TOKYO, April 10 — Japan’s largest yakuza organised crime body submitted a written pledge to authorities to end its wars with splinter groups, police told AFP on Thursday.
Senior members of the Yamaguchi-gumi came to the Hyogo Prefecture Police on Monday to submit the letter, which said the group would “end all infightings” with a promise “not to make any trouble”, a regional police official told AFP.
The Yamaguchi-gumi has fought bloody wars with other yakuza organised crime groups formed by its former members who broke away in 2015.
The Hyogo police official said the splinter groups’ plans remain unclear, and investigators are monitoring the situation as the Yamaguchi-gumi’s pledge might only be a one-sided declaration.
Membership of the nation’s yakuza groups hit a new low of 18,800 in 2024 after years of decline, falling below the 20,000 mark for the first time, partly due to a stricter crackdown, according to recent police data. — AFP