TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Tuesday announced the issuing of an arrest warrant connected to the commercial sex scouting group Natural.
According to police, Natural, which is Japan’s largest scouting group for introducing women to adult entertainment (fuzoku) establishments, is suspected of paying protection money to an organized crime group, which is a violation of Tokyo Metropolitan Organized Crime Exclusion Ordinance.
The warrant also lists the chairman of Natural, 40-year-old Hiroaki Obata, who was placed on a nationwide wanted list. With his whereabouts sought, the announcement includes several photographs of Obata.
Obata had been under surveillance by law enforcement. However, he suddenly disappeared a year ago
“We are determined to find him with the help of the entire nation,” said a senior investigator tells the Mainichi Shimbun (Jan. 21).
Annual revenue of 4.4 billion yen
Obata, known by his nickname “Kiyama,” founded Natural in Tokyo’s Kabukicho red-light district around 2009. It’s a company-like organization for which he serves as its “chairman.”
With operations in the capital and the cities of Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo and Kumamoto, Natural functions like an anonymous, mobile criminal group, or tokuryu. Its primary source of income comes from “scouting kickbacks,” in which they introduce women to adult entertainment establishments in exchange for a portion of their sales.
According to investigative sources, there are more than 1,500 members nationwide. In 2022 they earned more than 4.4 billion yen. A portion of their profits is also allegedly channeled to organized crime.
Brawl in Kabukicho
In 2020, members of Natural were involved in a brawl with members of the Sumiyoshi-kai criminal syndicate in Kabukicho, which resulted in arrests on both sides.
Since then, Natural has built relationships with criminal syndicates that claim turf in various entertainment districts by paying protection money, which allows from the organization to expand its scouting activities.
Law enforcement believes that Obata is primarily responsible for negotiating with the organized crime groups.
The allegations in the arrest warrant are based on one such incident. On July 24, 2023, Obata and his associates are suspected of conspiring to pay 600,000 yen in cash to a 39-year-old senior member of a Yamaguchi-gumi affiliate as protection money to secure approval for scouting activities in Udagawacho, Shibuya Ward.
Last January, Tokyo police obtained an arrest warrant on this charge under the aim of rounding up the group’s senior members. However, just before a raid in late January, Obata and his associates went missing. As a result, only two arrests were made.
Leaks
In November, Tokyo police dismissed a male lieutenant from the Organized Crime Control Division for leaking investigation information to Natural.
The leaked information included a list of related addresses for members and images showing the locations of investigative cameras monitoring their bases. Some investigators believe the leak led to the escape of the executives.
As well, Natural has taken measures to avoid detection. For one, it uses other names, including “White” and “Smile.” It has also developed its own highly confidential smartphone app for communication and sharing photos of investigators’ faces.
With a muscular build, Obata stands approximately 175 centimeters tall. He has a dragon tattoo running from his right shoulder down his arm.
Persons with information on the case are advised to call the Organized Crime Control Division at 03-3506-8787.
