Memories of the Raging Chivalry: The Showa Epic of Kamoda Shigemasa and the Ichi-wakai (July 6, 1930-September 1, 2020)

Memories of the Raging Chivalry: The Showa Epic of Kamoda Shigemasa and the Ichi-wakai (July 6, 1930-September 1, 2020)

Shigemasa Kamoda was a prominent figure in the Japanese underworld during the Showa and Heisei eras, particularly known as an assistant to the acting head of the Yamaguchigumi's third Yamaguchigumi clan, as well as vice president and chairman of Ichiwakai. His life closely overlaps with the history of Japan's underworld, from the budding culture of gangsters in the chaos of the postwar period, to the growth of the gangs into huge organizations, to the conflicts and his retirement.

Kamota, a native of Kobe City, began his gangster activities as a young man as a guest of the Wasabi-kai, and in 1956 he became independent and formed his own organization, the Kamotakai (later known as the Kamota-gumi). His group was approved as a direct affiliate of Kazuo Taoka of the Yamaguchigumi III, and expanded its power mainly in Kobe and Osaka. The Kamoda-gumi was known as a "martial faction" and its presence was feared by those around it. The group boasted a certain level of influence within the Yamaguchigumi, with eminent leaders such as Tsutomu Shiomi, Tokio Iida, and Hiroshi Kimura.

In 1984, at the end of the succession struggle in Yamaguchigumi III, a faction opposed to the succession of Masahisa Takenaka as the fourth head of Yamaguchigumi left Yamaguchigumi and formed "Ichiwakai". This new organization included Hiroshi Yamamoto and other former Yamaguchigumi leaders, and Kamota also joined its core. He held the important position of vice president and chairman of the board of directors of Ichiwakai, and was in a position to lead the bloody confrontation that was later called the "Yamaichi War.

The Yamaichi War, which took place nationwide from 1984 to 1989, shook Japanese society. In the midst of this war, which resulted in many casualties, Kamota calmly and boldly tried to lead the fate of the organization as the military leader of the Ichiwakai. However, as the conflict gradually came to a conclusion, in May 1988, he announced the dissolution of his Kamota clan and his retirement from the public stage.

After that, he was rarely seen in public, but in 2016 he quietly reflected on the path he had taken by publishing his autobiography, "Retsugyo: The Greatest Conflict in Yamaguchi Gumi History and a Turbulent Half Life. In the book, he reveals the shadow of a man who tried to live a life of humanity and cool-headed judgment behind the fierce conflicts.

The life of Kamota Shigemasa is not just a story of a gang leader, but also a record of the chaos, violence, and contradictions of the Showa era. His position in the Yamaichi War is emblematic of the dark side of modern history, and his narrative still holds heavy lessons for us today.