1. A yakuza member named Tanaka Yukio has been charged with the murder of Ohigashi Takayuki, president of Gyoza no Ohsho, a popular Chinese dumpling restaurant chain in Japan.
2. The shooting occurred outside the company's headquarters in Kyoto City, western Japan, in December 2013. Tanaka is a senior member of a group affiliated with Kudo-kai, a yakuza organization based in Fukuoka.
3. During his first court hearing on Wednesday, Tanaka strongly denied the charges and claimed he was innocent. The prosecutors presented circumstantial evidence such as saliva samples from a cigarette butt found at the scene that matched Tanaka's DNA. However, the defense lawyer suggested Tanaka might have been in Fukuoka that day. The ruling is expected in October 2026 after ten more hearings.