Key Facts
• In 2007, Kazuo Goto, 65, leader of the Yamaguchi-gumi-affiliated Tasaburo family, was fatally stabbed in Kobe.
• On October 26, 2025, police arrested Noboru Sei, 76, a senior member of a Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi affiliate, for organized murder.
• Sei was apprehended on a street in Higashinada Ward, Kobe.
• Another suspect, Tomitomi Nakata, 63, was arrested for aiding Sei’s escape.
• The murder occurred on May 31, 2007, at 6:15 PM in Chuo Ward, Kobe.
• Police believe Sei directed the attack based on statements from the perpetrator.
• Thirteen individuals, including the perpetrator, were arrested in connection with the case.
• A Yamaguchi-gumi leader was initially acquitted but later sentenced to 20 years in prison after an appeal.
• The Supreme Court upheld the conviction in June 2015.
• The case highlights the hierarchical structure of organized crime groups.
Summary
In a breakthrough in a 2007 murder case, Japanese police arrested Noboru Sei, 76, a senior member of a Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi affiliate, for the organized killing of Kazuo Goto, leader of the Yamaguchi-gumi-affiliated Tasaburo family. Goto was fatally stabbed on a street in Kobe. Sei, believed to have directed the attack, was apprehended on October 26, 2025, in Kobe. Another suspect, Tomitomi Nakata, 63, was arrested for aiding Sei’s escape. The case saw 13 arrests, including a Yamaguchi-gumi leader who was initially acquitted but later sentenced to 20 years in prison after an appeal. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction in 2015. This case underscores the strict hierarchical structure of organized crime groups in Japan.
