Saizo Kishimoto

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Saizo Kishimoto (岸本 才三, Kishimoto Saizō^?, born May 15, 1928 in Kobe) is a Japanese organized crime figure. He is a saiko komon, or senior advisor, in the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan's most powerful yakuza syndicate. He also heads his own gang, the Kishimoto-gumi.

In World War II, Kishimoto applied and became an air squadron member in the Imperial Navy. However, he survived until the end of the war before it made a sortie. He was demobilized, and became a staff member in the Kobe City Office. In about 1955, he became a shatei (舎弟 younger brother) of a childhood friend, Yoshikazu Nakayama (中山 美一), who was kumicho of the Nakayama-gumi, and joined the Third Yamaguchi-gumi. He continued to work in the city office until 1964.

He was promoted from shateigashira (舎弟頭 head of younger brothers) of the Nakayama-gumi to a formal member of the Third Yamaguchi-gumi in December, 1973, after Nakayama retired. When the Fourth Yamaguchi-gumi started in June, 1984, he assumed the position of honbucho (本部長 top of headquarters) and wakagashira-hosa (若頭補佐 eldest son's assistant) of it. When the Fifth Yamaguchi-gumi started in May, 1989, he was promotional to shatei and assumed the position of sohonbucho (総本部長 top of general headquarters). He has acted for the wakagashira and shateigashira of Yamaguchi-gumi since October, 1998.

It was Kishimoto who, on July 29, 2005, read a prepared statement to a meeting of Yamaguchi-gumi bosses announcing the retirement of then-kumicho (Godfather) Yoshinori Watanabe. When the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi started in August, 2005, he assumed the position of saiko-komon and leader of its Hanshin block.