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All the pretty faces and friendly personalities you’ll find at a Japanese maid cafe are there to keep customers coming back, but it’s not like management is always blind to the charms of their female employees. At some point last year, the 28-year-old male manager of a maid cafe in Tokyo’s Akihabara neighborhood, where the maid cafe industry was born, became involved in a romantic relationship with one of the restaurant’s most popular maids.
However, although the man was the cafe’s manager, he wasn’t the owner. At some point he decided he didn’t want to work there anymore, and so he quit, even though the cafe’s owners didn’t want him to, and they weren’t any happier when they found out he’d been dating one of the maids.
The maid cafe, which media reports have alluded to as being Akihabara’s Idol Cafe @Neo, is apparently owned by members of an organized crime syndicate, and the ex-manager says that when some of the owners spotted him outside Tokyo’s Nishi Nippori Station last August, they forced him into a car and drove him to a condominium in the city’s Edogawa Ward, where he was confined for three days.
During that time, according to the police, six members of the yakuza beat the ex-manager, with their methods including hitting him with a hammer, breaking his ribs, and causing other severe injuries. On two separate occasions, the ex-manager’s captors took him to the hospital to receive medical treatment for the wounds they’d inflicted upon him, and on the third day of the ordeal he was able to make his escape and subsequently report the incident to the police.
The six men accused of the kidnapping and assault have denied the charges, but have now been placed under arrest by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police.
Sources: Tele Asa News via Hachima Kiko, YouTube/ANNnewsCH, TBS News
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- External Link
- https://soranews24.com/2020/01/25/maid-cafe-manager-who-dated-one-of-his-maids-says-he-was-kidnapped-and-beaten-by-the-yakuza/
41 Comments
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oldman_13
Lesson learned, don't date people at work.
KnowBetter
Well, the reason this happened was, he wasn't a made guy so his benefits were quite limited.
gogogo
And people still think Yakuza are friendly
Yubaru
This isnt the mafia! The yakuza are equal opportunity employers!
garymalmgren
And the hospital (staff) didn't think to notify the police?
He could have easily been killed.
Gary
SaikoPhysco
Love hurts!
No Business
I once went to a maid cafe to see what all the fuss was about, and it was one of the weirdest, creepiest 30mins of my life. Utter weirdos everywhere.
commanteer
Lesson learned: don't work for the yakuza.
Yakuza don't have a "made guy" system. From what I know, you are pretty well guaranteed to get beat up by your mates on occasion as part of the job.
finally rich
for some reason this kind of thing happen a lot, the bully/perpetrator talking all softly and feining care for its victim after the mental/physical damage is done, almost making you accept the fact and blame yourself. What a strange place.
Disillusioned
Cowardly thugs! What's the bet the guy they kidnapped and beat up is about 5 feet tall and weighs 60 kilos.
RubensT
Where you earn your bread, you don't use your salsage.
Tokyo-Engr
Did anyone notice the irony at the bottom of the article? Almost choked on my coffee on this one...
Kobe White Bar Owner
On two separate occasions, the ex-manager’s captors took him to the hospital to receive medical treatment for the wounds they’d inflicted upon him. J logic at work.
Yubaru
Not anymore than doctors curing a guy before he gets executed!
Mocheake
Sounds like something out of one of the old gangster movies: "Okay Muggsy, let 'im have it an den take 'im to da hospital to get sewn up so's we can let 'im have it agen."
N30N0M3N
The yakuza have stolen a page from the MOJ's playbook.
Macoleco
Didn’t know the Yakuza did this kind of stuff
Segador
No Business:
How much of a possibility that the other weirdos were thinking the same?
Brian Wheway
I love the comment that the yaks kicked the crap out of him, and then they took him to hospital, how kind of them!!! did the kick him up because he dated one on the girls there? or was it because he resigned? or was he skimming some cash out of the till? or all three? and one last thing, how did he pay for his medical treatment? as he wasn't employed anymore.
SaikoPhysco
If it is Sex related..... the Yakuza actually have somewhat of a Mandate from the Japanese Government to handle that vice. Many other countries.... instead of gifting it to organized criminals have just legalized it. Some things.... if there is enough demand and plenty of supply.... you just cannot stop.
TheLongTermer
Akihabara used to be a place you could get just about any electronic gadget or component. Allot of those vendors are gone, and you can get more variety and better/cheaper components now on ebay out of HK or China.
I hate that sick place.
KnowBetter
Next time I put "quotes" on the "word play" to make it "obvious". Maid Cafe, talk about the yakuza, made a joke, maid sounds like made... I can't believe how many of you missed it. Living in Japan is starting to have its effect I reckon.
commanteer
Or you reached too far with a real groaner....just maybe.
