24/08/2022
For a long time, the Kudo-kai has cast a dark shadow over Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, to the extent that it has been dubbed 'the city of gangsters'. Since its head, Satoru Nomura, was sentenced to death, the local economy has shown a positive sign and land prices in commercial areas have been on the rise for the past five years.
Meanwhile, the defendant Nomura dismissed all of his defence lawyers after the appeal. A senior investigator who led the operation that led to the arrest of Nomura and his gang members, considers this a courtroom tactic to postpone the verdict.
Around 70 companies have set up operations in the former 'city of shambles'
Our reporter notes: 'Kitakyushu used to be known as the 'city of shambles', with businesses leaving one after another. The influence of the gangs that used to cast a dark shadow over the city is fading and there are positive signs for the economy."
386. This is the number of new companies and commercial facilities that have been established in Kitakyushu since 2014 (including office and factory expansions). In particular, IT-related companies have been attracted to the city, with nearly 70 companies moving into the area. In addition, land prices for commercial land in Kokurakita Ward have been on an upward trend for the past five years.
Citizens from Kitakyushu told us: "People used to say you could be stabbed when walking through the city, but I think that kind of thing has gone away" "The old buildings are being rebuilt and I feel the city is moving onward little by little."
'Operation Summit'
The catalyst for major change in the city was 'Operation Summit', which targeted Satoru Nomura, the head of the Kudo-kai, and other senior figures at the heart of the organisation. We spoke to Yoshinobu Onoe, an alumnus of the Fukuoka Prefectural Police who led the investigation at the time and is now the executive director of the Fukuoka Centre for the Elimination of Bōryokudan.
He told us: "Some of the investigators asked to be removed from the operation in order to protect their families. However, many investigators were passionate and wanted to eliminate the Kudo-kai, even in the face of danger."
Nomura was indicted in four cases, including the fatal shooting of a former head of a fishing cooperative union and the attack on a dentist. However, there was no direct evidence of instructions from top management, and the biggest hurdle in the trial was to clarify the chain of command.
"Every day, the Kudo-kai executives would make daily visits to Satoru Nomura's head office. The members worshipped Nomura, so his orders were absolute."
'You'll regret this death sentence for the rest of your life'
The defendant Nomura has been sentenced to death.
The Fukuoka District Court, the court of first instance, found that a criminal plan had been developed and that Nomura had given the final order, therefore sentenced him to death as requested by the prosecution. It had taken seven years to prepare the case. Mr Onoe, who was in court, listened to the verdict with great emotion.
At that point, Nomura bursted: "These are just inferences! I asked for a fair trial, but this is not fair at all! You'll regret it for the rest of your life!"
Onoe recalls: "Probably he felt that even if he was convicted, even if he was sentenced to life, he would not be executed. I think that the frustration and resentment came out spontaneously."
Do now gang leaders fear for their destiny?
Nomura's lawyers subsequently appealed to the Fukuoka High Court. Interviews with persons involved revealed that the lawyers in charge were all dismissed last month. Mr Onoe speculates on their intentions as follows.
"The dismissal came as the deadline for submitting the letter of intent for the appeal was approaching in late July, so the appeal court's decision was postponed. There might be an intention to prolong the execution of the sentence as much as possible by postponing the final judgement."
The echo of Nomura's death sentence, a major turning point in the history of anti-bōryokudan measures, spread to other organisations. The Yamaguchigumi, the country's largest bōryokudan, issued a notice banning the use of firearms and other weapons in public places.
Onoe notes: "I think the impact on the leaders of groups is very large. The trial of Nomura will continue to be closely watched, and I think that other groups will also be looking at the trial and formulating countermeasures to avoid a similar situation."
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/a69b9cd48cbf5305b125c1b9cd8a7edd0ad7ab7d
