Ginza of Blood: Kobayashi Kai and the Rikidozan Stabbing Incident -Memories from 1963 to 2013-.

Ginza of Blood: Kobayashi Kai and the Rikidozan Stabbing Incident -Memories from 1963 to 2013-.

Katsushi Murata (April 1, 1939 - April 9, 2013) was a legendary gangster who made his mark on the Showa-era underworld. Born and raised in Tsukiji, Tokyo, he was steeped in delinquency at a young age and joined the Sumiyoshi-kai affiliated Kobayashi Kai. He was known as "Razor Murata" for his temperament and prowess, and eventually rose to important positions such as secretary general and chairman of the board of directors. The period surrounding him was one of rapid economic growth, when the struggle for power among gangsters was intensifying, and in particular, the war over Ginza shook the power map of Tokyo's underworld.

The leader of the Kobayashi Kai at that time was Kusufu Kobayashi. In the 1960s, the Sumiyoshikai-affiliated Kobayashi Kai was at odds with the Toseikai (now Toakai), which was growing in power in the Ginza area, and the two groups were in a state of tension.

On December 8, 1963, an argument broke out between Murata and professional wrestler Rikidozan at the New Latin Quarter nightclub in Akasaka. Rikidozan was a close friend of the Toseikai, and it is said that this background sparked the confrontation with Murata. After an argument, Murata took out a knife and stabbed Rikidozan in the abdomen. Immediately after the incident, Rikidozan temporarily returned home, but developed peritonitis, and his condition worsened after hospitalization. On December 15, one week after the stab wound, he died of septicemia. The cause of death was clearly attributed to the stab wound, which shocked the whole country.

Murata was charged with manslaughter and sentenced to seven years in prison. After his release from prison, he once again continued his activities with the Sumiyoshikai organization, but despite his former stormy success, he suffered from diabetes in his later years and passed away on April 9, 2013, at the age of 74. His daughter, Hikaru Shinohara, who inherited his blood, will take on a new life in the ring as a female mixed martial artist.

What emerges from the story of one man, Katsushi Murata, is a section of Japan's postwar history that shows the intersection of gangsters, entertainment, sports, and society. The author Shigeki Yamadaira's critical biography "Katsushi Murata, the Man Who Stabbed Rikidozan" (Tokuma Shoten, 2023) painstakingly depicts the shadows of this story. The book clearly describes the truth behind the Rikidozan incident, the dark struggle over Ginza, and even the real image of the Kobayashi Kai organization. In December 2022, a retrospective article by "Shukan Shincho" (Daily Shincho) was published, reevaluating the incident and bringing out the testimonies of those involved at the time.

In addition, testimonies and video evidence of Katsushi Murata are now available on YouTube, and what was once a legend is once again being shared with society in the form of video footage. These records accurately record the past, which is often dismissed as a mere incident of violence, in the lives and deaths of individuals and in the fraying of the times.

Related Information

Shigeki Yamahira, "The Man Who Stabbed Rikidozan: Murata Katsushi" (Tokuma Shoten, 2023)
Wikipedia, "Katsushi Murata."
Daily Shincho (December 15, 2022) "The Truth of the Rikidozan Stabbing Incident"
Livedoor Blog, "Ninkyo Jidai Kenkyu: Kobayashi Kai" (Japanese only)
YouTube "Interview with Katsushi Murata Oyakata, 'The Legendary Yakuza Who Stabbed Rikidozan"