Jake Adelstein's Blog, page 93
July 25, 2010
Nichidai board chairman plays matchmaker with Sumo Association and NPSC reps
An article in the July 22 issue of Shukan Bunshun (武蔵川と中井洽疑惑の参院選で「料理停密会」page 146) reports on a suspicious meeting between the chairman of the Japan Sumo Association, Musashigawa, and National Public Safety Commission chairman Hiroshi Nakai, organized by Nihon University board chairman Hidetoshi Tanaka.
According to the article, the trio drank and dined at a sophisticated restaurant run by a third-generation geisha in Tokyo's Kagurazaka district on June 21, days after numerous wrestlers were...
July 14, 2010
Reports of Nagoya tournament suffering due to sumo scandal
Amongst much controversy, the Grand Sumo Nagoya Tournament has gone on (mostly) as planned, despite NHK's refusal to broadcast the event and a boycott by a number of sponsors (but not McDonalds!). It's far from business as usual, however, as an increased police presence and visible security cameras don't make sumo fans feel quite as welcome as in previous years.
The Mainichi ran an article recently about how the the tournament has been affected, citing an increase of empty seats as just one...
July 9, 2010
Dirty diapers: How the sumo scandal is a casualty of the National Police Agency war on the yakuza
Sumo, yakuza, and gambling–What started as a scoop by weekly magazine Shukan Shincho revealing a somewhat imaginable connection between the three has blown up into a huge scandal that has lost several wrestlers their jobs and cost the sport sponsorship, TV slots and, worst of all, face. Foreign media have given the issue more than ample coverage while Twitter has been full of cynical and firey commentary ranging from why a yakuza hand in the sumo world even comes as a surprise to why sumo...
Dirty diapers: how the sumo scandal is a casualty of the National Police Agency war on the yakuza
Sumo, yakuza, and gambling–What started as a scoop by weekly magazine Shukan Shincho revealing a somewhat imaginable connection between the three has blown up into a huge scandal that has lost several wrestlers their jobs and cost the sport sponsorship, TV slots and, worst of all, face. Foreign media have given the issue more than ample coverage while Twitter has been full of cynical and firey commentary ranging from why a yakuza hand in the sumo world even comes as a surprise to why sumo...
June 16, 2010
Polaris Project Japan helps Tokyo police get a move on as laws remain stagnant
Just popping in for a second to post this article by Richard Smart (or @tokyorich as we know him) on Polaris Project's hand in busting a child pornographer who had wrapped a young boy into an unusual web of sexual slavery. It was printed in the Japan Times on Monday. Jake makes his appearance having played a large role in the case in question, in working with the police to see a tip was turned into a criminal case, but overall the article is a great look into the efforts Polaris Project is m...
Polaris Project Japan Helps Tokyo Police To Get a Move On As Laws Remain Stagnant
Just popping in for a second to post this article by Richard Smart (or @tokyorich as we know him) on Polaris Project's hand in busting a child pornographer who had wrapped a young boy into an unusual web of sexual slavery. It was printed in the Japan Times on Monday. Jake makes his appearance having played a large role in the case in question, in working with the police to see a tip was turned into a criminal case, but overall the article is a great look into the efforts Polaris Project is m...
June 10, 2010
Book Review: 図解裏社会のカラクリ
Purposely vague, shadowy and difficult to understand, the Japanese underworld is a puzzling and ever-changing realm of secrecy, even for those who study it. There's no quick-and-dirty tutorial or handbook for learning about the seedier side of life (there is, however, OJT–a different topic all together), and while it's simple for some gifted purveyors of all that creeps between the cracks of society to just dive right in, some of us need to take things slow and get our bearings before...
June 4, 2010
Hard times for hard-working hard-on inducing drug peddling yakuza
Can you say that three times fast?
According to the National Police Agency, even more yakuza have been arrested in an Osaka drug ring selling fake Viagra to unsuspecting fun-seekers. Two members of the Yamaguchi-gumi were arrested again (see the original report here) and are being held in custody on charges of unauthorized sale of pharmaceuticals after they were caught last month illegally selling fake Viagra. A third Yamaguchi-gumi member was also arrested.
Police discovered 13,000 tablets of ...
May 28, 2010
Fuzoku Friday: In the news this week
A couple things going on in the fuzoku world this week:
In a move to put a stop to illegal deai-kei cafes, the National Police Agency announced they will tighten regulations regarding love hotels from January of next year. Although the businesses appear to be love hotels, they do not meet standards set by law and some are used as a location for enjo-kosai. Says the Mainichi Daily:
There are about 3,590 facilities that closely resemble love hotels but are not recognized as such because they do n...
May 26, 2010
Police to cooperate in setting up organized crime database
It was announced today that the National Police Agency (NPA) agreed to cooperate with the Japan Security Dealers Association (JSDA) in providing information for a database on organized crime, sharing information on around 38,000 known organized crime members–such as name and age–with the 302 companies belonging to the association. The unprecedented agreement by the police to cooperate was seen as a way to combat organized crime members opening securities accounts. The new system would come...