Dr Maybe
On two separate occasions, the ex-manager’s captors took him to the hospital to receive medical treatment for the wounds they’d inflicted upon him. J logic at work.
It sounds like something from Monty Python. Only in dear old Japan, hey?
moonbloom
If it is Sex related..... the Yakuza actually have somewhat of a Mandate from the Japanese Government to handle that vice. Many other countries.... instead of gifting it to organized criminals have just legalized it. Some things.... if there is enough demand and plenty of supply.... you just cannot stop.
The yaks are not just in sex-related businesses, they are a core component of Japanese society and are deeply entrenched in all matter of businesses both legit and not, as well as the government (most often as financial supporters of ruling party candidates)...all areas of major entertainment, loads of restaurants, hotels, real estate, construction, etc. They are a major force pushing for the casinos to open sooner rather than later.
juminRhee
And when will this maid cafe be shut down and owners arrested?
lostrune2
That's why he quit and not at work there anymore, lol
Date A Maid
MSR Japan
Often it is about keeping the victim alive and concious enough to endure and understand the suffering they are under going so they get to really appreciate the situation, no fun in just killing em, or knocking em out and leaving em broken to wake up in hospital in a day or to. Its about the suffering and the punishment. Making it last and having them saviour every moment as much as they possibly could. Being beaten up n taken to hospital would make you think there is a kind spirit, then to find once you have been bandaged up and your bones set only to be hauled away by the very thugs who took you there knowing full well you were in for more would surely play with you head wouldnt it?
The memory will linger longer along with the injuries they will live with forever.
Have you guys got no real life experience ?
Tawkeeo
@TheLongTermer
You're starting to remind me of Samit Basu.
You can still get just about anything in Akihabara, and from high quality brands, not cheap knockoffs like those from AliExpress. There's a reason even the Chinese themselves come to Japan for electronics. If you'd rather get an Edifier BT speaker than a Sony, Marshall or Denon... Be my guest lmao.
There are undoubtedly shady businesses in Akiba nowadays but there are fewer than what's projected on the internet. Just because you can get anime, manga, or J-music stuff doesn't make it a sick place.
No one's forcing you to stay in Japan, if it's such a horrible experience for you. That is, if you actually stay here.
Jeff Ko
Don't get involved with yakuza... and the Japanese prosecutors lol
Bobolicious
lol... come on... you don't think these are legit yakuza, do you all? What respectable gangster sends 6 guys to rough up a chump who didn't steal money, didn't owe money, and just dating an employee. Do you think yakuza make more money with maid cafes or soaplands? What... a 2,000 yen scrambled egg set with ketchup smileys is what triggers a yakuza outrage?
kurisupisu
When is Japan going to BAN organized crime syndicates?
Chip Star
Love it! That it was a groaner makes it even better that everyone missed it!
Tom
Look at the links at the bottom of the story. I wonder what International School in Tokyo is letting students study at maid cafes for programming.
rgcivilian1
owned by members of an organized crime syndicate, please the guy knew what risks he was involved with but made his decision anyway. Question remains did the girl follow him with future dates after the beatings.
TheLongTermer
I had read that a FBI guy took a deep look into Japanese industries and found that most of them were connected to or involved with the yaks. I have heard they are connected to any industry that has to do with foreign labor like IT etc.
moonbloom
I had read that a FBI guy took a deep look into Japanese industries and found that most of them were connected to or involved with the yaks. I have heard they are connected to any industry that has to do with foreign labor like IT etc.
Yes that is correct. Unfortunately after the war we (the US) released A list war criminal core yakuza ring leaders and intimate associates from prison such as Kodama Yoshio and Kishi Nobusuke and then actually supported them financially to put the hammer down on student and worker activists. With this assistance the yakuza and their government associates have completely taken over Japanese society...after the Olympics it'll be onto the casino projects.
TheLongTermer
Ive noticed in Japan that for every industry that foreigners are trying to penetrate, there is usually a "gatekeeper" who is the "go to" man to get access to the local accounts, etc. This gatekeeper is usually, according to my experiences, not the most, shall we say, trustworthy individual. Local gaijin talent might me sourced, but not paid. Good way to get a job with big name companies, that is being introduced by this "trusted" insider, but whats actually happening is he is getting a large cut from these naive outsiders.
Dejdeufeu
The article is full of mistranslation.
Only one was involved in the yakuza, and not a member but a former member.
Kotaku is translating correctly.