＜Serial Reporting Chapter 4＞ Darkness hidden inside an arson attack against the residence of a Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Profile: Shunsuke Yamaoka
CEO and editor in chief of Access Journal

Born in Ehime prefecture, on August 1959. Majored a Japanese history course at Hosei Graduate School but dropped out during master degree. For over two and half years, worked as an editorial staff at a small editorial production company and became a freelance journalist at age 29. Since January 1991, while be a full time staff reporter at Shukan Taishu, a weekly tabloid, contributed a number of scandal scoops mainly for Uwasano-Shinso, Zaikai-Tenbo and other magazines.
Published books: “AMWAY Nobody writes about” (Apple publishing company), “ Silver Bank a Case of records of tapping by Takefuji Ltd.,” (Sou publishing company), “ Undercover reportage into Fukushima Daiichi A truth of highly contaminated sites and nuclear workers”(Futaba publishing company).
On December 2nd, 2003, his articles drove a then chairman of Takefuji ltd., Mr. Yasuo Takei who was one of the leading world’s billionaires, into a jail.
In July 2005, someone set a fire on his house. In that evening, he was sued for defamation over the article claiming that the perpetrator of the arson attack was alleged to the cause of the trouble over Tamio Araki, a chairman of Pashikon, a world’s famous construction consulting company. However, he won the case.
His online independent media, “Access Journal” was introduced as a paid online site which reports the backside of backsides of the news by “Media Times” at a colum of Asahi Newspaper. As a pioneer on online media industry, he has made comments to the interview by NHK broadcaster at a broadcasting program called “News Watch 9” under the title of “ demerit of the deceasing information paper.

The first serial reporting of this theme discovered the fact that Nobuyuki Saeki( later he became a member of city council in Shimonoseki city), a then former secretary of Shinzo Abe, a previous Prime Minister of Japan,being fearful of a powerful emergence by a mayoral candidate who was an opponent rival for Shizo Abe camp, requested Saichi Koyama (with 8 previous criminal records) to sabotage the election campaign of Koga during mayoral election period, that was quoted by the juridical papers and other evidences. It was a trigger of the arson attack case against a residence of Shizo Abe in Shimnoseki city, Yamaguchi prefecture.
Regarding this case, Riki Takeda, a responsible staff of Shizo Abe office in the city, who was a then OB of Yamaguchi Prefectural Police Department signed on “the letter of confirmation ”which the Abe office was required to reward Koyama after the special assignment.
The trouble has been going over the threshold since when the Abe side did not execute their promises. Koyama was so outraged that he revealed that the arson attack was alleged to be caused together by a head of Kudokai, a special designated Yakuza group (Kitakyusyu city).
Then, at the second serial reporting, I introduced the former local reporter in the city who disclosed the intimate exclusive interviews with Koyama himself during the conflict.
Increasingly more, at the third serial reporting, I exposed the absurd behavior of Saeki, a then secretary of the Abe office who is in the mid of mysterious allegation, screaming to me, “I will call for police!!”
On contrary to the attitude of Saeki, another important profile, whom I will introduce here at the fourth serial reporting, simply admitted to me (Access Journal) that he had signed on the letter of confirmation.
However, what Takeda made himself excused for his behavior is that he had signed on it without looking over its content because a section manager of Koyama’s company persistently visiting him in a request of his signature.
Also, he defended himself explaining that he gave a signature over the fees of 10 copies of the tabloids scandal articles about Koga’s love affair sex scandal that were distributed across the city during the mayoral election campaign. He claimed that he have a signature simply to keep the promise
over the payment of the copies.
But this type of story is hard to trust in, given the fact that the copy fees costed only 1000 yen, he was able to pay him in cash on site immediately. Additionally, barely possible to belive that a chief and responsible secretary of Shinzo Abe office, who is OB of Yamaguchi Prefectural Office, gave a signature on the letter without screening what it was written. In this case, Takeda paid Koyama 3 million yen as Koyama urged him so hard. It is not 1000 yen. It is 3 million yen. (Regarding this case, strangely, Koyama was pardoned for being released after the police arrested him for blackmail).
Here described below, I will write down as much as details during our sudden hit coverage to a house of Takeda in Shimonoseki city. During our interview, Takeda said and behaved as if he had been interviewed many times before in regards to this case of the letter of confirmation, however, it is hard to trust what he addressed.
Mainstream media in Japan, did not pursue the investigation into this case which would turn into a scandal of Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister ( in that time). Only a few local newspapers reported about it, relying exclusively on police resource. Therefore, even this arson attack case itself has been
barely known to the public in Tokyo.
Kyodo News Agency, only, has attempted to report this case relevant to the scandal of Shinzo Abe Prime Minister in that time, like my news media,without believing in all what Takeda excused. It was the case in 2006.
However, the top executive level at Kyodo News Agency, scrapped this scandals reports into trush due to the fear over loosing their new office in Pyongyang, North Korea by provoking the strong reaction of Shizo Abe; they were fearful for the anticipated reaction from the authorities after publishing this scandal with Abe criticism.
(Photo= “ABE Scandal crushed by Kyodo News Agency”/ GENDAI December issue,2006)

