crime

'They’re full': Restaurant worker arrested for obstructing competing businesses

10 Comments
By SoraNews24

Tokyo Metropolitan Police last month arrested Shoho Kimoto for “obstruction of business” in what has to be the most literal application of this law I have ever come across.

According to news reports, the 25-year-old restaurant worker would hang out on the streets of Shinjuku and when seeing people approach a competitor he would pretend to be a fellow diner, feeding them a line such as, “They told me it’s full,” or, “I heard it’s a 20 minute wait here.”

For every patron Kimoto could redirect into his employer’s eatery, he would receive a commission based on what they ate and drank. NHK reported that he was raking in about 400,000 yen a month this way.

Kimoto’s job was supposed to entail standing outside his own restaurant and beckoning people to come inside, but according to police he noticed customers talking to each other about places being full so he just copied what they did.

However, just before his arrest on April 20, he seemed to have gotten too overzealous and actually pretended to be the staff of a competing restaurant. Checking the waiting list he dishonestly told a party of six that “his” restaurant was full, but that an “affiliated” place up the street had a table available.

This elaborate ruse must have caught the attention of someone who then tipped off police, all of which ultimately resulted in Kimoto’s arrest.

Sources: Livedoor News, NHK

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© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

10 Comments
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You've got to give him credit for being creative.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

This is more common than the article makes out, not only in Japan. I am sure this Kimoto guy did not invent it first.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I need Shoho to go and tell the ladies that the guys they're after are busy and it'll be a few years wait, but I'm available.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Thanks for the brilliant idea Kimoto san.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

This is an honest question, and I just want to understand the meaning of giving credit to creativity :) Is it ok to give credit when the solution he came up with was to deceive people and snatch clients from competitors? I was under the impression that creativity involves finding solutions within the bounds of rules.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Reminds me of a pan handler in a way. But he was being paid decently.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Seen similar here for years.

Guys/gals pulling/directing you into another place.

Law is supposed to restrict them how far away they can advertise, hand out fliers.

Kind of reminds me of the old Prostitution laws where they couldn't cross painted lines/strips but were fine as long as on them.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I've seen this before... not that original. He seems to have gone a little bit more over the top, though.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Looks like something Osomatsu would do.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Is it ok to give credit when the solution he came up with was to deceive people and snatch clients from competitors? I was under the impression that creativity involves finding solutions within the bounds of rules.

According to Google, the definition of creativity is:

the use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness

No mention of obeying some set of rules or morality. In fact, not obeying rules and thinking outside the box is actually a part of some of the definitions.

You can appreciate someone's creativity even if you disagree with (or downright hate) what it's being applied to.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

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