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] Leadership

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