's Jinsei clan headquarters office in Chikugo
was totally destroyed, apparently by Dojin-kai's bombs.
On June 13, 2007, Zenji Tsurumaru was killed. On June 19, Hidenori Irie was killed. On August 18, the leader of Dojin-kai, Yoshihisa Onaka was killed. On November 8, a civilian Hiroshi Miyamoto was killed by mistake while receiving treatment at a hospital. On November 12, Shigeki Koga was killed. On November 27, Yoshikazu Matsuo, one of chairmen, and his driver were killed. Both groups announced a cease-fire on December 18 and on February 5, 2008, the war reportedly ended.
The Fukuoka Prefectural Police discovered that the Seido-kai built a cenotaph
in July 2009 in Omuta to pay tribute to the war dead. The names inscribed on its surface not only included those of Seido-kai members but also included those of Dojin-kai members. This cenotaph, however, disappeared by early 2011 after it was removed by someone(s).
The Dojin-Seido war has been escalating since the late 2000s especially 2011, they started using military machineguns and tossing grenades at each other.http://kyushu.yomiuri.co.jp/news/national/20110415-OYS1T00662.htm Many Seido members have escaped from the Kyushu island since the late 2000s, building an eight-story bulletproof building in Taito, Tokyo
as their new base. The first Seido president, Chojiro Murakami, was arrested in Ibaraki
.http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/crime/080408/crm0804082240022-n1.htm
The Seido number two Kazuma Umeki was attacked with a 10 ton dump truck driven by a Dojin yakuzahttp://www.smate.jp/k-minamirc/pdf/10-02-01.pdf, and, in this month of April 2011, two Seido seniors were riddled with revolver cannon fire in Imari by a Dojin hitmanhttp://kyushu.yomiuri.co.jp/news/national/20110711-OYS1T00099.htm, and Sueharu Matsunaga the head of the Seido's Matsunaga clan was bombed to pieces.http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110407005941.htm
's, allegedly largely consist of drug trafficking.
's 1991 Police White Paper, a Fukuoka-based 20-member small Dojin-affiliate had managed a systematic trafficking ring, selling methamphetamines to various drug-dealing yakuza organizations throughout the country. This group had also smuggled methamphetamines from Taiwan
where it had a connection with a local Taiwanese drug ring. This group had used a small island located in Kagoshima Prefecture
as a smuggling base, and for example in 1986, this group smuggled approximately 570 kg (1,256.6 lb) of methamphetamines — estimated retail price of nearly US$1 billion — from Taiwan.
region including Kurume.
Yakuza
, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
organization headquartered in Kurume, Fukuoka
Kurume, Fukuoka
is a city located in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan.The city has an estimated population of 303,277 and a population density of 1,319.51 persons per km²...
on the Kyushu
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
island of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, a designated yakuza syndicate, with approximately at least 850 members.
As well as being known as a militant yakuza organization, the Dojin-kai has also been known as a de facto drug cartel
Drug cartel
Drug cartels are criminal organizations developed with the primary purpose of promoting and controlling drug trafficking operations. They range from loosely managed agreements among various drug traffickers to formalized commercial enterprises. The term was applied when the largest trafficking...
, as its activities have allegedly included large-scale drug trafficking, specifically methamphetamine
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
trafficking, which is traditionally looked down on in the yakuza world.
With its activities of drug trafficking, the Dojin-kai has allegedly been Japan's largest wholesale dealer in drugs since the late 20th after the Tagawa
Tagawa, Fukuoka
is a city located in Fukuoka, Japan.As of May 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 51,128, with 24,348 households and a population density of 937.78 people per km². Its total area is 54.52 km².The city was founded on November 3, 1943....
-based Sadaoka-gumi, known as the "Methlord in the Showa
Showa
Shōwa is the name of several places, times, people and things in Japan.* Hirohito , the 124th Emperor of Japan, known posthumously as Emperor Shōwa...
era", was crushed by the Taishu-kai
Taishu-kai
The is a yakuza organization based in Fukuoka Prefecture on the Kyushu island of Japan, with an estimated 180 active members.-History:The Taishu-kai was formed around 1954 under the name by , a mineworker who became the first president. The Ota Group was later renamed the , and again renamed the...
.
History
The Dojin-kai was formed in 1971 from four old yakuza clans united by the first president, Isoji Koga (former bakutoBakuto
Bakuto were itinerant gamblers in Japan from the 18th century to the mid-20th century. They were one of the forerunners of the modern Japanese crime gangs known as yakuza....
yakuza born 1934). Seijiro Matsuo, the Secretary General of the first Dojin-kai, succeeded as the president in 1992. In the same year, 1992, the Dojin-kai was registered as a designated boryokudan group under the Organized Crime Countermeasures Law.
