was a

yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media (by request of the police) call them , while the yakuza call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ''yak ...

gang member, the fifth generation ''wakagashira'' of the

Yamaguchi-gumi is Japan's largest ''yakuza'' organization. It is named after its founder Harukichi Yamaguchi. Its origins can be traced back to a loose labor union for longshoreman, dockworkers in Kobe before World War II. It is one of the largest organized cr ...

, was the third ''kumicho'' of the

Yamaken-gumi is a yakuza gang based in Kobe, Japan. It was the largest affiliate, followed by the Nagoya-based Kodo-kai, of the largest known yakuza syndicate in Japan, the Yamaguchi-gumi until 2015. History Yoshinori Watanabe was ''kumicho'' (Godfather) ...

yakuza gang, and second generation ''kaicho'' of Kenryu-kai. He was an

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

graduate. In 1969, Kuwata was active in the Yamaguchi-gumi. In 1989, he climbed up to

Yoshinori Watanabe was a yakuza, the fifth ''kumicho'' (chairman or Godfather) of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan's largest yakuza organization. He became kumicho in 1989. He was known for a more low-key approach than his predecessors, partly due to an anti-gang law pas ...

's personal secretary, which within a year, he was promoted up to the head assistant. Kuwata was involved in a December 1997 assassination in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. Tokyo police found a handgun which had been dropped by one of Kuwata's subordinates after a

drive-by shooting A drive-by shooting is a type of assault that usually involves the perpetrator(s) firing a weapon from within a motor vehicle and then fleeing. Drive-by shootings allow the perpetrators to quickly strike their targets and flee the scene before l ...

. He was charged with weapons possession in 1998, and was sentenced to 7 years in prison by the

Tokyo District Court is a district court located at 1-1-4 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. See also *Judicial system of Japan In the judicial system of Japan, the Constitution of Japan guarantees that "all judges shall be independent in the exercise of thei ...

. His appeal was rejected by the

Tokyo High Court is a high court in Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The is a special branch of Tokyo High Court. Japan has eight high courts: Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Sendai, Sapporo, and Takamatsu. Each court has jurisdiction over one o ...

and then the

Japanese Supreme Court The , located in Hayabusachō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, is the highest court in Japan. It has ultimate judicial authority to interpret the Japanese constitution and decide questions of national law. It has the power of judicial review, which allows it t ...

in May 2003. During his time in jail,

Kunio Inoue Kunio (written: 邦夫, 邦男, 邦雄, 邦生, 國男, 國士, 国男, 国夫, 州男 or 久仁生) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese businessman *, Japanese businessman *, Japanese judge *, Jap ...

adopted his child in 2004. In 2005, the ''kumicho'' status of Yamaken-gumi was transferred to

when Kuwata sufficiently retired. During his time in Hachiiozi medical prison, Kuwata's liver disease deteriorated vastly and the

Tokyo Public Prosecutor's Office Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

ended his prison term on March 15, 2007. Three weeks later, on April 5, 2007, in his home in Osaka, he died at the age of 67.

Notes and references

Translated from the corresponding article in Japanese Wikipedia {{DEFAULTSORT:Kuwata, Kaneyoshi Yakuza members 1939 births 2007 deaths People from Osaka Yamaguchi-gumi