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A Diet member's wife discovers her husband is conducting an illicit affair. It's not so much that she objects -- politicians' dalliances with geisha or bar floozies are a dime a dozen -- but the timing is inauspicious. An election is scheduled just weeks away, and the polls indicate the contest may be a close one.
Revelations of his extramarital dalliances in the tabloid media might cost him his seat.
What to do? Perhaps the wife will seek out the services of specialized profession referred to as "Wakaresase-ya." These detective agency staff can be mobilized, working alone or in teams, to destroy a relationship.
Their activities were first widely reported about a decade ago, and they even inspired a 2001 TV drama series on the NTV network titled "Wakaresase-ya."
Such agencies are very much still practicing their trade.
But in the first known case of its kind, one such mission, reports Shukan Shincho (Dec 31-Jan 7), ended in a fatality. On Dec 15, Takashi Kuwabara, a 31-year-old former investigator at a detective agency, went on trial in the Tokyo District Court on charges of homicide.
A reporter at a national daily tells the magazine that in 2007, Kuwabara seduced a woman at the behest of her husband, who wanted to catch her in the act and initiate divorce in a manner that would convince the family court to give him custody of their children.
"The sting was set up so that Kuwabara would seduce the woman and guide her to a hotel, where his partner was lurking with a hidden camera," the reporter tells the magazine.
The ruse was successful; confronted with the photographic evidence, the woman had no case. But Kuwabara continued to see her. He had initially told the woman that he worked in the IT sector. When she eventually found out his real job, a violent confrontation ensued, during which Kuwabara allegedly strangled the woman to death.
The woman's ex-husband, who had no involvement in her subsequent murder, was nevertheless implicated to the degree that he had initially retained Kuwabara's services.
The Chiyoda Ward-based Japan Investigation Industries Association, with some 380 members, went on record as saying it opposes such services.
"We believe the practice of 'wakaresase-ya' goes against public order and morals and have advised member companies to voluntarily refrain from undertaking such jobs," says a spokesperson for the association. "There have been cases where crooked operators charged as much as 8 million yen for a job.
"I suppose companies may still be taking on numerous cases without recording them as such. It's difficult to get a picture of how much of this goes on."
In addition to the relatively low rate of success, many clients find that the jobs entrusted to these pros create a whole new set of troubles. But that seems no hindrance to those determined to use them.
"With the recent boom in divorce among middle-aged and elderly people, the wakaresase-ya business has nowhere to go but up," an inside source informs Shukan Shincho.
One can't be too careful these days, the magazine warns.
© Japan Today
25 Comments
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goddog
I have mine stashed too anderstungtwist. But, I want to get back stolen money from the yen side. If one wants a clean divorce, and you are a gaijin, you can always use your wild card...sorry honey, I am going to quit my job and go back to my home country. Sayonara, sayonara sayonara.
anderstungtwist
I've got my money stashed. Wife has no idea about it.
nath
Sounds like the Japanese version of "Cheaters", which is popular here in the U.S.
pathat
Wrecking a relationship doesn't come cheap
There is no reason to start an affair in Japan. It's so much simpler just to pay for a no-strings-attached good time every now and then when you get the itch and then go on your way.
kwbrow2
If Japan had a clear set of divorce laws and enforced them then this sort of business and these sorts of problems should disappear. Since the divorce laws are not clear and NOT enforced insaneness follows. The family laws in Japan must change and be enforced. It is the only way to protect the children.
bdiego
Regardless of trying to get dirt on your ex, this is just not the way to do it. They'll take your money and won't guarantee results, and they could even blackmail you if you try to back out. It sounds like most of the time they get nothing anyways. They're a business, not a charity.
This is one more reason for no fault divorces, where you simply use common sense and let everyone be as happy as possible given the circumstances. How about that idea?
Himajin
Yeah! The only country in the world with private detective services!
KitsuneYoukai
If trust is an issue and you feel you just have to know and hire a private detective, what to do when you find out the truth, just leave. People just don't want to pay for the consequences of their actions and resort to stupid crimanl acts.
Once trust is lost you will never truely believe that person; regain that trust.
seesaw
Wow! J people would go to such an extend? Kowaiiiiiiiiiii
gogogo
J politicians are morons, just Samuri wannabe's, if you can't handle your wife how are you suppose to handle the country? If you cheat what do you expect to happen? Sort of shows your commitment to things doesn't it...
ca1ic0cat
the Porsche is always cheaper in the long run.
thepro
lol, tabloid press
melomeg
Even if the source is half-credible...Who cares? Just a bunch of mental midgets with half the intelligence of the so-called 'floozies' falling over themselves for more than a couple of yen.....I guess the poilitician wishes he was in Paris, district 4 now...he'd stroll home
dolphingirl
If you have lost all trust in your partner, then you're relationship is over. Why bother hiring people to tell you what you already know.
kyoken
There are no provable facts in this sensationalistic report that go beyond one case that went horrible wrong. How many such agencies are out there and how many divorce cases are based on such services?
As it stands now the report looks very much like yarase.
Badsey
More adults behaving badly and not being good parents.
goddog
sctaber56, it is not the divorcem it is how will you pay off a mansion or house mortgage after the split when it is worth nothing from when you bought it. 50 50 0 on the split? both owe the bank 50 % of the loss. ???? All crazy
gogogo
These services are just blackmail services, if they don't find dirt on what you are looking for they keep saying "we need to look further into it".. charge you more money, if you want to get out they find dirt on you.
sctaber56
What a sad, sad way to make a living - such bottom feeders...Why does divorce have to be such nasty and often very expensive business?
TumbleDry
5SpeedRacer5: no way. men think with their weer.
stirfry
bar floozies deserve political floozies, which japan is full of
5SpeedRacer5
“We believe the practice of ‘wakaresase-ya’ goes against public order and morals and have advised member companies to voluntarily refrain from undertaking such jobs,” says a spokesperson for the association. “There have been cases where crooked operators charged as much as 8 million yen for a job."
Well, they are all crooked operators really. This is a crime in some countries and states in the US. Using blackmail to force someone to give up rights in a contract will usually land you in jail. Marriage is certainly a contract. There is the added hazard of burning in hell for eternity for breaking up a marriage, but that is just icing on the cake.
I would arrange a double sting. If I suspected someone wanted to seduce me for my wife's benefit, I would do some recording of my own as I played along, and I would send my spouse to jail. I get the kids, she gets a prison cell. Nice.
ahocchau
"bar floozies" that is priceless :)
GW
blackmail has been around for a while, thats all this is