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 .
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[]
- ^ 『山口組国粋会会長が拳銃自殺か』 2007年2月15日 朝日新聞
- ^ 『評論:やくざ地図を変える山口組の盃外交』 2007年12月17日
- 1930s births
- 2007 deaths
- Yakuza members
- Yamaguchi-gumi
- Suicides by firearm in Japan
- Japanese people stubs
- Crime biography stubs
- Japan crime stubs