Gangster trio held for confining ex-Nova president in hotel room

Wednesday 30th September, 10:50 AM JST

TOKYO —

A 38-year-old member of organized crime syndicate Yamaguchi-gumi and two other men were arrested on Monday for forcibly confining Nozomu Sahashi, 58, former president of English conversation school chain Nova Corporation, police said Tuesday.

Sahashi traveled to Tokyo last Friday and his lawyers became concerned when they were no longer able to contact him. They contacted police who found out he was being held against his will in a hotel room in Nihonbashi. Police freed Sahashi at around 3 p.m. Monday.

Ryuichi Mimura, 38, a member of the Yamaguchi-gumi, and two other men were arrested for illegally confining Sahashi between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m Monday. Mimura was quoted by police as saying: “We were just with him, we weren’t keeping him in the room.” Sahashi was not injured in the incident, police said.

Sahashi was found guilty of embezzlement by the Osaka District Court in August, after redirecting 320 million yen from the Nova employee’s welfare program to a company account to facilitate the payment of refunds to students in 2007. He was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in jail but has appealed the decision.

News reports

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Latest 15 of 28 Total Comments Show All

elbudamexicano at 12:41 PM JST - 30th September

During the "Bubble economy" it was common knowledge that any ding bat yakuza could come up with making Eikaiwa English schools, take in as much money as possible and when things turned sour, the yakuza and the owners off all of these "English schools" suddenly dissapered, so Saruhashi owing money to Japan's biggest mafia, the Yamaguchi gumi kai, is no surprise, no surprise at all!
Phillyprnc at 01:04 PM JST - 30th September

"Maybe they just wanted to get their trophies and memorable back."

HA HA HA!!! THAT made me laugh out loud!! thanks!!!
shinjiikari45 at 01:42 PM JST - 30th September

they were probably playing sudoku inside the hotel room...hehe... :)
dbung10 at 02:49 PM JST - 30th September

Sahashi was not injured in the incident* shame
ratpack at 03:46 PM JST - 30th September

I thought it was common knowledge that the real owners of Nova were the yakuza. Very easy way to clean money, and besides why do you think Nova could afford the over the top advertising they plastered all about every town and magazine. Explains why they had him holed up in a room. Seems to me he didn't embezzle from the English school..he embezzled from the yakuzas.
bobbafett at 04:24 PM JST - 30th September

he must have something stashed offshore that the Yaks could get out of him.
Jbizzle at 04:43 PM JST - 30th September

Yeinats: classic. I miss OJ.
Cicada at 06:51 PM JST - 30th September

ratpack:

I thought it was common knowledge that the real owners of Nova were the yakuza. Very easy way to clean money...

Yes, many guys would be told to sign up, never show up for lessons, and take the refund, or not even bother with the refund, since it's Yamaguchi money anyway. NOVA was a good money laundering front.

klein2

he would use their subsidiary companies to buy furniture and indoor plants at incredibly inflated prices.

Yet another scheme to launder money. Who knows just how many schemes they had in play?

forcibly confining Nozomu Sahashi, 58, former president of English conversation school chain Nova Corporation

Did he take money from them, or are they worried he may be talking too much? Interesting.
knews at 11:54 PM JST - 30th September

I'd always heard that Nova was connected with dodgy loan companies (like Aiful and Acom) so students could easily get credit to pay for lessons in instalments... That would possibly explain gangster links to Sa(ru)hashi.
usaexpat at 12:27 AM JST - 1st October

Must be Sahashi owes the yaks some money.
tokyotom at 06:46 AM JST - 1st October

maybe they had voice room tickets they couldn't use they sure can't type where is anders lundquist?
isthistheend at 07:45 AM JST - 1st October

I think they just wanted him to introduce them to a nice looking female English teacher or two.
Scrote at 12:03 PM JST - 1st October

I suspect Mr Sahashi was just about to commit "suicide" before the police arrived.
Yelnats at 03:56 PM JST - 1st October

Maybe they just wanted to get their trophies and memorable back.
Youdontknow at 12:33 AM JST - 6th October

If he was sentenced to prison time, why is he not there now?