Yamaken-gumi

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The Fourth Yamaken-gumi (四代目山健組 Yondaime Yamaken-gumi) is a yakuza gang based in Kobe, Japan. It is the largest affiliate of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan's most powerful yakuza organization. It takes its name from its founder, Kenichi Yamamoto.

The Yamaken-gumi is estimated to have between 3,000 and 7,000 members.

Yoshinori Watanabe was kumicho (Godfather) of the Yamaken-gumi from 1982 to 1989 before becoming kumicho of the Yamaguchi-gumi. Watanabe retired from that post in July of 2005, but the Yamaken-gumi remains largely loyal to him. Many of its members were upset that the sixth Yamaguchi don was not chosen from their ranks (instead, the Nagoya-based Kenichi Shinoda was chosen).

The Yamaken-gumi's current kumicho is Kunio Inoue (井上邦雄).

[edit] Successive kumichos

1st (1961-1982): Kenichi Yamamoto (山本健一) who was a wakagashira (若頭 eldest son) of the Third Yamaguchi-gumi. He was a former member of Yasuhara-kai (安原会).
2nd (1982-1989): Yoshinori Watanabe (渡辺芳則) who was wakagashira of the Fourth Yamaguchi-gumi. He was 1st kaicho (会長) of the Kenryu-kai (健竜会), and would later become kumicho of the Fifth Yamaguchi-gumi.
3rd (1989-2005): Kaneyoshi Kuwata (桑田兼吉) who is a wakagashira-hosa (若頭補佐 eldest son's assistant) of the Fifth Yamaguchi-gumi. He was kaicho of the Second Kenryu-kai.
4th (2005-): Kunio Inoue (井上邦雄) who is a kambu (幹部) of the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi. He was kaicho of the Fourth Kenryu-kai. He is an adopted son of Kuwata.