kumicho

Kumicho (組長) is a Japanese term that designates the boss or head of a yakuza organization, i.e., the leader of a family or clan within the broader yakuza network. The title is used in Japanese media, police reports, and scholarly works to refer to the top figure of an organized crime group. Other terms for leaders include oyabun (親分) and kaicho (会長), but kumicho is widely used within the organization and in public discourse.

In a typical yakuza hierarchy, the kumicho holds ultimate authority over the group's operations, finances, and strategic directions. Subordinate leaders and members owe loyalty to the kumicho under an oyabun-kobun kinship model, with deputies such as wakagashira or other senior officers assisting in governance and day-to-day management. The exact structure varies among groups, and succession to kumicho is often the subject of internal politics, with candidates chosen by senior members or appointed by a higher-ranking boss in the broader syndicate.

The kumicho's activities, while diverse, generally align with the group's criminal enterprises, including protection rackets, illicit gambling, loan sharking, extortion, and other forms of organized crime. In many jurisdictions, yakuza organizations operate under varying degrees of illegality, and public authorities increasingly regulate and suppress their activities through anti-organized crime laws and enforcement campaigns.

Etymology: Kumicho literally translates as "group head" or "boss." It denotes the top leader within a yakuza family, distinct from but related to terms such as oyabun, kobun, and wakagashira.