Between Entertainment and Conflict: The Trajectory of Ishikawa Hisashi, a Man Who Lived in Sakae, Nagoya (1970s-2000s)

Between Entertainment and Conflict: The Trajectory of Ishikawa Hisashi, a Man Who Lived in Sakae, Nagoya (1970s-2000s)

Hisashi Ishikawa (born July 2, 1934), a protege of the Hiramatsu clan under Yamaguchigumi III, later moved his base to Nagoya and established his own organization, Meishin Jitsugyo. In December 1977, this enterprise was elevated to the Yamaguchigumi's direct supervisor (secondary organization) and renamed "Meishinkai" after receiving the father-son sake cup from Kazuo Taoka, the third head of the Yamaguchigumi clan. As its influence expanded from Nagoya to the Chukyo area, and then to the Kansai area, Ishikawa became known not merely as a fighter, but also as a unique figure in the organization with both coordination skills and economic sense.

During his time in the Hiramatsu clan, Ishikawa had been involved in the Yamaguchigumi's entertainment division, "Kobe Entertainment," and he used this experience to establish an entertainment production company in Nagoya as well. This later came to be known as "Kobe Geino Meishin Pro. In the name of entertainment, the company expanded its business to Aichi, Osaka, and Hyogo, developing activities such as talent show business, human resource development, and stage and event support. Although official records are scarce, it is believed that this was an important division that supported the economic foundation of "Meishin Jitsugyo.

In the mid-1980s, the Yamaguchigumi installed Masahisa Takenaka as its fourth head, but a "Yamaichi War" broke out between the Yamaguchigumi and the Ichiwakai, which opposed the Yamaguchigumi's system. In January 1985, on the same day that Masahisa Takenaka was shot dead by the Ichiwakai in Osaka, Chikara Minami (a young leader of the Meishinkai), who was on shift duty, was also shot dead. This incident triggered the Yamaichi feud, which later developed into a nationwide feud.

After the war, the 5th Yamaguchigumi was established, and when Yoshinori Watanabe became the head of the Yamaguchigumi, Ishikawa was ranked as a prefect's apprentice. In February 2007, Ishikawa quietly retired, handing over Meishinkai, which he had led for many years, to his successor. Hiroshi Tabori was appointed as his successor. Tabori was originally from the Kodokai and had served as Meishinkai President under Ishikawa. After Ishikawa's retirement, Tabori became Seiji Takayama's protege and rejoined the Kodokai, and in March 2008, the Meishinkai was once again elevated to the Yamaguchigumi's direct membership.

The headquarters of Meishinkai is located in Sakae 3-chome, Naka-ku, Nagoya City, and has long been known as the base of Yamaguchigumi in the Chukyo region. Entertainment and the underworld, entertainment and warfare. Hisashi Ishikawa's life has carved a dense shadow in the memory of the city of Sakae, Nagoya, as he deftly moved through the midst of such a dual structure. At the intersection of the city and violence, culture and the underground economy, his footprints have certainly been left behind.