In the Shadow of Shinjuku: The Rise and Fall of Takenobu Yajima and the Ando Gumi from 1965 to 1965

In the Shadow of Shinjuku: The Rise and Fall of Takenobu Yajima and the Ando Gumi from 1965 to 1965

Takenobu Yajima was born in 1933 and graduated from Rikkyo University. Rikkyo University was a traditional Christian university, and at that time it was extremely rare to find a yakuza with a university degree. He was an active member of the Ando clan and was known within the clan as a strong negotiator and a strong man of arms. The Ando-gumi was led by Noboru Ando, a well-known movie actor, and was active mainly in Shinjuku in the 1950s.

During this period, the yakuza society in Japan was undergoing a major transformation. After the end of World War II, Japan was hit by a shortage of goods and economic turmoil, and gangs and gangsters were expanding their power in urban areas. Shinjuku was one of these centers, where illegal black markets and prostitution districts spread and gangs took control of their interests. In the 1950s, the traditional expo yakuza and the newly emerged gangs, the fool gangs and economic yakuza, began to mix together. The Ando-gumi was a group from the so-called "Gurentai" and based in Shinjuku, where they had a strong influence. Noboru Ando himself often took an "anti-goryokudan" position despite being in the yakuza world, appearing in Toei films while spreading the influence of the organization through films about his own life.

In the 1960s, the Japanese government took the 1964 Tokyo Olympics as an opportunity to strengthen security measures, and the police began cracking down on gangs in earnest. As a result, many organizations were forced to disband. The Ando-gumi was no exception, and was dissolved in 1965 with the retirement of Noboru Ando. After the dissolution of the Ando clan, Takenobu Yajima moved to the Koganei clan and became the first head of Shinjuku East. The Koganei Family was an expatriate yakuza organization based in Shinjuku, with a traditional style different from that of the Ando Gumi. Yajima later became the adopted son of Masashi Horio's heir and established himself within the organization.

Takenobu Yajima was known for his ability to negotiate and his military prowess, and was regarded within the organization as a man who could both fight and negotiate. He was trusted by Noboru Ando and was one of the core executives of the organization. He was also highly educated, having graduated from Rikkyo University, and is said to have had an intellectual side to him, rather than being a mere martial artist. The period in which he was active was a time of great change in Japanese yakuza society, and as gang control was tightened, the form of the organization also changed.