Yakuza boss Satoru Nomura (aka ‘God’ or ‘Emperor in the Kudo-kai syndicate) has become the first senior member of the Japanese mafia to receive the death penalty in Japan.
The Yakuza boss was charged with organizing a hit against a nurse, as well as for four other violent crimes he’s connected to. Nomura is receiving such a harsh sentence, according to the prosecution, because none of the other four rival gangs were involved.
Back in 2012, Nomura underwent surgery to enlarge his penis as well as to remove any hair in the region. He was reportedly very dissatisfied with the results of the operation, though the exact reasons remain unclear.
During post-operation care, the nurse who was the victim of the attempted hit allegedly “disrespected” him by treating him like any other patient, even going as far as teasing him about how the discomfort from the surgery could not “possibly hurt as much as getting one of those yakuza tattoos”, according to The Sun.
As a result, Normura ordered Yoshinobu Nakata, to stab the nurse to exact vengeance on January 28, 2013. Footage shows Nakata stabbing the unnamed nurse in the head and chest on her way home, but she survived the attack.
According to the defense, Nakata denied intent to kill the nurse as well as Nomura’s connection to the attack, but a taped phone conversation from the prosecution of the two men arguing suggested otherwise.
On August 24 of this year, presiding Judge Ben Adachi ruled that Nomura was guilty of all charges against him and sentenced him to the death penalty. Displeased with this ruling, Nomura threatened the judge saying “I asked you for a fair judgment. But this is not fair at all. You will regret this for the rest of your life.” According to The Asahi Shimbun. Nomura and his team appealed the conviction, meaning it could take several years to find out whether or not he receives the death penalty.
Want some lighter news from Japan? Check out this article about Japan’s Rabbit Island.