Hide your pinkies!

In what can only be characterized as yet again, life imitating art, and thus, numerous direct to video movies, Japan’s top yakuza boss, Kenichi Shinoda, was released from prison after having served a sentence for illegal possession of a firearm. We’d comment on how that seems like a weak thing to be put in the hoose-gow over, but we’re a-scared of ninjas. It doesn’t help that Shinoda is the head of the Yamaguchi-gumi, the nation’s largest yakuza organization, with around 35,000 members.

In 2009, a huge police crackdown lead to the disruption of the gang’s activities, but not before Shinoda greatly expanded the Yamaguchi-gumi’s influence by making deals with other gangs. And while Shinoda may be a gang leader, you kind of have to be in awe of a guy who previously went to jail for killing a “rival” with a samurai sword. That’s pretty bad-ass, even if it’s Highlander-ish in origin.

Shinoda is now heading home to Kobe, though I’m sure the arms of the Yamaguchi-gumi are warmly awaiting him. We gladly think that “Boss Shinoda” is an awesome name please don’t kill us.