Tokyo cops raid 3 shops selling uncensored porn DVDs in Kabukicho, make 12 arrests

Katsuo Ito

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Tuesday announced the bust in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward of an operation suspected of selling and copying uncensored DVDs, reports the Saneki Shimbun (June 26).

Officers from the peace preservation division of the Metropolitan Police took manager Katsuo Ito, 68, and 11 others into custody and seized 106,000 discs in simultaneous raids of three shops and two factories in the Kabukicho entertainment district.

According to police, Ito and 10 other suspects have admitted to the allegations, while one other denies involvement.

By law, films available in Japan are required to have genitalia properly censored. Further, changes in legislation made in July regarding the sale of uncensored DVDs copied electromagnetically were enacted to prohibit sales.

Sales at the three shops averaged 10 million yen per month.

According to the Nikkei Shimbun, Ito managed a shop called Love Corridor, which offered DVDs with content dating back as far as 40 years. The suspect only sold discs to patrons possessing membership cards to shops that had been raided in the past. Actual DVDs were not available at the counter. Upon entry, customers were instead taken to a different location to view the merchandise.

At Love Corridor, 20 discs were priced at 10,000 yen. Ito’s shop recorded sales of six million yen since March.

“I did it for the benefit of old people,” the suspect is quoted by police.

「世の高齢者のため」わいせつDVD店を一斉摘発

Posted by Tokyo Reporter on June 26, 2012. Filed under Kabukicho,Tokyo Daily. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry