Three individuals, including a high-ranking member associated with the designated yakuza group Sumiyoshi-kai, have been arrested on suspicion of forcing individuals to stop distributing karaoke flyers in front of JR Shin-Okubo Station in Shinjuku Ward in October 2022.
The suspects, including Masakazu Okubo (57), an executive member of Sumiyoshi-kai, are accused of threatening two part-time employees working for a karaoke establishment, shouting loudly, “I’ll kill you. Distributing flyers here is illegal. I’ll take you to our office and stab you,” and confiscating flyers and mobile phones from the karaoke establishment’s staff.
It has been revealed that the staff members had obtained permission from the police station to distribute the flyers, and the Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating the motives behind these threats.
