crime

Fishing union boss shot dead in Kitakyushu

31 Comments

Police said the head of a fishermen's union was shot dead Friday, the second fatal shooting in as many days in a nation unaccustomed to gun crime.

Tadayoshi Ueno, 70, was found lying in the street in the southern city of Kitakyushu after residents nearby heard what was believed to be the sound of gunfire.

Local police said he was confirmed dead at hospital, with reports suggesting he had been shot multiple times.

Gun crime is rare in Japan, and incidents involving firearms usually have a connection to organized crime groups.

Ueno, whose family runs a civil engineering company, was previously fired at in front of his house in 1997 but escaped unhurt, Jiji Press news agency said.

However, his brother was shot dead the following year, a crime for which mobsters were arrested, with investigators saying they had targeted him because he refused to give favors in public works projects, Jiji said.

Friday's shooting came the day after the president of a well-known dumpling restaurant chain was shot dead in Kyoto.

© (c) 2013 AFP

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31 Comments
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Power struggle?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Blimey another one. 'Gun crime is rare in Japan'

-2 ( +8 / -10 )

The police let this idiots operate, the police need to shut down organised crime yet they do nothing.

5 ( +13 / -8 )

'Gun crime is rare in Japan'

They've got 11 more days in this year to get the total body annual count up to 10.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Sounds like Yakuza. A union boss shot dead. I wonder if unions in japan are connected to organized crime like the states

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Looks like an end of the year cleaning/purging is going on.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

So the police turn their backs, the banks give these guys ( Shooters Yaks ) finance and they run round cleaning house at will. Surely the cops need to step up the game and clamp down on these maniac yaks.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

It's always the ordinary citizens who are made to bear the brunt.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

This is beyond outrage!!!!

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Kyushuu seems to be a bit of a hotbed for this type of thing these past few years. Whichever gumi is in charge down there seems to be having a bit of trouble keeping everyone in line.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

These shootings are a bittersweet sign that the crackdown on the yakuza is having some effect.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

"Gun crime is rare in Japan, and incidents involving firearms usually have a connection to organized crime groups." copy and paste much Japan today??? "Gun crime is rare in Japan, and criminality involving firearms usually has a connection to yakuza crime groups."

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Not sure why you guys are blaming the cops for not doing anything about the yaks. It is the LAW, as in the GOVERNMENT that isn't stepping up and doing something about them.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Yes, organized crime and organized labor go hand in hand. You should also note that before the end of the calendar year is budget submission (usually by the end of november) which means problems do arise..

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Hope the cops find those responsible.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

These shootings are a bittersweet sign that the crackdown on the yakuza is having some effect.

I was thinking the same thing Nessie. They are getting desperate and scared.

So, here's the lesson, if you want to run an honest business in Japan where the Yakssoles might take notice, you should wear Kevlar at all times.

thinking to self Not a bad business idea. Rakuten Kevlar

4 ( +5 / -1 )

"crime and labor go hand in hand"

Where do you get that idea? The article I just read talked about two brothers who have been killed by the mafia for not giving favors to the mafia. It sounds like these brothers, at least one of whom was a labor union leader, were opposed to favoring the mafia, not going "hand in hand."

Most unions in Japan are just outlets for regular workers to get some busywork brownie points (probably at the request of their bosses). I'm in a union that has millions of dollars in a strike fund that I doubt will get used as intended because of the general toothlessness of unions. To equate tame unions to lawless mafia is funny!

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Good point, Syrup. People are crunching to balance their budgets before the year end.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Is this story out of a 1930's Chicago era novel?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

"Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know."

0 ( +1 / -1 )

So, when is Shinzo Abe's turn? Can't wait for that to happen.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Geez... if this keeps up the government might finally have to make illegal activities illegal, and the police may have to start doing their duties.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

@JoeBigsDEC. 20, 2013 - 08:20PM JST Is this story out of a 1930's Chicago era novel? .......................................................

Mo. this is about murder of Mr. Ueno, and his brother who were killed because they operated their union refusing yak invluence. Nothing related to Windy City scandal novels

RIPvistims. .

3 ( +4 / -1 )

To equate tame unions to lawless mafia is funny!

and unfair

4 ( +4 / -0 )

It's Fukuoka again, what a surprise. Yakuzas run things over there

0 ( +1 / -1 )

A chef dies and now a fisherman? What is going on here?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

toshikoDec. 21, 2013 - 12:41AM JST Also, if you have a proof that this fisherman;'s union financed Yak

I didn't say that he or the union washed the Yakuza's hands, but what I am saying is this was a classic hit. Remember this wasn't his first run in with a bullet. His brother was murdered by organized crime because he wouldn't grant special favors.

http://japandailypress.com/head-of-a-japanese-fishing-union-shot-dead-in-fukuoka-2041326/

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The Police and the Military will have to work together to remove the yaks. No easy task for police alone...

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I just think it's a case of one gumi pitting another gumi. If both gumis are Japanese, it's just a pity knowing they're killing one of their own countryman. Foreign gangs might take advantage of the fact that the Japanese are killing each other. Very sad!

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

"Gun crime is rare in Japan"

As opposed to knife crime and non-violent crime.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@ Torasan: Japanese unions are associations of working people like you wrote. @trinket2: You wrote it's a case of one gumi pitting another gumi. What do you mean? What is gumi? Gu in bitter (nigai) and mi in taset (aji)? @T-Mack: wrote: The Police and the Military will have to work together to remove the yaks. No easy task for police alone.........................................Are there Military Forces in Japan?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

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