Gangland vendetta
Referred to as a "particularly vicious group" by Jake AdelsteinJake Adelstein
Joshua "Jake" Adelstein is an American journalist and writer who has spent much of his career in Japan covering vice and organised crime. For 12 years, Adelstein was a crime reporter for the Yomiuri Shinbun and was the first American to work for a Japanese newspaper as a Japanese language reporter...
and very much like other yakuza groups based in the northern Kyushu region such as the Taishu-kai
Taishu-kai
The is a yakuza organization based in Fukuoka Prefecture on the Kyushu island of Japan, with an estimated 180 active members.-History:The Taishu-kai was formed around 1954 under the name by , a mineworker who became the first president. The Ota Group was later renamed the , and again renamed the...
and Kudo-kai
Kudo-kai
The is a yakuza group headquartered in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka on the Kyushu island of Japan, with an estimated 690 active members. refers to the Kudo-kai as an affiliate of the Yamaguchi-gumi, but that is false...
, the Dojin-kai has been noted for its bellicose nature, causing numerous bloody conflicts with other yakuza groups. Notable ones include the Yama-Michi War , where the organization substantially expelled the largest known Yamaguchi-gumi
Yamaguchi-gumi
is Japan's largest and most infamous yakuza organization. It is named after its founder Harukichi Yamaguchi. Its origins can be traced back to a loose labor union for dockworkers in Kobe pre-WWII....
syndicate from the northern Kyushu area. Another notable one is a brief conflict occurred in 1983, with the Kanto
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
-based large yakuza syndicate Sumiyoshi Union, in which loads of Dojin members moved to Tokyo and had been hiding out around Tokyo with the plan of slaying all of the Union's 76 senior bosses until the Union made a conceding offer of peaceful resolution (teuchi).
The Dojin-kai is noted for having been isolated in the yakuza world in an uncanny way, in contrast to most other yakuza organizations which usually have at least one ally (sakazuki-shared "brother" organization).
In one notable anecdote, during the time of the Yama-Michi War, there were several offers of help from other organizations but the Dojin-kai reportedly rejected all of them. The Dojin-kai is a member of an anti-Yamaguchi
Yamaguchi-gumi
is Japan's largest and most infamous yakuza organization. It is named after its founder Harukichi Yamaguchi. Its origins can be traced back to a loose labor union for dockworkers in Kobe pre-WWII....
fraternal federation, the Yonsha-kai, formed with three other northern-Kyushu based independent yakuza syndicates, the Kudo-kai
Kudo-kai
The is a yakuza group headquartered in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka on the Kyushu island of Japan, with an estimated 690 active members. refers to the Kudo-kai as an affiliate of the Yamaguchi-gumi, but that is false...
, Taishu-kai
Taishu-kai
The is a yakuza organization based in Fukuoka Prefecture on the Kyushu island of Japan, with an estimated 180 active members.-History:The Taishu-kai was formed around 1954 under the name by , a mineworker who became the first president. The Ota Group was later renamed the , and again renamed the...
and Kumamoto-kai, however even the Kudo-kai, the principal member, is said to have avoided getting deeply involved in the Dojin-kai.
The Dojin-kai again started a blatantly vicious conflict, with its splinter group Kyushu Seido-kai
Kyushu Seido-kai
The is a yakuza organization based in Fukuoka Prefecture on the Kyushu island of Japan, with an estimated 380 active members. Headquartered in the southern Fukuoka region of Omuta, the Kyushu Seido-kai maintains its offices in five other prefectures including Tokyo....
, in 2006.
War on the Seido-kai
When the long-time boss Seijiro Matsuo announced his resignation in May 2006, a war broke out between the headquarters and a splinter group in OmutaOmuta, Fukuoka
is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.As of January 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 127,126 and the density of 1,558.87 persons per km²...
who, naming themselves the "Kyushu Seido-kai
Kyushu Seido-kai
The is a yakuza organization based in Fukuoka Prefecture on the Kyushu island of Japan, with an estimated 380 active members. Headquartered in the southern Fukuoka region of Omuta, the Kyushu Seido-kai maintains its offices in five other prefectures including Tokyo....
" allegedly aligned themselves with the Yamaguchi-gumi
Yamaguchi-gumi
is Japan's largest and most infamous yakuza organization. It is named after its founder Harukichi Yamaguchi. Its origins can be traced back to a loose labor union for dockworkers in Kobe pre-WWII....
, the Dojin-kai's rival and the largest yakuza syndicate in Japan. Seven people were killed during the beginning of the war.
In one incident, a gangster walked into a hospital and shot twice into an innocent man mistaken for a rival. In another, the Dojin-kai's headquarters was sprayed with AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
fire. More than five Dojin offices in Kurume and Fukuoka were attacked with bombs and firearms on May 21 of that year, and soon after that, on 24th, Seido-kai's Jinsei clan headquarters office in Chikugo
Chikugo, Fukuoka
is a city located in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan.As of May 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 48,808 with 17,322 households and a population density of 1,166.26 persons per km². The total area is 41.85 km².The city was founded on April 1, 1954....
was totally destroyed, apparently by Dojin-kai's bombs.
On June 13, 2007, Zenji Tsurumaru was killed. On June 19, Hidenori Irie was killed. On August 18, the leader of Dojin-kai, Yoshihisa Onaka was killed. On November 8, a civilian Hiroshi Miyamoto was killed by mistake while receiving treatment at a hospital. On November 12, Shigeki Koga was killed. On November 27, Yoshikazu Matsuo, one of chairmen, and his driver were killed. Both groups announced a cease-fire on December 18 and on February 5, 2008, the war reportedly ended.