—- I would like to listen to your story, regarding the fact there was a signature of Mr. Takeda, I mean you, sir, on the letter of confirmation handed by Koyama.
Takeda: You know, he demanded me fees of copies. (Articles of womanized scandal of Mr. Koga). I mean, a weekly tabloid. Saeki, another secretary was around there in and out the office…and he then started copying it after I showed it to Koyama side
—-I and also another reporter of my acquaintance, visited Koyama for interviews when he was released immediately after the police arrested him (in the case of the blackmail allegation for 3 million against Saeki, a then secretary of Abe) and he said to us, that Abe office promised him that they would arrange a favor for his construction busines in return of his commitment for sabotage over a mayoral election campaign .(Photo Above= Scandal article of Koga love affair= “Asahi Geino”, October 5th, 1995)
Takeda: It cannot be true.
ーー Dear Sir, would you listen to me. So, he, Koyama produced us, an evidence, a letter of confirmation. And, then I tried to look and found your signature, Mr. Takeda.
Takeda: This might be a signature of mine over the fees of 10 copies of the scandal article. One copy costed 100 yen, so 10 copies amounted to 1000yen. Then, I paid him with my money as it was small amount. Koyama, then went for copying it.
ーー What was about the letter of confirmation?
Takeda: You said letter of confirmation..but it is just my single letter.
ーーIs it true that you wrote it?
Takeda: I only wrote down my name. Koyama was telling us that Shizo-sensei (Abe) should have gave him some favo verbally. In the letter of confirmation, nothing as details was inscribed. It is sure, that I wrote my signature. However, even after writing on it, Koyama never, even once has requested me for the monetary reward.
ーーBut, Mr. Saeki has surely paid him 3 million yen (Photo above=“Yamaguchi Newspaper” on December 4th, 2003)
Takeda: I think he (Saeki) was feeling responsible as many things happened. The initial purpose of Koyama was to grab a monetary reward on his first aim.
ーーNormally, anyone would start copying a letter of confirmation after reading through it?
Takeda: It is not about the letter of confirmation, you think of… It is something asking me for urgent help, so I gave my signature with one letter word.
ーーHe asked you to sign on a paper or something?
Takeda: You are right. He told me that he will be in trouble if money will not be provided for copies matter.
ーーAfter all, Koyama did not visit your house, Mr. Takeda or the office of Abe with its letter?
Takeda: No matter however he wanted, he was not able to visit us. Not at all. The course of this matter is recognized well by the sectional manger(at a former company of Koyama)…and then, he had given several people after copying the articles with 10 units
ーー(If Koga was elected, Shimonoseki would be run by North Korea)..You mean the one telling that the city will be overtaken by North Korea? (Photo Above=One brochure of election sabotage, which Koyama allegedly distributed)
Takeda: It was done by a sectional manager of Koyama’s company, I mean the copies of it
ーーOh, a sectional manager at Keiyu Kaihatsu Ltd.,?
Takeda: Yes, you are right. I think he is running away.
ーーI have tried to visit as many relevant people as possible for this case, but none of them appeared to me. Only one profile was found but he entirely shut a door in front of us.
Takeda: It is because many people have visited him from many places. It is a fact that I wrote my own names. It was so bothering that he visited me everyday. He argued with me that making copies of the article would cost him 1000 yen. Therefore I gave my signature.. imagining that it would cost merely 1000 yen in total. If you need me explaining, I can repeat my explanation again and again.
ーーBut, you have never heard that your signature was misused for wrong cause?
Takeda: Not at all. He never visited me again.
ーーDid he visit at the office of Abe or Abe himself directly?
Takeda: No, he has not (Photo next= An apartment of Mr. Takeda visited by our direct hit coverage)
ーー(At a letter of confirmation), What you have promised at the letter of confirmation that leads to consequence of an arson attack case?
Takeda: He was misusing it, to procure 100 million yen from us. He wanted to take advantage of it. But, I did not imagine that he was that bad guy.
ーーKoyama is released out of the prison…XX Construction ltd., he is there,that I heard from one of the resources.
Takeda: I see, its president of XX Construction Ltd., has known him for long time well.
ーーWith Koyama??
Takeda: Yes. XX Construction Ltd., has fallen into bankruptcy, I guess.
ーーNo you are not right. I doubt if Koyama is there since a dormitory building of the company was turned into a nursey house in a business running.
Takeda: Koyama has never called to me at all.
ーーHe has not contacted you since after he was released out of the prison?
Takeda: No no… Because, I am sure that his sectional manager has already talked to Koyama about the 10 copies of the scandal article ( Photo next=An apartment where an office of Koyama, Keiyu Kaihatsu Ltd., was accommodated in. In that time, a then secretary of Saeki was said to be coming in and out its office very often)
ーーYou mean, that you gave your signature and gave it to the sectional manager of Keiyukai Ltd., as he was making a fuss about it repeatedly?
Takeda: You are right. It is not Koyama who visited me. I forgot the name of the manager since it was 10 years ago. It is hurting me with disgrace that you guys are interviewing me for the matter of Koyama. What he is relevant to Abe?
ーーIf the letter of confirmation was the one, officially agreed mutually….
Takeda: No, it was not something you think of
ーーYou wrote your name on what?
Takeda: The letter reads like one or few sentences, but it was never like a letter of confirmation. Since I was asked to write my name, then I wrote it on it. It is not relevant to what you call a letter of confirmation.
ーーYou wrote your name because he was so loud, making big noise?
Takeda: You are right, if I explain simply. I thought it was not a big deal.
ーーYou thought that you would pay him over the simple bill of copy fee yourself like you were requested for the payment of copy fees on weekly tabloid article?
Takeda: Even in such a procedure, I gave my signature since it was a matter of monetary issue, He means, “I(Takeda) have a responsibility and I am responsible for it.
ーーHe cheated you?
Takeda: It is a fact that he made copies of it. It is a fact that he gave the tabloid scandal article writing about Koga. I think, it is a fact that the sectional manager of Koyama said that he would have made 10 copies of it. He said that he had gave several copies to someone because of the order by Koyama. That’s all, he said. But, fundamentally, it was an order by SHINZO (Shinzo Abe), I guess.