The OG Yakuza Godfather, Kazuo Taoka

Orphaned and kicked out of work, Kazuo Taoka was an unlikely candidate to become one of postwar Japan’s most important characters. But by combining violence with a talent for legitimate business and corruption, the immaculately-suited gangster would lead the Yamaguchi-gumi yakuza syndicate from a ragtag Kobe dockworkers’ gang to one of the world’s richest underworld forces, spreading from Japan into Southeast Asia and even the United States. That won Taoka plenty of enemies, which he almost always vanquished. But when a young rival yakuza saw Taoka celebrating at a Kyoto nightclub, the ensuing chaos would plunge Japan’s criminal scene into chaos — and the country’s one true Godfather would never be the same again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can listen to The OG Yakuza Godfather, Kazuo Taoka online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The OG Yakuza Godfather, Kazuo Taoka is an episode from The Underworld Podcast by The Underworld Podcast.

This episode is 62:43 long.

This episode was published on Feb 10, 2026.

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