The is a yakuza syndicate based in Tokyo with a predominantly Zainichi Korean membership. Originally named the , with its historic leader Hisayuki Machii, the Toa-kai was deeply involved in the history of Tokyo's South Korean community and Japan's anti-communist circles in the 20th century. History The group was formed by Hisayuki Machii, a Zainichi Korean mob boss, as the Tosei-kai in 1948. The Tosei-kai was originally a reported far-right organization of anti-communist activism led by Machii as a sympathizer of Kanji Ishiwara, which was in conflict with the North Korea-associated General Association of Korean Residents in Japan. The Tosei-kai quickly became one of Tokyo's most powerful gangs, and had significantly expanded during the time of the post-war economic growth. Membership reached 1,500 in the 1960s. As the leader of the syndicate, Machii became an essential "fixer" between Japan and South Korea. Increasing police crackdowns by 1965 forced Machii to disband the Tosei-kai and establish a new gang, the , or "East Asia Friendship Enterprise Association". He also formed a "legitimate" company called the , or East Asia Enterprises Company, and named power-broker Yoshio Kodama as chairman of the board. Afterwards, the Toa Yuai Jigyo Kumiai changed the name as and Toa-kai. The founder Machii retired in the 1980s, and died of heart failure on September 14, 2002, in Tokyo. Also known as a successful businessman, he was 79. Condition The Toa-kai is a member of a bakuto fraternal federation named the Kanto Hatsuka-kai, along with four other Kanto-based yakuza syndicates, the Sumiyoshi-kai, the Inagawa-kai, the Matsuba-kai, and the Soai-kai. The Toa-kai has aligned itself with the largest known Yamaguchi-gumi syndicate since the syndicate's Taoka era in the 20th century, and has been closely supported by Shinobu Tsukasa, the sixth-generation godfather of the Yamaguchi-gumi, since 2005 when the sixth era of the Yamaguchi-gumi officially started. Territories The Toa-kai has its headquarters in Ginza, Tokyo ever since its formation. The Toa-kai has its five branch organizations in Tokyo, and one branch organization outside of Tokyo. Okinawa The Toa-kai's notable branch organizations include the . The Yoshimi-kogyo is the Toa-kai's only branch organization based outside of Tokyo. Based on the Okinawa island, the Yoshimi-kogyo is one of the three major yakuza groups in the Okinawa region, along with the Kyokuryu-kai and the Okinawa Kyokuryu-kai. The origin of the Yoshimi-kogyo reportedly traces back to the late 20th century, when Toshio Gibo, an ethnic