The Fukuoka Prefectural Police discovered that the Seido-kai built a cenotaph
Cenotaph
A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion...
in July 2009 in Omuta to pay tribute to the war dead. The names inscribed on its surface not only included those of Seido-kai members but also included those of Dojin-kai members. This cenotaph, however, disappeared by early 2011 after it was removed by someone(s).
The Dojin-Seido war has been escalating since the late 2000s especially 2011, they started using military machineguns and tossing grenades at each other.http://kyushu.yomiuri.co.jp/news/national/20110415-OYS1T00662.htm Many Seido members have escaped from the Kyushu island since the late 2000s, building an eight-story bulletproof building in Taito, Tokyo
Taito, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it calls itself Taito City.As of April 1, 2011, the ward has an estimated population of 168,909, with 94,908 households, and a population density of 16,745.86 persons per km². The total area is 10.08 km².-History:The ward was founded...
as their new base. The first Seido president, Chojiro Murakami, was arrested in Ibaraki
Ibaraki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, located in the Kantō region on the main island of Honshu. The capital is Mito.-History:Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province...
.http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/crime/080408/crm0804082240022-n1.htm
The Seido number two Kazuma Umeki was attacked with a 10 ton dump truck driven by a Dojin yakuzahttp://www.smate.jp/k-minamirc/pdf/10-02-01.pdf, and, in this month of April 2011, two Seido seniors were riddled with revolver cannon fire in Imari by a Dojin hitmanhttp://kyushu.yomiuri.co.jp/news/national/20110711-OYS1T00099.htm, and Sueharu Matsunaga the head of the Seido's Matsunaga clan was bombed to pieces.http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110407005941.htm
Locals reaction
Locals fed up of the yakuza violence hired a lawyer, Osamu Kabashima, and the other 380 volunteer lawyers to file a legal case against the Dojin-kai in a bid to drive them out of the town.Activities
Sometimes informally and mockingly dubbed the "Dojin Pharmacy" (Dōjin Yakkyoku), the Dojin-kai's activities, just same as its splinter group Seido-kaiKyushu Seido-kai
The is a yakuza organization based in Fukuoka Prefecture on the Kyushu island of Japan, with an estimated 380 active members. Headquartered in the southern Fukuoka region of Omuta, the Kyushu Seido-kai maintains its offices in five other prefectures including Tokyo....
's, allegedly largely consist of drug trafficking.
Drug trafficking
In one notable case, as introduced in the "Drug Criminal Organization" section in the National Police AgencyNational Police Agency (Japan)
The is an agency administered by the National Public Safety Commission of the Cabinet Office in the cabinet of Japan, and is the central coordinating agency of the Japanese police system....
's 1991 Police White Paper, a Fukuoka-based 20-member small Dojin-affiliate had managed a systematic trafficking ring, selling methamphetamines to various drug-dealing yakuza organizations throughout the country. This group had also smuggled methamphetamines from Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
where it had a connection with a local Taiwanese drug ring. This group had used a small island located in Kagoshima Prefecture
Kagoshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
as a smuggling base, and for example in 1986, this group smuggled approximately 570 kg (1,256.6 lb) of methamphetamines — estimated retail price of nearly US$1 billion — from Taiwan.
Relationship with authorities
The Dojin-kai has been known for its strong anti-authority, anti-police stance since the 20th century, however at the same time the Dojin-kai has allegedly developed some relationship with local authorities, and it has actually been uncovered, as, in the early 2000s, the Fukuoka Prefectural Police headquarters disclosed that its classified information had leaked out to the Dojin-kai via its branch police departments based in the ChikugoChikugo Province
is the name of a former province of Japan in the area that is today the southern part of Fukuoka Prefecture on Kyūshū. It was sometimes called , with Chikuzen Province...
region including Kurume.
Key persons
- Isoji Koga, the first president of the Dojin-kai
-
- Koga was born on November 6, 1934 in Ogori, FukuokaOgori, Fukuokais a city located in Fukuoka, Japan.As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 56,821 and the density of 1,248.81 persons per km². The total area is 45.50 km².The city was founded on April 1, 1972....
. In his boyhood, he was a leading member of an all-Japan youth judoJudois a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
champion team. He worked as a bank clerk in Kurume, FukuokaKurume, Fukuokais a city located in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan.The city has an estimated population of 303,277 and a population density of 1,319.51 persons per km²...
for about two years, and after resigning from the bank, he entered the underworld as a bakutoBakutoBakuto were itinerant gamblers in Japan from the 18th century to the mid-20th century. They were one of the forerunners of the modern Japanese crime gangs known as yakuza....
probationer at the age of around 20. After retirement in 1992, Koga died at a hospital in Kurume on May 22, 2009. He was 74 years old. He was considered a historic godfather of the Dojin-kai.
- Koga was born on November 6, 1934 in Ogori, Fukuoka