Masaru Watase was a Japanese yakuza who served as Captain of the Omi Alliance and patriarch of its powerful Watase-gumi subsidiary. He came to be the most powerful man in the Omi following the downfall of chairman Tsubasa Kurosawa, serving as acting Chairman due to the incumbent's ill health. While he was imprisoned from 2017 to 2019, he and Tojo-kai chairman Daigo Dojima agreed to dissolve their clans on Watase's release, as both men preferred for the yakuza to disband rather than be used by Governor Ryo Aoki and other powerful politicians as pawns. After the "Great Dissolution" of 2019, Watase and Dojima opened a security company staffed by former yakuza.
Biography[]
Watase in 2012
Masaru Watase was born in Osaka, Japan, and he became a member of the Omi Alliance yakuza due to his love for fighting; he had no interest in money, schemes, or fussing over the finer details. The charismatic Watase rose to lead the Watase-gumi, the largest organization in the Omi's ranks, and he aspired to be the strongest in Japan and take control of the whole country in an all-out war against the Tojo-kai as the Omi's eighth chairman. During the 1990s, he thwarted the Blue Dragon syndicate's attempt to take territory in Osaka, and his family became one of the Omi's most powerful factions following Ryuji Goda's downfall in 2006. In December 2012, Watase decided to search out the retired Tojo-kai chairman Kazuma Kiryu and convince him to return to the Tojo so that, when he helmed the Omi, he would be able to take on a Tojo Clan worth fighting. Watase's oath brother Minoru Aoyama of the Tojo tipped off Watase about Kiryu's presence in Fukuoka, and he set a trap for Kiryu at Club Olivier. Kiryu confronted Watase and demanded to know if he had kidnapped his former boss Daigo Dojima, but Watase maintained his innocence, and instead revealed that he had come to Fukuoka to persuade Kiryu to rejoin the Tojo. Kiryu refused, and he instead left the club and went on to help the Yamagasa-gumi fight back against Aoyama's army of Tojo goons at the Hakata Pier. Aoyama called Watase to serve as a witness to the battle on behalf of the Omi Alliance, and Watase prevented Aoyama from shooting Kiryu, as he still wished for Kiryu to return to the Tojo alive. Kiryu went on to single-handedly defeat the Tojo army as Watase looked on, and, after Kiryu threatened Aoyama into ending his machinations against Daigo, Watase ridiculed Aoyama for his cowardice. Aoyama was then murdered by Yu Morinaga shortly before he could reveal that Tsubasa Kurosawa was behind his plot to take over the Tojo.
Watase confronting Kurosawa
Several days later, back in Osaka, Watase was informed by his lieutenant Hiroaki Nishihara that Ousaka Enterprises had mobilized most of its forces and moved into Tokyo with little resistance. Fearing that Naoki Katsuya would steal his victory over the Tojo, Watase ordered his men to move into Tokyo immediately. There, he met with Katsuya, Kiryu, and Taiga Saejima and learned that Katsuya was looking to bait the mastermind who was behind the recent attacks against high-ranking Tojo and Omi members in Fukuoka, Sapporo, and Nagoya. Katsuya had them stage a fake fight to the death to lure out the mastermind who wanted them dead, and Kiryu defeated Watase, Saejima defeated Katsuya, and Kiryu and Saejima fought each other to a draw before Kurosawa revealed himself and shot all four men, heavily wounding them. Watase was heartbroken to see that the leader to whom he had been so loyal was betraying him, but Kurosawa said that he would be ashamed to leave the Omi in the hands of a "simpleton" like Watase, who led on charisma and principle instead of pragmatism. When Kurosawa attempted to execute Watase, Katsuya took the bullet for him, and Katsuya explained that Watase needed to become the eighth chairman. Daigo then arrived and almost killed Kurosawa, who was saved by Kamon Kanai.
The following evening, Watase visited Katsuya in the hospital and, while asking the stranger Tatsuo Shinada if he would avenge a late friend's death or prioritize achieving their dream, he was advised to honor his friend's wishes. Watase then chose to honor Katsuya's wishes by bringing peace to the yakuza world, asking the Yamagasa-gumi of Fukuoka and the Kitakata-gumi of Sapporo to honor their alliances with the Tokyo and defend the city from Kurosawa's forces. The next day, the Watase, Yamagasa, and Kitakata Families defeated Kurokawa's army, and Watase later rescued Shun Akiyama from Kanai's henchmen. After Kanai surrendered, Watase and his army bowed to Akiyama out of respect for what he had done to help the yakuza world despite not being a yakuza himself.
Watase preparing to give his speech
Watase continued to serve as captain of the Omi under its Eighth Chairman, and he often served as acting Chairman due to the leader's illness. Watase maintained peaceful relations with the Tojo in the face of recently passed anti-yakuza laws, and the two men decided that it would be best to dissolve their clans rather than let their alliances wither away or turn into secretive hangure groups. In 2017, after Masumi Arakawa's son became Governor of Tokyo using the alias of Ryo Aoki, Daigo and Watase planned a joint dissolution of the Omi and Tojo. Arakawa would help the TMPD dismantle the Tojo before defecting to the Omi, helping them take control of Tokyo, and then dissolve the Omi. However, Watase was arrested shortly after and sentenced to two years in prison, and he made Arakawa acting Captain. By 2019, the Tojo had practically ceased to exist and the Omi divided into two functionally separate, smaller organizations. At the party celebrating Watase's release, Watase and Daigo planned to announce the "Great Dissolution". He also persuaded Kiryu to protect him and Daigo at the announcement, securing the aid of the Daidoji Faction. The ensuing dissolution meeting transformed into a brawl as many of the gathered patriarchs attempted to rebel, and Watase-gumi lieutenant Kosei Shishido attempted a coup against Watase, stabbing him. Kiryu defeated Shishido and put down the revolt, and, the next day, Watase and Daigo reported the dissolutions to the Osaka Prefectural Police and founded a private security company composed of ex-yakuza.
However, the Tatara Channel exposed the company's yakuza origins in 2023, forcing Watase, Daigo, Goro Majima, and Saejima to go into hiding.