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On May 18, Hiroshi Komabashiri, superintendent of police affairs at Kyushu Prefectural Police headquarters, bowed before reporters and issued a “deep apology” over the recent indiscretions of the men in blue.
As Friday (6/6) reports, between March and May of this year alone, three Fukuoka cops had been arrested and charged with serious offenses. One involved a 48-year-old inspector in the mechanized riot police, who was accused of attempted rape of a woman he'd met in the course of an investigation.
The case that really took the cake, however, was that of Hideaki Maeoka, a 58-year-old patrol inspector assigned to the Tobata police station in Kitakyushu City, who was arrested on suspicion of violating the juvenile protection and anti-prostitution laws.
“The suspect’s main work involved making the rounds in a patrol car, but he got involved in illegal ‘moonlighting’ at a ‘deri-heru’ (delivery health, or outcall sex service) operated by a female acquaintance,” a reporter for a nationally circulated daily tells Friday (6/6). “He conducted job interviews and drove the girls to and from their assignations. He also took calls to the shop.”
Licensed deri-heru services are legal, but limited to erotic massage culminating in oral or manual stimulation. And, needless to say, they may not employ staff under age 18.
“He is also alleged to have interviewed a 17-year-old girl who applied for work at the shop, and personally gave her ‘orientation’ in ‘honban play’ (actual or simulated intercourse) techniques. He cautioned the girl not to let anyone know she was under 18. Last November it appears he fixed her up with a dozen or so customers."
A 36-year veteran of the force, Maeoka had been assigned to Tobata, one of the seven wards in this industrial and port city of 5 million, from 2004.
“He didn’t talk much on the job,” an unnamed colleague tells the magazine. “He gave the impression of being quiet, and didn’t stand out. But he seldom missed work, and came across as a straight arrow. Up to now, he’d received three citations from the top.”
Maeoka’s moonlighting became known when the abovementioned 17-year-old girl was detained the previous November on suspicion of possessing illegal stimulant drugs. Under questioning, the girl admitted she had engaged in intercourse with deri-heru patrons on a regular basis. At this point the investigation was turned over to internal affairs, and in May, Maeoka’s involvement came to light.
“When police showed the girl his photograph, she recognized him as the one who’d interviewed her for the job. That prompted them to file charges,” says the abovementioned reporter.
The “club” where Maeoka moonlighted maintained a stable of about 10 fillies, who, according to its advertisements, ranged “from young girls to housewives.” It charged a basic fee of 13,000 yen for 60 minutes, with other “options” offered for between 5,000 to 10,000 yen.
“When the suspect was arrested, Eriko Ishimatsu, the former operator of the deri-heru (which had closed in February), and her 21-year-old son Kazuya, were also charged,” says the journalist. “They had first become acquainted over a decade ago, when he patronized the snack bar where she worked as a hostess.”
“Maeoka claims he ‘helped out,’ but was never involved in the running of the deri-heru operation,” the reporter continues. “But the prefectural police are alleging he was deeply involved, and getting paid for it.”
The day following the press conference, station chiefs in north Kyushu convened to mull countermeasures to prevent further infringements by their subordinates.
The fundamental duty of the police is “to protect and to serve,” remarks an indignant Friday. In the current state of affairs, the magazine asks, who can we depend upon to maintain law and order?
© Japan Today
23 Comments
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bushlover
Well we've always suspected the cops as some of the biggest crooks anyway so this is not surprising is it?
Altria
That's just sick.
TheguyNextdoor
Man-they talk of those girls like animals in a stable....that is sick.
bushlover
Think of how they talk about Sumo wrestlers. Is there some parallel here? maybe he didn't make so much money off of this moonlighting job of his.
Beelzebub
Man-they talk of those girls like animals in a stable....that is sick.
Um, Nextdoor and bushlover, "stable" appears to be a rather tired cliche, used figuratively by pulp magazine writers to describe brothels. I wouldn't be surprised if it dates back to the 19th century.
borscht
The writer of this article, who is nameless, compares the women (one, at least, underage) to horses. This is sexist and demeaning and a good editor would have caught it, replaced it with something more acceptable, and reprimanded the writer. Is it any wonder the policeman made some extra cash when this kind of attitude (sexism) is so prevalent?
Beelzebub
There is a difference, borscht, between "comparison" and "figurative language." Maybe it's the readers should be reprimanded for never having picked up a book published before the age of political correctness -- or they would have surely recognized an expression that probably dates back to ribald novels like Henry Fielding's "Tom Jones."
TheguyNextdoor
Beelzebub- I am well aware of that, but thanks.
Hughgarse
bow bow. whatever whatever... and still no change.
borscht
I loved "Tom Jones" and "Pamela" but ribald novels of the 18th century and 21st century reporting are on a slightly different plane, in my opinion. There are other expressions - such as some used in Shakespeare - that I don't think the writer of this article would use. Or maybe he would.
saintseiya
“He didn’t talk much on the job,” an unnamed colleague tells the magazine. “He gave the impression of being quiet, and didn’t stand out.
Can this be taken as a hint??? I mean then the J-police would have to arrest 80% of the male population over here . . .lol
thepro
Hundreds of Kitakyushu cops will now be laying low until this blows over
eleewhm
reading this article seems to give us the more insight of what a deri-heru does.. rather than the title of the article itself
GW
people people, the editors of FRIDAY probably EDITED the original blurbs and added the horse stable comments, in case you dont FRIDAY is one of the gossip rags that is exactly why it was written the way it was to sensationalize things.
In anycase J-cops are just doing what comes naturally for j-men arent they, shoganai right! Pathetic
capone
only in japan would attempted rape fall under the label of 'indiscretions'
usaexpat
I don't know YadotNapai thsoe guys who would enjoy servicing female clients should consider that their clients will come in all shapes, sizes and ages (yuck need I say more). Let's just call them prostitutes and be done with it. Anyway, as I posted before the mistake the copper made was hiring a 17 year old otherwise it probably wouldn't have made the news.
netrek
So corrupt! Shameful.
apecNetworks
This is nooooo good.
knucklerap
the population is a shade under a million
1proudamerican
she persued the job.is there a difference between 17yrs and 250 days old and 18yrs old. right or wrong she chose this path.im not pointing any fingers or judging anyone but if she chose not to lell the police how she made her money no ones the wiser.but whats alarming to me,is she may even be younger then 17 if she was dum enough to admit her line of work on top of the dope charge.
KitsuneYoukai
This isn't funny but it is shameful. "People being people." To some degree this is true but in no way right. Very pathetic. "People"-these girls are under age. That ranks it as shameless and criminal period!
shimajiro
Wow, that would meet the legal definition of prostitution in the U.S. I didn't realize such was legal recreation in Japan. Do Japanese wives and courts consider it to be adultery and/or grounds for divorce?
westurn
Again, I've worked with these creeps at the police department, this is common ! Many of the lot I worked with would make maps for each other of the best places to go. Yes indeed, some of Japan's finest spending your tax money on worthwhile endeavors... am I right Cleo ?