Category: Yakuza

A building that used to be one of the main offices of the Kudokai crime syndicate in the city of Kitakyushu is now being used as a welfare facility for the elderly. The driving force behind the abolition of the office in 2011 was a local citizens’ campaign to eradicate the Kudokai, a specified dangerous crime syndicate known for its violent acts. The move later led to a public-private collaboration to crack down on the syndicate in the Kokuraminami ward of Kitakyushu. The building — once the second most important base for the Kudokai after its headquarters, also located in Kitakyushu — now houses a day care center for the elderly called Violin.