Tokutaro Takayama
Encyclopedia
was a yakuza
, the president of the Fourth Aizukotetsu-kai
. An ethnic Korean
, he rose to power as the head of the Kyoto
-based gang until his retirement in the 1990s.
When he was a young man, his parents returned to Korea
, leaving him to earn a living alone in Japan: "At that time," Takayama said in 1998, "I had no choice but to join the Japanese gangster world. This is because segregated people at that time had no way to survive in Japan."
For a yakuza boss, he was a remarkably public figure, often granting interviews to Japanese and foreign reporters for articles in which he always came off as a gentleman. He even filed a lawsuit against the Shiga Prefectural Police for infringing on his rights to free expression. (See court testimony). He viewed himself as an honorable outlaw, championing the weak and upholding the yakuza code of ninkyo (chivalry): "We did not regard ninkyo as a bad thing," he said. "Thus, we never killed anyone without reason. I strongly believed ninkyo must help the people. It was my job."
In 1992 the Aizukotetsu-kai became one of the first yakuza syndicates named under Japan's new anti-violence group legislation, which gave police expanded powers to crack down on yakuza. Takayama campaigned publicly against the new laws, even writing a book on the subject, and the group launched a lawsuit challenging their constitutionality
. Takayama eventually faced pressure from outside and from within his group to drop the suit, but he refused to compromise. According to Manabu Miyazaki
, Takayama said at the time: "I can't accept what the government is doing. If I pull out now, I won't be able to die in peace. I'm not prepared to make any compromises, and I certainly don't intend to quit." But in September 1995 the Kyoto District Court threw out the lawsuit.
Takayama retired as kaicho (Godfather) in 1997. He died in June 2003.
His eldest son, Yoshiyuki Takayama, is also a yakuza. He began his yakuza career in 2003 when he fouded his own clan, the Omi-ikka, in Otsu, Shiga
. Omi-ikka is a branch of the Nagoya-based Kodo-kai
, a Yamaguchi-gumi
clan.http://gendai.ismedia.jp/articles/print/1620
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...
, the president of the Fourth Aizukotetsu-kai
Aizukotetsu-kai
The , based in Kyoto, is Japan's fourth-largest yakuza organization. Its name comes from the Aizu region, "Kotetsu", a type of Japanese sword, and the suffix "-kai", or society....
. An ethnic Korean
Korean people
The Korean people are an ethnic group originating in the Korean peninsula and Manchuria. Koreans are one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogeneous groups in the world.-Names:...
, he rose to power as the head of the Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
-based gang until his retirement in the 1990s.
When he was a young man, his parents returned to Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, leaving him to earn a living alone in Japan: "At that time," Takayama said in 1998, "I had no choice but to join the Japanese gangster world. This is because segregated people at that time had no way to survive in Japan."
For a yakuza boss, he was a remarkably public figure, often granting interviews to Japanese and foreign reporters for articles in which he always came off as a gentleman. He even filed a lawsuit against the Shiga Prefectural Police for infringing on his rights to free expression. (See court testimony). He viewed himself as an honorable outlaw, championing the weak and upholding the yakuza code of ninkyo (chivalry): "We did not regard ninkyo as a bad thing," he said. "Thus, we never killed anyone without reason. I strongly believed ninkyo must help the people. It was my job."
In 1992 the Aizukotetsu-kai became one of the first yakuza syndicates named under Japan's new anti-violence group legislation, which gave police expanded powers to crack down on yakuza. Takayama campaigned publicly against the new laws, even writing a book on the subject, and the group launched a lawsuit challenging their constitutionality
Constitution of Japan
The is the fundamental law of Japan. It was enacted on 3 May, 1947 as a new constitution for postwar Japan.-Outline:The constitution provides for a parliamentary system of government and guarantees certain fundamental rights...
. Takayama eventually faced pressure from outside and from within his group to drop the suit, but he refused to compromise. According to Manabu Miyazaki
Manabu Miyazaki
is a Japanese writer, social critic and public figure known for his underworld ties.While not a member of any particular yakuza syndicate, Miyazaki describes himself as a "freelance yakuza" and has the credentials to prove it. He was born in Kyoto, Japan; his father was a yakuza boss in Kyoto, and...
, Takayama said at the time: "I can't accept what the government is doing. If I pull out now, I won't be able to die in peace. I'm not prepared to make any compromises, and I certainly don't intend to quit." But in September 1995 the Kyoto District Court threw out the lawsuit.
Takayama retired as kaicho (Godfather) in 1997. He died in June 2003.
His eldest son, Yoshiyuki Takayama, is also a yakuza. He began his yakuza career in 2003 when he fouded his own clan, the Omi-ikka, in Otsu, Shiga
Otsu, Shiga
is the capital city of Shiga, Japan. The city was founded on October 1, 1898. As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 338,629 with an average age of 40.7 years and a population density of 905.28 persons per km²...
. Omi-ikka is a branch of the Nagoya-based Kodo-kai
Kodo-kai
The Kodo-kai is a yakuza criminal organization based in Nagoya, Japan. It is a secondary organization of the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi, the largest known yakuza syndicate in Japan...
, a 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....
clan.http://gendai.ismedia.jp/articles/print/1620