Chinese mafia muscling in on Kabuki-cho [arson murder Japan]
Wm. Tarrant
http://www.japantoday.com/
Chinese mafia muscling in on Kabuki-cho
In the wake of a deadly fire and explosion which killed 44 people
in the Kabuki-cho red light district of Shinjuku earlier this month,
investigators have focused on what caused the fire to start.
"At first we thought it was a gas explosion but that has
been ruled out," said one investigator. "Now it looks like
it might have been caused by an accidental or incendiary fire."
Arson is starting to look increasingly possible, especially
since the building is full of tenants with ties to the
yakuza and Chinese mafia gangs.
The fire started in Mahjong-Itkyu on the third floor.
The mahjong parlor was not a simple game shop
but an illegal gambling den, say police. About 70
people came to the parlor per day, with daily
revenues reaching around 8 million yen.
This kind of illegal business is often linked
to organized crime. According to a former
manager of an illegal gambling establishment,
"Some of these shops are organized by gangs themselves,
but others are usually forced to pay protection
money. If they refuse, they get harassed."
But it is not only the yakuza. Foreign mafia
groups are muscling in as well. Atushi Mizoguchi, a
journalist who writes about crimes committed
by Japanese gangs and foreigners, said: "Some
restaurants and illegal game dens in Kabuki-cho
pay protection money to both Japanese gangs and
the Chinese mafia. Chinese gangsters started
coming in and making a nuisance of themselves."
Mr P, who leads one Chinese gang, told Shukan
Post about the rivalry in Kabuki-cho.
Do you know anything about the fire?
I know the building very well, but I can definitely say that
members of my group had nothing to do with the fire.
Did some establishments in that building have
any trouble with Japanese gangs?
Because I have connections with Japanese gangs, I know
something about it. I'm not sure if it was the
mahjong parlor on the 3rd or 4th floor, but one of
them had trouble with several Japanese gangs
because they refused to pay protection money.
But I know that Japanese gang members often
frequented the Itkyu mahjong parlor on the 3rd floor.
There are reports that Itkyu was having
trouble with Chinese mafia gangs too. Is that true?
Not with us. I do know that some Chinese mafia
gangs are cooperating with Japanese gangs. I can't
imagine a gang torching the building because
it only invites a crackdown by the law.
Do members of Chinese mafia gangs take on
dangerous tasks for Japanese gangs?
None of my group does, but I know some
Chinese who do because they are illegal aliens and
they need money to pay for certain organizations
to help them. Actually, very few Chinese working in
Kabuki-cho are involved in crimes.
September 17, 2001
Volume 33 Number 38