Woman Sues Kenichi Shinoda, Top Japanese Yakuza Godfather, For Refund


A brave woman has sued Kenichi Shinoda, Japanese mob boss, over a dispute regarding protection fees. The woman, who remains anonymous at this stage, says Shinoda’s organization provided protection for her restaurant for years.

Shinoda is notorious in Japan as the head of Yakuza gang Yamaguchi-gumi. He has previously spent time in jail for murdering a rival mobster with a samurai sword, reports BBC. Between his position at the top of Japan’s most powerful mob and his brutal tactics, Shinoda is a notorious name.

One woman from Nagoya, however, is not intimidated. She’s hired lawyers and is taking Shinoda to court.

The woman, a restaurant owner, says that for 12 years she had been paying the Yakuza protection money. In the dozen years, she reports she’s paid a total of almost 11 billion yen, or $109,000 US, to the gang.

When she tried to end their “services” in 2008 she was threatened. Mobsters told her that if she did not pay up, her restaurant would “be set on fire.”

The unidentified woman’s lawyers say Shinoda has “employer liability” for the mobsters’ threats, as their leader. As such, she’s looking to recoup funds from the years she paid to the Yamaguchi-gumi for protection. UPI reports that $175,000 is the amount sought.

Though it may be a surprise to those in the west, Japan’s Yakuza gangs are not illegal. Despite this, the groups are known to participate in illegal activities, like drug trafficking. Increased regulation in recent years has put greater pressure on the mob groups, however.

The Nagoya woman’s suit is based on laws that were rewritten in 2008. The new laws included new legal responsibilities put to organization leaders for the actions of their members and affiliates.

Her lawyers say the woman suing Kenichi Shinoda, Japan’s top gang boss, will protect others from being victims of mobster threats.

[Image via Paramount Pictures]

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