The Pride that Dwells in the Backs of the Night Cherry Blossoms: The Flower of Chivalry that Bloomed in Hakata from 1962 to 1963

The Pride that Dwells in the Backs of the Night Cherry Blossoms: The Flower of Chivalry that Bloomed in Hakata from 1962 to 1963

January 16, 1962.
A single gunshot rang out in winter in Hakata. The man shot was Kunito Hirao, a chivalrous man known locally as "Yozakura Ginji.
He was in his apartment in Fukuoka City that day when he was shot from behind and collapsed to the floor. Although his life was spared, a sense of disquiet spread through the city.

Kunito Hirao was a native of Oita Prefecture, a man who had once been a member of the Yamaguchigumi's Ishii clan. He was well-known for his bravery in the Beppu war, and after moving to Hakata, he taught the younger members of the gang how to fight and how to be reasonable.
The man who shot Hirao was a member of the Torisu-gumi in Kurume City. Although ostensibly a financial dispute, the Yamaguchigumi upper echelons mistakenly believed the attack was by the local Miyamoto clan.

This misunderstanding led to a confrontation between the Yamaguchigumi and the Miyamoto clan in 1963.
At the time, the Yamaguchigumi was advancing nationwide under the leadership of Kazuo Taoka III. Kyushu was no exception, and they were planning to establish a branch in Fukuoka to expand their power locally.

On the other hand, the local Miyamoto-gumi, an organization that had its roots in the area under the leadership of Kenichi Miyamoto, strongly opposed any expansion from the outside. The young people of Hakata were also aware that "Hakata belongs to Hakata people.
In the city, standoffs continued, and there was a series of shootings and assaults.

But then, Kunito Hirao once again made a name for himself.

Despite a gunshot wound to the back, he stood his ground. He did not run for revenge, he did not support either the Yamaguchigumi or the Miyamoto clan, and he devoted himself to protecting the "order in Hakata.
One night, he rode alone into a Yamaguchigumi branch office and quietly said, while puffing on a cigarette

If I pull out my sword here, the cherry blossoms will fall.

His words eventually reached the leaders of both sides, and the local Ohno-gumi stepped in to intercede, bringing the conflict to a conclusion without large-scale bloodshed.

Hirao saw spring as he was shot.
He was a man who continued to bloom through his streak, as fragile and yet strong as a night cherry tree.
In later years, a manga and a movie were produced about him, and he is still talked about today as a chivalrous memory that will remain in Hakata.

Yozakura Ginji.
His name is engraved in the night winds of Hakata, along with the sound of winter gunfire.


[Related information

The attack occurred on January 16, 1962, at an apartment in Fukuoka City.
The assailant was a member of the Torisu-gumi in Kurume City. The Yamaguchigumi mistakenly believed that the attack was committed by the Miyamoto-gumi, although it was said to be a financial dispute.
The conflict came to the surface in 1963. Miyamoto-gumi rebelled against Yamaguchigumi's expansion into Kyushu.
The local Ono-gumi interceded, and the conflict was settled without leading to a large-scale war.
References:
　Yamaguchigumi gaiden Kyushu shinshin koukousou (Toei, 1974)
　Jitsuroku Yamaguchigumi Senjo Jitsuroku Ginji to Hakata Senso Hen (Take Shobo, 2006)
　Yozakura Ginji and Kunito Hirao (Yozakura Ginji and Kunito Hirao, Yozakura Yakuza Den)
There is also a record in Wikipedia "Yozakura Ginji Case" (URL omitted).