Big Time Pokemon Guy- Who's Also A Yakuza Leader - Arrested On Charges of Pokemon Theft
Anadolu. Getty Images.
Advertisement
The Tachikawa Precinct of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police have announced the arrest of Keita Saito, a 39-year-old kanbu, or officer, within the Takinogawa Family of Japan’s second-largest organized crime syndicate, the Sumiyoshi-kai. The arrest stems from a break-in that occurred sometime between sundown on December 29, 2022, and sunrise the next day in which Kuboshita broke into an office in the town of Ogano in Saitama, the prefecture bordering Tokyo to the north. During the break-in, 29 pieces of property with a total value of roughly 252,000 yen (US$1,625) were stolen, with the haul including 25 Pokémon cards.
Whomst among us hasn't gone through a Pokemon phase? I know I have. I, like most other really cool people, couldn't wait to get my hands on a high-level card. Cards like my guy Pikachu. We all know Pikachu, right? He’s like the OG Pokemon, super famous and shit. His basic vibe is all about electricity and friendship. Then there’s Charmander, the fire lizard. He’s all about burning stuff up and evolving into this fire dragon called Charizard. Badass for sure. And let’s not forget about Bulbasaur, the chill grass dinosaur with a plant on his back. He’s all about nature and whatnot. Those cards, depending on the type, can fetch a pretty penny so it's no wonder that a Yakuza leader would want to get their highly tattooed fingers on a couple of elite cards.
"Hey Chaps. What is Yakuza?"
Yakuza is basically this big-time Japanese gan. Think old-school Mafia or the Mod. Back in the day, they were all about doing illegal stuff, from gambling to smuggling to protection rackets. Again, the mob but Japanese. These guys were not and are not something to fuck around with.
Clearly, with their Pokemon love, they’re still around, but they kinda switched up their game a bit. They’re not just about crime any more, they got their fingers in all sorts of shit. Some illegal. Some not. But, they still got that traditional Yukaza vibe, with their own codes and rituals that can involve violence, theft, or intimidation.
I lived in Japan for a while and one time I went to the sushi spot. I had never seen it but most sushi spots have this orange lantern type thing that hangs in front of the restaurant. If you see that, like here, you just walk on it. Well, one time me and some fellas walked in that bad boy and what do we see? A group of Japanese dudes which isn't weird in Japan or here I guess but for sure not there. Well, kinda like the mob or members of the bloods or your gang of choice, you get vibes. You get dangerous vibes. The vibes were so thick that me and a group of about 6 Marines were like nah. We walked out. Scary shit.
If I would have known that they were just Pokemon guys, we could have went in there and just started trading. If we did that, maybe this guy doesn't have to steal new cards. But he did, and now there's another Yakuza member in Japanese jail. Sad.