Latest news with #NatsunoOtahara
Asahi Shimbun
3 days ago
- Asahi Shimbun
Man arrested in Japan's largest individual online gambling case
Police seized a notebook from the suspect that detailed his 'winning strategies' for online casinos. (Natsuno Otahara) Police have arrested a 38-year-old man on suspicion of online gambling in what is believed to be the largest individual case of its kind in Japan, involving bets worth tens of billions of yen. Makoto Chomabayashi is accused of wagering 90 million yen ($625,500), mainly on baccarat, on the global casino site Stake between August 2022 and April this year, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. The suspect, from Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, admitted to the allegations, saying he was aware that online gambling is illegal in Japan but believed he wouldn't get caught. 'News reports said there were hundreds of thousands of players in Japan, so I thought I was only the tip of the iceberg,' he said. However, investigators suspect he is much more than that and believe he placed bets totaling 28 billion yen, the largest amount ever attributed to one individual in an illegal gambling case in Japan. Despite the massive amount wagered, Chomabayashi likely ended up losing 40 million yen. He is also suspected of acting as an affiliate marketer for the casino site. To attract new users, he posted images of gambling wins on X under the alias 'Meikyo Shisui'—a term from Chinese philosophy meaning a 'clear and serene mind.' Investigators believe he referred over 100 players to the platform and earned 7 million yen in commissions since April 2023. The suspect said he was motivated by a desire for recognition, noting that praise for his big scores boosted his self-worth. According to a recent National Police Agency survey, an estimated 3.37 million people in Japan have gambled through online casinos, with total bets reaching 1.24 trillion yen annually. Alarmingly, 40 percent of users were unaware their activities were illegal under Japanese law. In response, the government has revised its policies on illegal gambling, introducing stricter regulations targeting affiliate marketers and third-party payment processors.
Asahi Shimbun
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Asahi Shimbun
Harder test eyed for foreigners seeking Japanese driver's licenses
Foreign motorists visit the Samezu Driver's License Center of Metropolitan Police Department in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward on May 20. (Natsuno Otahara) The National Police Agency is reviewing the 'very easy' procedure of converting foreign driver's licenses into Japanese ones following a huge surge in applicants and a pair of shocking traffic accidents. According to the NPA, the conversion procedure, which started in 1933, requires a driving test and a knowledge test. Applicants can pass the knowledge test if they correctly answer seven of 10 true-or-false questions. The system was initially intended to make it easy for Japanese people living overseas to drive again in Japan after their return. However, the number of foreign people using this system jumped 2.2 times from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, of the 60,010 people who obtained driving permits in Japan, 93.4 percent, or 56,022, were foreign nationals. Most of them were Vietnamese, at 15,807, followed by 11,247 Chinese. Driver's license centers have become so crowded with people trying to convert foreign driver's licenses that Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department started requiring reservations for the service. In some cases, applications were completed on subsequent days because of the long waiting lines. The NPA said 44 prefectures have adopted a reservation system. Only Chiba, Saitama and Fukuoka prefectures do not require reservations to convert licenses. EASY-TO-OBTAIN LICENSE A 35-year-old Chinese man who came to the Samezu Driver's License Center in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward on May 20 to convert his license said he lives in Tokyo and needs a Japanese driver's license to enjoy traveling by car. 'Many Chinese say on social media that the questions are very easy,' he said. A 29-year-old man from Sri Lanka at the center also said the knowledge test was simple. Another problem pointed out with the system is that temporary accommodations, including hotel rooms or acquaintance's homes, can be listed as the 'place of stay' in the registration form. 'If the driver's address is temporary, we will have no idea of their location if something happens,' said Hirokazu Kato, a professor specializing in transportation policy at Nagoya University's graduate school. 'If the quality and the level are not ensured, trust in the Japanese driver's license could be questioned.' Foreigners can gain additional benefits from changing licenses in Japan. If they obtain an international driver's license after getting a Japanese one, they can drive in about 100 signatory countries to the 1949 Geneva Conventions. 'For foreigners whose countries are not signatories, the advantages of obtaining a driving permit in Japan are huge. They may also be aware that the knowledge test for the Japanese driver's license is easy,' Kato said. The NPA is considering increasing the number of knowledge test questions and verifying addresses through resident cards, except for Japanese nationals who have moved abroad. On May 21, LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Itsunori Onodera visited the Samezu Driver's License Center and took the knowledge test. He later told reporters he believed there was room for improvement regarding the number of questions. The license conversion system was earlier discussed at the Lower House Budget Committee on March 3. 'We will continue to review the system and its operation,' National Public Safety Commission Chairman Manabu Sakai said. TWO ACCIDENTS In May, a vehicle driven by a Chinese man hit four elementary school pupils in Saitama Prefecture, causing serious and minor injuries. He was later arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and hit-and-run. A few days later, a Peruvian man drove a car in the wrong direction on the Shin-Meishin Expressway in Mie Prefecture, causing an accident that injured four women, police said. According to investigators, the Chinese and Peruvian drivers both obtained Japanese licenses by converting their foreign licenses. (This article was written by Daichi Itakura and Natsuno Otahara.)
