TOKYO (TR) – On January 30, the U.S. Department of Justice launched 3 million pages of paperwork on American billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who dedicated suicide below mysterious circumstances after being indicted on expenses together with intercourse trafficking.

Among the paperwork launched had been quite a few emails with Japanese entrepreneur Joi Ito, 59, the president of the Chiba Institute of Technology. Ito served as director of the MIT Media Lab till his resignation in 2019 after Epstein’s financial contributions to the lab turned public.

“Until the reports leading to his arrest, I did not know that Mr. Jeffrey Epstein had engaged in the malicious criminal acts that have been reported,” Ito tells Shukan Bunshun (Feb. 19). “I have never been involved in any criminal or fraudulent acts by him as reported, nor have I ever personally witnessed such acts.”

Despite this, an examination of the emails reveals the shut relationship between Epstein and Ito. Within them, Ito is discovered to have organized visa purposes for feminine associates of Epstein and an internship at a resort.

“Assistants”

On April 27, 2015, then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited MIT throughout a visit to the United States. According to e mail correspondence from the identical interval, Ito repeatedly consulted by way of e mail relating to visa purposes to Japan for Epstein’s Belarusian girlfriend and her Russian feminine good friend.

Three days earlier than Abe’s go to, Ito writes to Epstein, “How’s your Visa for Japan going? I think we’re making progress with the Russians. I’m going to see the PM / Abe on Monday.”

There are additionally exchanges exhibiting that the Belarusian and Russian ladies had been positioned as “assistants” at an organization wherein Ito was an investor.

In getting ready the purposes, Ito’s assistant in an e mail dated April 15, 2015 suggests to an affiliate of Epstein, “Maybe can you explain their occupations that they are executive assistants or administrative staff at Jeffrey’s company?”

Yoshiko Sakurai

Epstein died in an obvious suicide in August 2019 inside a New York detention facility about one month after being arrested.

After leaving MIT, Ito in 2021 served as a member of an knowledgeable panel of the Digital Agency. Since 2023, he has served as president of Chiba Institute of Technology.

It was journalist Yoshiko Sakurai who related the college with Ito. Sakurai states, “I have known him for more than ten years. He is overflowing with creativity and, together with Shohei Ohtani, is a treasure of Japan. When he was returning to Japan because of difficulties in America, I introduced him to Osamu Setokuma, chairman of Chiba Institute of Technology. After serving as Director of the Transformation Center, he became president two years later. He appears to be respected and liked by students and faculty.”

Toshiba

Japan’s involvement with Epstein was not restricted to Ito. Toshiba Corporation can be talked about within the Epstein paperwork.

Located within the United States Virgin Islands, Little St. James Island was a key location for Epstein in his finishing up of the alleged sexual abuse and trafficking of younger ladies and underage women.

For energy on the island, Epstein at one level thought-about renewable vitality.  From 2012 to 2013, Toshiba and Epstein’s facet exchanged a number of phone calls and emails concerning the set up of photo voltaic gear on the island. On February 1, 2013, the corporate submitted a 19-page proposal.

“It will be important for you as the customer of this project to choose a provider that has not only the experience and capabilities to ensure your system functions as designed but also has the financial wherewithal to stand behind each project we install,” writes Mark Lonkevych within the cowl letter dated February 1, 2013.

Mori Building

When Epstein visited Japan, Ito relied upon Mori Building Co., Ltd., a serious actual property firm, to offer help.

In an e mail from November 2013, Ito proposes utilizing Mori Building’s helicopter to journey from Tokyo to Kyoto.

He explains that the round-trip constitution charge would exceed 1.5 million yen, and that the journey would take roughly two and a half hours on account of refueling in Shizuoka Prefecture.

Three years later, Ito launched Andaz Tokyo, a luxurious resort operated by Mori Building, and made reservations below Epstein’s identify.

Ito additionally inquired with administration at Andaz Tokyo about whether or not an internship was out there for a Russian girl related to Epstein. On December 24, 2018, Ito writes to an govt of Mori Building, “She is a daughter of a friend of mine.”

In responding, the chief says that he had “adjusted it to accept interns with andaz.” The govt then asks Ito, “Can we contact her directly from the hotel representative?” To which, Ito writes, “Please do. Thank you very much!”

On May 22, 2019, Epstein inquires in an e mail about reserving a room on the “Andaz Hotel in Tokyo where [redacted] has her internship.”

Refrain from remark

Ito didn’t remark to Bunshun relating to the visa mediation or the internship.

