World · East Asia & Pacific · 1 hr ago
Yakuza member acquitted in 2013 killing of Gyoza no Ohsho president
A Kyoto court found gang member Yukio Tanaka not guilty of murdering Takayuki Ohigashi, the former head of the Gyoza no Ohsho restaurant chain.
Ohigashi, who was 72, was shot dead outside his company headquarters in Kyoto in December 2013.
Tanaka, a senior member of a gang affiliated with the Kudo-kai, was charged with murder and a firearms offence.
Prosecutors relied on circumstantial evidence, including a cigarette butt near the scene that they said carried Tanaka’s DNA.
The defense disputed that the cigarette was left on the day of the killing, and prosecutors had no direct evidence tying Tanaka to the shooting.
The acquittal means the court did not find Tanaka guilty, while Ohigashi’s killing remains a loss for people close to him and the restaurant industry.
A Japanese court acquitted Yukio Tanaka of the 2013 killing of Takayuki Ohigashi, president of the Gyoza no Ohsho restaurant chain.
Tanaka, a senior member of a gang affiliated with the Kudo-kai, had been charged with murder and firearms law violations.
Prosecutors sought a life sentence, arguing that circumstantial evidence, including a cigarette butt with a DNA profile matching Tanaka’s, linked him to the shooting.
The defense denied Tanaka’s guilt and disputed the prosecution’s account of the cigarette butt.
Ohigashi was shot outside his company’s headquarters in Kyoto in December 2013.
- Who
- Yukio Tanaka was acquitted of killing Takayuki Ohigashi, the then president of Ohsho Food Service Corp.
- What
- Tanaka was found not guilty of murder and violating firearms and swords control law.
- When
- The verdict was handed down on Oct. 16, 2026. Ohigashi was shot on Dec. 19, 2013.
- Where
- The shooting took place in the parking lot outside Ohsho Food Service’s headquarters in Kyoto’s Yamashina Ward.
- Why
- Not stated
Prosecutors
Defense
Evidence
Prosecutors
Prosecutors argued that DNA matching Tanaka’s was found on a cigarette butt near the scene and that it had been discarded shortly before the shooting.
Defense
The defense argued that the cigarette butt was unlikely to have been smoked on the day of the killing and was left by someone other than Tanaka.
Guilt
Prosecutors
Prosecutors sought a life sentence, arguing circumstantial evidence showed Tanaka’s guilt.
Defense
The defense maintained that Tanaka was not guilty.
Takayuki Ohigashi was shot in the parking lot outside his company’s headquarters in Kyoto.
Yukio Tanaka was arrested, nine years after Ohigashi’s killing.
The court acquitted Tanaka.
- Accused
- Yukio Tanaka
- Victim
- Takayuki Ohigashi
- Verdict
- Not guilty
- Shooting date
- Dec. 19, 2013
- Shooting location
- Parking lot outside Ohsho Food Service’s headquarters, Kyoto’s Yamashina Ward
- Gang affiliation
- Kudo-kai-affiliated gang member
4 sources
Yakuza acquitted of 2013 murder of Gyoza no Ohsho restaurant chain head
Yakuza member found not guilty in fatal shooting of Gyoza no Ohsho president
Loss still haunts close friend and peer as verdict nears in Japan gyoza chain president's killing
What people are saying
There were still things I wanted to discuss with him, just the two of us,
I wish I could see that gentle smile one more time.