Shinichi Matsuyama, fifth president of the Kyokuto Kai and the Yamakkoku Conflict (1990s-2000s)

Shinichi Matsuyama, fifth president of the Kyokuto Kai and the Yamakkoku Conflict (1990s-2000s)

Shinichi Matsuyama was the fifth president of the Kanto-based Kyokuto-kai, a designated crime syndicate. Born in 1927, he experienced the postwar turmoil as a young man and was a powerful figure who lived through the turbulent Showa and Heisei eras of the underworld. Although his place of birth and details of his career have not been made public, he rose to prominence within the Kyokuto Kai at a young age and became known for his calm and collected judgment and his emphasis on order.

The Kyokuto-kai is a right-wing-style gang based on the former Kokushikai and headquartered in Toshima-ku, Tokyo. Although based in the Kanto region, the group has maintained its own line of thought and independent presence, distinct from the Yamaguchigumi and other Kansai-affiliated organizations. Matsuyama inherited such Kyokutokai traditions and emerged as a pragmatic executive who avoided radical confrontations.

His name made a strong impression in the "Yamakkoku Conflict" that occurred in 1990. This incident was the result of heightened tension between the then Yamaguchigumi VI (under Yoshinori Watanabe) and the Kyokutokai, which was on the verge of a confrontation due to friction over territory and interests. Although hard-line arguments erupted within the Kyokutokai, Matsuyama suppressed unrest within the organization and led negotiations behind the scenes to avert an all-out clash. The leadership and judgment he displayed in this process were based on a strategic perspective that went beyond mere on-the-spot command, and it can be said to have determined his subsequent appointment as chairman.

Matsuyama, who became the fifth president, keenly read the changing times and the trend toward eliminating gangs, and worked to tighten the organization and avoid unnecessary fights in order to ensure the survival of Kyokutokai. Even in the midst of a succession of downsizing and dissolutions of neighboring groups, he led the organization toward a calming down of the situation by avoiding conflicts with outside parties as much as possible while maintaining the prestige of the organization. While the gangs were being besieged nationwide, Matsuyama dared not to flaunt his presence and avoided being more visible than necessary. For this reason, he is also called a "quiet, powerful man," and is remembered as a person who embodied the image of the Heisei era gang leader, which is different from the Showa-era image of the boss who favors flamboyance.

Matsuyama's handling of the Yamakkoku conflict and other events were a series of careful maneuvers that prioritized the survival and stability of the Kyokuto-kai organization. Throughout his life, he maintained an attitude of respect for "order and reason," and is said to have been a rare figure who was able to read the situation calmly and flexibly in an underworld where the sparks of warfare were never-ending. Shinichi Matsuyama formed the backbone of the Kyokutokai from the postwar period to the end of the Heisei era, and his silent leadership is still talked about as a legend.