A senior member of the infamous Japanese Yakuza has been sentenced to death by hanging for the first time ever.

74-year-old Nomura Satoru, the head of the Kudo-kai in Kita-Kyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, was found guilty of ordering four assaults. One of them turned deadly.

Nomura denied any involvement, and his team is already working on an appeal. However, as he was walking out of the courtroom and into a jail cell, the Yakuza boss stated:

"I asked for a fair decision… you will regret this for the rest of your life."

Chilling? One might say so.

The Wrongdoings Of Nomura Satoru

Satoru was found guilty for ordering four assaults, and all took place between 1998 and 2014.

According to Japan Times, the crimes included the fatal shooting of the former head of a fishing cooperative and attacks on a family member of the murder victim, a nurse who had treated Nomura.

Satoru was also found guilty of ordering an assault on the police officer.

The judge said Nomura's actions were "extremely vicious."

Prosecutors argued that as a prominent figure in the Kudo-kai in Kita-Kyushu syndicate, Satoru should be held responsible for the group's wrongdoings.

The shocking death penalty for Satoru comes as the country is trying to increase anti-gang regulations.

Just recently, Nomura's second in command, Fumio Tanoue, was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the assaults.

Though Yakuza groups are not illegal in Japan and they frequently operate front companies out of smart offices, seen as "necessary evil," clearly, the country is trying to hold them accountable for their crimes.

Japan is one of the few developed countries in the world that still has the death penalty. There are currently more than 100 prisoners on death row.