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Masaru Ihara

Masaru Ihara (died 2 March 2010) was a Japanese yakuza gangster who was affiliated with the Uenoseiwa-kai during the 2000s. He was murdered by Tojo-kai gangster and undercover policeman Hiroaki Arai on the same day as his promotion to lieutenant of the Ueno Seiwa in a murder meant to provoke a gang war masterminded by both Arai and Isao Katsuragi of Ihara's clan.

Biography[]

Masaru Ihara was born in Tokyo, Japan, and he became a member of the Uenoseiwa-kai yakuza clan and oath brothers with Yutaka Mishima. Ihara was a boorish street thug, but, on 1 March 2010, Ueno Seiwa captain Isao Katsuragi suddenly promoted Ihara to lieutenant, making him third-in-command of the organization and Katsuragi's deputy. However, his promotion was part of a devious plan by Katsuragi and his collaborator in the Tojo-kai, Hiroaki Arai, to nearly spark a gang war and allow for Katsuragi to issue an ultimatum to the Tojo Clan that would lead to him acquiring the Kabukicho Hills development for himself.

Masaru Ihara dead

Ihara's body

On the night of his promotion, Ihara was sent to Club Elnard with Mishima, and they created a drunken racket on Tojo turf. Arai was promptly sent by by Katsuragi to respond to the incident on behalf of the Tojo, with Takeshi Kido and Shun Akiyama accompanying him. Akiyama beat down the two Ueno Seiwa thugs before his friends even arrived, upon which Ihara drew a gun on Arai and shot him as Arai tried to defuse the situation. Ihara and Mishima then made a run for it, but Arai cornered Ihara in the alleyway behind Sky Finance and shot him dead. Akiyama came across the murder scene as Arai left, and detective Masayoshi Tanimura arrived shortly after. Due to Ihara's recent promotion, Katsuragi used his death as negotiating room to demand that the Tojo Clan either forfeit the Kabukicho Hills project or Arai's head as amends.

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