The No. 2 man in the Yamaguchi-gumi, the top yakuza syndicate, will be released on ¥1.5 billion bail during his extortion trial, court officials said Tuesday.
The Kyoto District Court made the decision on Kiyoshi Takayama, 64, head of Nagoya-based Kodo-kai, a key component of the Kobe-based Yamaguchi-gumi, who has been in detention since he was arrested in November 2010 on suspicion of extorting some ¥40 million from a contractor.
Takayama, who was indicted in December 2010, has been hospitalized due to poor health after being put in the Kyoto Detention House. He was also hospitalized between last July and October to receive medical treatment.
The don pleaded not guilty when his trial started June 6.
Kyoto prosecutors said they are currently studying whether to appeal the decision to grant Takayama bail.
Kenichi Shinoda, a top Yamaguchi-gumi leader, had to pay ¥1 billion in bail when he was released in 2004. He went on to become the head of the mob the following year.