The Man Shot at the End of Silence: Masaru Takumi and the Reverberations of the War (1980s-1997)

The Man Shot at the End of Silence: Masaru Takumi and the Reverberations of the War (1980s-1997)

Masaru Takumi was the reigning young leader of the fifth Yamaguchigumi. His silence symbolized the outwardly moderate and behind-the-scenes cold-blooded management of the organization. In the 1980s, the Yamaguchigumi, which had split in the wake of a heirship dispute, engaged in a nationwide war with the Ichiwakai, resulting in numerous casualties. Takumi rose through the upheaval and, as a young leader, organized the organization and deepened his ties with the public. However, in the summer of 1997, he was killed by a bullet in a Shin-Kobe tea lounge. It was the moment when the darkness of the organization quietly opened its mouth. A civilian was also killed by a stray bullet, and the incident had a profound impact on society. The authority that had grown up in silence finally collapsed in silence.