Masaru Takumi (宅見 勝 Takumi Masaru; June 22, 1936 – August 28, 1997) had been a powerful Japanese organized crime figure . Until his death, he was the second-in-command (wakagashira) and financial overseer of Japan's largest yakuza gang, the Yamaguchi-gumi. Known as "the man who never sleeps", he also headed his own sub-organization, the 1000-member Takumi-gumi.
Death He was considered a likely successor to the Yamaguchi-gumi's fifth godfather, Yoshinori Watanabe,"Police wary as Yamaguchi-gumi prepares to fete sixth don" , August 19, 2005, The Japan Times but in August 1997, Takumi was shot and killed in a coffee shop on the fourth floor of the Oriental Hotel in Kobe's by members of a breakaway Yamaguchi affiliate, the Nakano-kai."Tokyo police continue gang sweeps", September 18, 1997, The Japan Times An innocent bystander was killed by a stray bullet in the attack, which led to the downfall of the Nakano-kai.
Last job His last position at the Yamaguchi-gumi was as wakagashira (the number-two), and after his death, the wakagashira post became vacant and had been vacant until 2005 when it was succeeded by Kiyoshi Takayama."Into the Yamaguchi-gumi's 'total domination' of the underworld" , September 10, 2008, Monthly Central Journal, Central News Bank The Takumi-gumi's head position was succeeded by Tadashi Irie."Osaka Police Nab Another Yakuza Boss as Crackdown Continues", December 1, 2010, The Wall Street Journal
Spouse His mistress was the sister of Hideki Saijo,森功『同和と銀行』(講談社、2009年)p.175田中森一・夏原武『バブル』(宝島社、2007年) a Japanese singer and actor.
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