Yakuza gang announces cancellation of New Year’s events due to coronavirus

Dec 24, 2020 | News On Japan

Dec 24, 2020 (tokyoreporter.com) - The Inagawa-kai criminal syndicate is cancelling various events typically held around the New Year’s holiday due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, police have revealed, reports the Asahi Shimbun.

On December 22, the gang said that it is cancelling Final Meetings (nokai) on December 27 and 28 and New Year’s Greetings (nento aisatsu) on January 7, 2021.

The message was conveyed through a fax sent from the Inagawa-kai headquarters to subordinate gangs. “Please be mindful about the spread of infections,” the fax read, according to police.

The Inagawa-kai, Japan’s third-largest gang, is cancelling events around the New Year’s holiday due to the novel coronavirus

As the third-largest gang in Japan, the Inagawa-kai operates in 18 administrative districts nationwide. The two cancelled events usually involve upper-level members gathering in a building related to the gang.

The government has discouraged such gatherings as the number of coronavirus has reached record levels this month.

According to an investigative source, “Many gangsters are unhealthy and elderly, and we have the impression that they are taking more strict measures than the general public. This includes reducing access to offices and the banning of drinking parties.”

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