Press "Enter" to skip to content

Man admits involvement in murder of Osaka club manager missing since 2003

The victim operated a number of hostess and sex clubs in Hirakata City and Kyoto
The victim operated a number of hostess and sex clubs in Hirakata City and Kyoto

OSAKA (TR) – Osaka Prefectural Police revealed on Thursday that a man arrested in September for fraud has admitted to participation in the murder of a 53-year-old club manager who has been missing for a decade, reports Yomiuri Shimbun (Nov. 14).

According to police, the victim, who operated a number of “snack” hostess clubs and fuzoku (commercial sex) parlors in Hirakata City and Kyoto, was last seen by his mother in December of 2003.

The fraud suspect, who is also an employee in the fuzoku industry, told investigators after his indictment that he assisted in the murder and burial of the man and others in the Ikoma Mountains, which border Nara and Osaka prefectures.

Investigators believe that a 44-year-old affiliate of the Yamaguchi-gumi organized crime group, himself also a manager of fuzoku parlors, also participated in the killings.

Police have now launched a murder investigation and will begin a search of the mountains.

In the spring of this year, investigators received a tip regarding the killing of the missing manager. “The manager had money problems with the fuzoku manager,” the source said. “He was killed with a drug dropped into his drink at a club he managed. His body was carried by car to the forest where it was buried.”

Using that information, prefectural police determined the source of financial trouble was with the 44-year-old manager. On September 27, he and the other suspect were arrested for fraud related to a rental property in Kyoto.