Officers took Koichi Urata, 47, into custody for allegedly collecting a total of 700,000 yen on 19 occasions between December 27, 2009 and September 6 of this year from the manager of a club offering prostitution in the Dogenzaka area of the Shibuya entertainment district.
The suspect has reportedly denied the allegations.
According to investigators, the extortion — termed mikajimeryo, or the collection of protection money on the third day of the month — came to light when police searched the club’s premises in September and uncovered evidence linking Urata to the crime.
“If I refuse (to pay), I’ll receive harassment,” the 37-year-old manager is quoted by police. “If I sever ties, another yakuza group inevitably will appear.”
