News On Japan

Osaka: Police find manual detailing how to rip-off customers with claw crane machines

Dec 25 (tokyoreporter.com) - As a part of the investigation into the rigging of arcade games, Osaka Prefectural Police have discovered a manual used by employees that detailed how to ensure that customers never won prizes, reports TBS News

On Saturday, police found that two of five game centers managed by Amusement Trust, both located in the Minami entertainment area, had claw crane machines - whereby a player directs attempts to grab a prize with a mechanical arm - rigged such that winning is impossible.

Six employees, who were arrested on suspicion of fraud, said that Takeshi Odaira, the 33-year-old president of the company, taught them how to rig the games. However, the president, who was sent to prosecutors on Monday, denies the charges.

According to police, four women were defrauded by the suspects in inserting a total of 470,000 yen into such machines without claiming a single prize.

In the latest development, police also arrested Akinori Tsukuda, a 30-year-old shop assistant, with producing a manual that instructed employees how to deceive customers. The manual, which was distributed to all of the parlors, told employees to give customers turns at the machines at no charge and "target tourists since they are unlikely to cause trouble."

In playing such a game, customers are charged between 500 yen and 10,000 yen for a chance to claim a variety of a prizes, including stuffed animals and tablet computers.

According to police, an employee would demonstrate in front of a customer that it is possible to win. However, before a customer played the settings of the machine would be changed such that the mechanical arm could not retrieve a prize.

New cases surface

In the initial investigation, police found 30 cases of fraud related to the rigging of machines at the game centers since 2015. The losses totaling about 6 million yen.

Since the initial arrests over the weekend, however, 80 additional reports of fraud have surfaced. The total amount lost in these cases is estimated at 1.65 million yen, police said.

Source: ANNnewsCH

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

The streets of Shibuya became a chaotic scene during the year-end party season, with excessive drinking leading to public disorder. People were found sleeping on the streets, fights broke out among groups of young revelers, and police and emergency services were frequently called to intervene.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has unveiled a new passport design set to be issued from March next year. The new system will allow online applications not only for renewals but also for new passport requests. Submitting an original family register certificate will no longer be required for online applications.

The next generation of solar cells, known as perovskite solar panels, are ultra-thin, lightweight, and bendable. The Japanese government has set a goal of achieving the equivalent of the energy output from 20 nuclear reactors with perovskite solar cells by 2040. With their use set to expand in various locations next year, 2024 is being called "the dawn of domestic perovskite."

The number of teachers taking mental health leave reached a record high of 7,119 in the 2023 fiscal year at public schools across Japan.

Japan's Ministry of Justice has released this year’s crime white paper, revealing that the number of recognized penal code offenses increased for the second consecutive year.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

A Lawson convenience store has opened in Ryujin Village, Wakayama Prefecture, bringing a much-needed lifeline to a rural community left without a supermarket. The store, which operates 24/7, was established through the passion of its owner, Atsushi Yamada, who sought to give back to the village where his grandfather was born.

Santa takes to the skies, delivering presents to southern islands. From the rear of an open transport aircraft, boxes equipped with parachutes descend to the ground, marked by the glow of a blue light. These deliveries, bringing joy to residents of remote islands in the South Pacific, are part of an international joint exercise involving Japan's Air Self-Defense Force since 2015.

Japan's Ministry of Justice has released this year’s crime white paper, revealing that the number of recognized penal code offenses increased for the second consecutive year.

Police in Kitakyushu have arrested Masanori Hirahara, a 43-year-old unemployed man living near the crime scene, on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with the stabbing of two junior high school students at a fast-food restaurant.

Influenza cases in Japan have surged since early December, with a sharp increase in patient reports per medical institution. At a Towa Pharmaceutical factory in Yamagata, demand has exceeded supply despite last year’s facility expansion.

Police have arrested Takashima Nozomu, a 64-year-old author on suspicion of leaving a body in his apartment in Shinagawa, Tokyo.

An elderly woman was stabbed by another woman inside Kobe’s Sannomiya subway station, leading to the suspect’s arrest at the scene on charges of attempted murder.

Japanese 'kira-kira names,' with atypical pronunciation or meaning, could soon be partially accepted under certain conditions, according to proposed guidelines from Japan's Ministry of Justice.