Japanese gang leader’s house on sale for US$330,000 or more – will anyone bite?
Set to be sold due to a court order, the house was the target of a drive-by shooting and an arson attack in recent years
A walled mansion in one of Kobe’s most desirable suburbs is heading for a court-ordered auction, but its murky past as a target of gang attacks may put off potential buyers.
The Osaka High Court issued the ruling last year under legislation commonly known as the “gang boss lawsuits”, which allows victims to seek damages directly from crime syndicate leaders for offences carried out by their members.
Judges ordered Inoue to pay 270 million yen (US$1.72 million) in compensation for losses partly linked to tax evasion by a member of his group. When the payment was not made, a lower court moved to seize the property and schedule a forced auction, now set for April 14.
Legal experts say it is the first time this framework has been used to sell the home of a yakuza boss.
“The laws are proving remarkably effective,” said Shinichi Ishizuka, founder of the Tokyo-based Criminal Justice Future think tank and a former criminal lawyer.