The Police Take Action

In an earlier post, I highlighted the Japanese National Police Agency and its expert handling of the motorcycle gang problem. Once again, the NPA is cracking down, this time on organized crime! As reported in the Yomiuri Newspaper, a new law has been proposed that would allow the National Police Agency to take the dramatic step of actually closing the offices of registered gangs!
No Hard-Hitting News Hound can sit idly by when the news takes a dramatic turn like this, so I just had to get out in the street, pound the pavement and talk directly to the people involved. I first needed to interview those most affected by this new law, the gang members themselves.
I managed to get an appointment with Mr. Chimpira "Punch" Furyo of the notorious Yamaguchi gang, a criminal organization registered as such with the National Police Agency.

HHNH: Thank you for agreeing to meet with me today, Mr. Furyo; I really appreciate your taking the...
CF: Get on with it. I don't have all day.
HHNH: Um... so... the National Police Agency is passing a new law that will allow them to keep you out of your offices even if you are only suspected of being involved in a crime. How do you feel about this?
CF: It's a huge inconvenience! All of our documents and records of extortion and prostitution, not to mention the drug dealings and killings are in files and computers in our offices! We store our guns and stuff there too! We have signs on the front of the buildings, so everyone knows where we are and arranging meetings with politicians and so on is easier? What are we supposed to do? Meet in bars like this? (he waved his hand around the room) You just can't do business out of a bar! It's ridiculous! (spittle formed in the corners of his mouth)
HHNH: Yes... yes, I can see how that would be a problem. Do you think it will interfere significantly with your business?
CF: Of course it will! I just don't understand how the new government, faced with an economic crisis of unprecedented proportion, can crack down like this on small business! It's unfair and will only prolong the recovery process! (the blood veins on his neck suggested an aneurysm)
HHNH: How have you been involved in the recovery after the earthquake and tsunami?
CF: We helped the victims after the 1995 Kobe earthquake when the government was slow to respond, and we are also helping in the wake of the recent disaster in the northeastern part of the country. Not being able to get into our offices because the police have silly suspicions is just too much to bear!
Listen, I need to think about moving our documents and computers to the brothel I operate in Nagoya!
This interview is over.
HHNH: Thank you very much for agreeing to be interviewed today.
CF: Show him out, boys!

After I left the mobster's bar, I realized that a Hard Hitting News Hound cannot settle for one side of the story. To be fair, I needed to interview the police as well. Fortunately, I was able to contact Captain Kanarazu Taiho at NPA headquarters in Tokyo.

HHNH: Thank you for agreeing to this interview, Captain Taiho.
CT: It's my pleasure. We here at the National Police Agency welcome the interest of the press in our efforts to control crime in this country. Did you know that we solve over 85% of the crimes committed in Japan? (he leans forward and looks at me with his eyebrows raised)
HHNH: That's truly amazing....
CT: Where are you from? Your alien registration is in order, is it?
HHNH: Oh... yes! Definitely in order...
Er... I read recently that the NPA is promoting a new law that would allow it to close the offices of gangs which were suspected of being involved in a crime. Can you elaborate on this new approach?
CT: Absolutely! You see, the criminal gangs do everything in secret, so it is often hard to pin a specific crime on them. By having this new law, we will be able to cause them serious irritation if we suspect them of being involved in something illegal.
HHNH: But they are officially registered with the NPA as criminal gangs, aren't they? Wouldn't this allow you to close their offices at any time?
CT: (throwing back his head and laughing uproariously) Yes!! You understand perfectly! This new law will allow us to simply close their offices any time we want to, forcing them to conduct their business elsewhere.
HHNH: So instead of having them carry out their dealings in a place that you know about, you will force them to move to a secret location to operate?
CT: (leaning forward and looking at me with slitted eyes) Well... if you put it THAT way, it sounds bad, but think about all their documents and computers and so on. They can't easily move them to some warehouse or bar! No... this will be an effective way to disrupt their operations and really get on their nerves.
HHNH: Why don't you actually go into their offices and examine their documents and computers and then maybe arrest some of them?
CT: Are you mad? Foreigners! (he rolls his eyes) We can't do that! What would become of the donations and help they provide in disaster relief? You know our government is strapped for funds; why... we are ranked at the very top in public debt ahead of countries like Zimbabwe and Greece! We need all the help we can get.
HHNH: I see. Well, thank you so much for agreeing to this interview today.
CT: You are most welcome. I am sure you will print a responsible article about our efforts to control gang-related crime.
HHNH: I will do my best.