Ebisu Cinema, a former Yakuza office, now reborn as a cinema in Tamba City, Hyogo Prefecture. (Courtesy of Ebisu Cinema)
As Japan steps up enforcement of anti-organized crime law and public campaigns to eliminate gangs gain momentum, yakuza offices across the country are being closed or relocated one after another. But what happens next presents a new challenge: how to make use of the vacated sites.
Many of these former gang offices occupy prime real estate — on busy corners or in the heart of entertainment districts — where demand would normally be high. Yet selling or repurposing such properties often comes with unique complications.
While some have been successfully converted into movie theaters or welfare facilities, others remain unused even after being sold. Local governments and residents continue to struggle to find effective ways to make use of them.
Ebisu Cinema
In the quiet residential hills of Tamba City, Hyogo Prefecture, a small 50-seat theater called Ebisu Cinema opened in the summer of 2021. The building once housed the office of a Yamaguchi-gumi–affiliated crime group, but filmmaker Takushi Chikakane transformed it into a local entertainment hub.
After a neighborhood anti-gang campaign, the residents' association purchased the property in 2014. It was briefly used as a community center, but with several others already nearby, it saw little use.
Chikakane first came across the building while filming in the area and used it as a waiting room. When he learned about its past and that it was mostly unused, he casually suggested at a local year-end party, "Why not turn it into a movie theater?"
Word quickly spread that the director was planning to open a cinema, and before long, he felt compelled to make it happen.
Before opening, he held several community meetings, and locals warmly welcomed the idea. After all, the area hadn't had a movie theater in more than 50 years. Chikakane said, "It's fascinating how a place that once caused people so much trouble can now bring them joy."
So far, there have been no major issues. Even local police have expressed surprise, saying, "It's extremely rare to see a former yakuza office put to such good use."
Challenges
Cases like Ebisu Cinema, however, are rare. In 2022, Higashiosaka City purchased the former headquarters of the Oda-gumi, a direct affiliate of the Yamaguchi-gumi. Around the same time, Awaji City in Hyogo Prefecture acquired the former headquarters of the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi. In both instances, though, plans for using the land have yet to be decided.
Higashiosaka found its lot too small for any public facility. In Awaji, there were discussions about converting the building into an emergency shelter for city staff during disasters. However, the structure didn't meet building codes and had to be demolished.
"We're still considering options for future use, but nothing concrete has been decided," said an Awaji City official.
Special Procedures
A real estate agent experienced in handling such properties noted, "Former gang offices can sometimes be bought below market value, so they actually have high potential as real estate."
Even so, the process involves special procedures not required in ordinary transactions. When the agent learned that a gang intended to sell one of its offices, he first contacted the relevant police headquarters. He then had to submit detailed documents about the sale, along with a written pledge not to resell the property to any antisocial organization.
Because entry to these buildings is restricted under the Anti-Organized Crime Law, police approval was required each time for inspections or removal work. "You need to know how to coordinate with the police," the agent said. "It's not something an ordinary buyer could handle easily."
Even if such properties remain unused, simply preventing their reoccupation by criminal groups through closure or public purchase is already a meaningful step. Still, leaving valuable sites vacant for too long is undesirable both socially and economically.
"Local relationships can be complicated," Chikakane reflected. "When it's hard to find a solution, sometimes bringing in outside help may be the best way forward."
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(Read the article in Japanese.)
Author: The Sankei Shimbun
