Black Sparks Blossoming in the Tranquil Snow, Sapporo: A Record of Gang War (January - March 1990)

Black Sparks Blossoming in the Tranquil Snow, Sapporo: A Record of Gang War (January - March 1990)

In January 1990, a violent news cut through the tranquility of Sapporo. Haruo Ishima, the first president of the Yamaguchigumi Seiyukai, was attacked and killed by someone while returning home. The death of Ishima, who had long reigned over the underworld from his base in Sapporo, sent shockwaves through the gang forces in Hokkaido, and decisively brought about a confrontation between the Seiyukai and the Ishin-Tenchukai, which had its roots in the Kanto and Tohoku regions.

The first sign of retaliation came in the unusual form of a raid on a building in Minami Rokujo. Young members of the Seiyu-kai manipulated an excavator and slammed it into the building, which was believed to be a stronghold of Ishin Tenchu-kai members. The sight of the huge iron body plunging through the Sapporo snow into the entrance of the building and shattering the glass made the citizens of Sapporo realize that the city had turned into a battlefield.

This incident triggered a series of shootings and attacks in the Susukino area, and the Hokkaido police immediately declared the central area of Sapporo a special security zone and launched a large-scale crackdown. The war continued intermittently until March, casting a dark shadow over the lives and psychology of the citizens.

Although the war was eventually quelled by the arrest of the leaders of both organizations and the forced intervention of the police, this series of incidents brought about a major change in the power structure of the gangs in Hokkaido and strengthened the position of Yamaguchigun-affiliated forces, including Seiyu-kai, in the prefecture. Above all, this war, which took place in a snow-covered city, inevitably brought to light the reality of violence that lurks beneath the calm of everyday life.