Talent Kenji Haga and six others were arrested on September 25 for obstructing enforcement through false real estate registration. Among the accomplices was a yakuza executive.
■ Kenji Haga was posting on social media the morning of his arrest
＜From Haga’s X＞
“Good morning. Wednesday, September 25, today’s weather in Okinawa is rain, then cloudy, with a high of 31 degrees and calm waves.”
Posting about the weather and waves in Okinawa on his social media account was talent Kenji Haga, whose real name is Mikio Toma (63). Approximately 11 hours after this post, around 5:30 PM, he disembarked from a plane at Chubu International Airport in Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture, and was transferred to the Aichi Prefectural Police’s Chuo Police Station.
He was arrested on the 25th by the Aichi Prefectural Police for allegedly obstructing the “enforcement” through false transfer registration.
The incident took place in Chatan Town, a tourist spot in Okinawa.
In June last year, he allegedly created false registration to disguise the transfer of ownership to another company he represents in order to evade the seizure of a building and land he owned in the town.
■ The connections between the talent, yakuza executives, and judicial scriveners…
Along with Haga, men based in Nagoya were arrested in this case. One of them is Takeru Matsuyama (69), an executive of the Sixth Generation Yamaguchi-gumi Hirodokaikai.
Also arrested was Fumio Nozaki (57), who serves as the vice president of the Japan Judicial Scriveners Association.
What are the connections between the talent, yakuza executives, and judicial scriveners…?
According to investigative sources, Haga was ordered to pay about 400 million yen in compensation related to past fraud cases, and there was a possibility that his real estate could be seized through enforcement.
To evade that seizure, Haga allegedly established another company and it is believed that judicial scrivener Nozaki made the false registration.
Additionally, to purchase the building and land in question, Matsuyama, an executive of the Hirodokaikai, had borrowed 430 million yen from real estate companies associated with him.
Inquiring about Matsuyama’s motives, who has had connections with Haga for some time, journalist Tomohiko Suzuki, an expert on yakuza, commented.
Journalist Tomohiko Suzuki:
“Kenji Haga has a name value that differs from ordinary people. For example, if you invite him to a banquet, he will probably come immediately; so in that sense, he can be used as an accessory. I believe they lent money thinking that if it came to a situation, they could secure sufficient collateral by seizing it.”
■ A journalist familiar with yakuza recalls an incident from about 30 years ago
Suzuki recalled an event from about 30 years ago.
Tomohiko Suzuki:
“In 1995, I was the editor of a now-defunct magazine specializing in yakuza, and the first celebrity I met during an interview at a yakuza office was Haga. I clearly remember thinking, ‘People like this come to a yakuza office.’”
Police believe Haga frequently visited Nagoya and had a close relationship with yakuza executive Matsuyama, and they are planning to investigate the details leading to the incident thoroughly.