Relief support after disasters Immediately after the
Kobe earthquake of 1995, the Yamaguchi-gumi started a large-scale relief effort for the earthquake victims, helping with the distribution of food and supplies. This help was essential to the Kobe population, because official support was inconsistent and chaotic for several days. The Yamaguchi-gumi also provided relief in the wake of the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami by opening its offices to the public and by sending supplies to affected areas.
Newsletter In an effort to boost morale, the Yamaguchi-gumi launched an eight-page newsletter in July 2013. However, it was only distributed to full members. The publication bridges communication gaps and includes articles on the group's opinion and traditions, as well as columns on
angling, with an editorial section written by
Kenichi Shinoda.
Assassination of Iccho Itoh On April 17, 2007,
Tetsuya Shiroo, a senior ranking member of the
Suishin-kai (an affiliated yakuza family to the Yamaguchi-gumi), assassinated
Iccho Itoh, the mayor of
Nagasaki, over an apparent dispute over damage done to Shiroo's car at a public works construction site. On May 26, 2008, Tetsuya Shiroo was sentenced to death. However, the Fukuoka High Court revoked the death sentence and sentenced him to life imprisonment on September 29, 2009.
Decline in membership Yakuza membership has been steadily declining since the 1990s. According to the
National Police Agency, the total number of registered gangsters fell 14% between 1991 and 2012, to 78,600. Of those, 34,900 were Yamaguchi-gumi members, a decline of 4% from 2010. By 2025, the group's membership had collapsed to 3,100, with another 3,200 affiliated members. Prior to the split, the organization consisted of seventy-two factions. This was the first major split since the forming of Ichiwa-Kai more than thirty years ago. In April 2025, the Yamaguchi-gumi informed the Hyogo Prefectural Police of its intention to end its conflict with organizations such as the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi, which had split from the Yamaguchi-gumi. The move is believed to be aimed at lifting its designation as a "Designated Specified Conflict-Related Organized Crime Group" (Tokutei kōsō shitei bōryokudan, 特定抗争指定暴力団), a status under which gatherings of five or more members or the use of offices can result in penalties. In the same month,
wakagashira (underboss)
Kiyoshi Takayama stepped down to become a
sōdanyaku (advisor), and
wakagashira-hosa (deputy underboss) Teruaki Takeuchi was promoted to
wakagashira. ==Activities==