Canadian sex worker turned to fake marriage to pursue cosplay dreams

Aug 02, 2018 | News On Japan

Aug 02, 2018 (tokyoreporter.com) - Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Tuesday arrested a female Canadian cosplay (costume play) enthusiast for allegedly engaging in a fake marriage with a Japanese national two years ago in order to obtain residency, reports Jiji Press.

On June 17, 2016, Shannon Danielle Wong, a 29-year-old resident of Shinjuku Ward, and Narimichi Sasaki, 37, an employee in the construction industry, allegedly filed paperwork for marriage at a ward office in Yokohama without actually intending to live a wedded life.

Wong, who has been accused of forging a notarized document, admits to the allegations, according to the Oi Police Station. â€œLolita fashion is not popular in Canada,â€ said Wong in referring to the trend that features frilly dress, bonnets and knee socks. â€œI can pursue cosplay in Japan with peace of mind.â€ Sasaki also admits to the allegations.

Wong obtained a student visa in 2012. During her four-year stay, she met Sasaki at a cosplay event in the Kabukicho red-light district of Tokyoâ€™s Shinjuku Ward.

Offered 1 million yen

According to police, Wong subsequently offered 1 million yen to Sasaki to engage in a fake marriage so that she could obtain residency. An initial payment of 700,000 yen was to be followed by monthly installments of 30,000 yen each.

In February, an investigation was launched after the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau received an anonymous tip. The results of the investigation revealed that Wong, who is currently employed in the fuzoku (commercial sex) trade, is not living a life of matrimony with Sasaki.

On July 11, police first arrested the pair on immigration violations regarding the submission of an untrue application.

Source: ANNnewsCH

Typhoons No. 28 and 29 Bring High Waves to Japan's Pacific Coast

Two typhoons moving across the Pacific southeast of Japan are expected to remain well away from the Japanese mainland, but powerful swells could bring rough seas to a wide stretch of the country's Pacific coastline throughout the three-day holiday weekend, according to forecasts updated at 3 a.m. on October 10.

Cyberattacks Spread Across Japan

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's First 360-Degree Projection Mapping Opens in Osaka

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

US Military Halts All Okinawa Operations for 48 Hours

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Most Sightings of Fugitive Yoichi Hatta Reported in Kanto

Police in Oita Prefecture have revealed that the Kanto region accounts for the largest number of reported sightings of Yoichi Hatta, a fugitive wanted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident in Beppu in 2022, with authorities preparing to distribute new wanted posters nationwide from November as the search enters its fifth year.