Mori Building informed Bunshun that it has no relationship with Epstein in any respect, and denied having granted any particular favors.

Meanwhile, Toshiba said that it will chorus from remark as it’s confirming the information.

TOKYO (TR) – “Faking being single,” by which a married man pretends to be unattached so as to date girls, is gaining consideration as a critical social challenge.

Starting with its Feb. 19 challenge, Shukan Bunshun started the collection “True Report: Faking Singleness,” which particulars the fact of this observe.

In its first installment, the journal profiles a lady from Kanagawa Prefecture who gained a courtroom ruling over a male worker of promoting big Hakuhodo Inc. after he faked being single on-line.

Maiko met the person, aged in his 30s, on a relationship app for singles. After they met, he hinted at a future collectively. However, he’s already married with kids.

“He didn’t use contraception and even during remote meetings, he wanted my body,” says the lady, who goes by the pseudonym Maiko.

Maiko later sued the person. During the trial on the Tokyo District Court, she claimed that her “right to chastity, which prevents her from having sexual relations with a married man, had been violated.”

She sought roughly 7.8 million yen in damages.

During the trial, the person argued that “my relationship with the woman was not a serious relationship with the intention of marriage, but was merely for the purpose of sexual intercourse. Therefore, this did not constitute a violation of her right to chastity.”

Maiko was victorious. In his ruling handed down on December 8 final 12 months, presiding choose Takato Kawahara said, “The man was aware that the woman desired a relationship with a view to marriage, and his repeated sexual acts while intentionally concealing the fact that he was married constituted a violation of her right to chastity.”

“Fake Single Persons”

In June 2024, Maiko launched an account on X titled “Association of Victims of Fake Single Persons.” After she shared her expertise of being the sufferer of a false illustration of her single standing and submitting a lawsuit for violation of her proper to chastity, she started receiving contact from girls who had suffered comparable experiences.

“When they found out they had been deceived by someone they trusted wholeheartedly and had planned a future with, some women became physically and mentally ill, and some even took their own lives,” Maiko says.

Even when lawsuits are accredited for damages, the quantity they’re ordered to pay is usually just a few hundred thousand yen.

“Furthermore, victims are often criticized for being ‘unreasonable for being deceived,’ and are sometimes treated the same as those committing adultery. I don’t think society has caught up in understanding,” says Maiko.

When reached for remark in regards to the man in Maiko’s case, Hakuhodo mentioned, “We have not answered all questions, including those about employment status. We consider compliance to be the foundation of our company, and if we find any conduct that goes against that, we will take strict action.”

KANAGAWA (TR) – Kanagawa Prefectural Police have revealed that officers fraudulently issued hundreds of site visitors tickets, reviews Nippon News Network (Feb. 14).

According to investigators, members of the Kanagawa Prefectural Police’s 2nd Mobile Traffic Unit issued tickets when imposing site visitors violations equivalent to rushing, even when no clear violation truly occurred.

As a outcome, Kanagawa Prefectural Police plan to revoke greater than 2,600 site visitors violations.

In 2024, an individual who had been issued a ticket contacted the police. When police examined dashcam footage and different information, they confirmed quite a few situations of inappropriate enforcement over a interval of roughly two years from 2022.

In addition, police will refer paperwork to the prosecutor’s workplace as early as subsequent week. They may also impose disciplinary motion towards a former police sergeant and several other others on suspicion of making ready false reviews and writing false info on site visitors violation tickets.

Prefectural police additionally plan to return fines paid by violators within the revoked circumstances, which is able to quantity to greater than 30 million yen.

OSAKA (TR) – Osaka Prefectural Police have arrested a male suspect after a stabbing incident in downtown Osaka City left a 17-year-old boy useless and two others injured late Saturday, experiences the Sankei Shimbun (Feb. 15).

At shortly after 11:50 p.m., a passerby to a industrial constructing close to the Dotonbori River in Chuo Ward known as police. “People are being stabbed,” the caller mentioned.

According to police, Takanosuke Kamata, a resident of Nara Prefecture, was stabbed a number of instances, together with within the chest. He was later confirmed useless.

Two different male victims, additionally 17, had been additionally stabbed within the higher physique and brought to a hospital. One of the 2 victims is in important situation, police mentioned.

A witness mentioned, “Everyone was screaming and running around, running around like crazy. I saw one person collapse, and another was being given CPR.”

After the incident, the suspected perpetrator fled the scene whereas nonetheless holding a knife. However, police mentioned on Sunday that they’ve taken a person in his 20s into custody.

Police are investigating the incident as homicide.