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How Kyoko Kano accumulated her weatlth

It has been just over a month since Kyoko Kano, 45, reported to police that her real sister Harue went missing with 400 million yen worth of items, including a 300-million yen diamond. The sisters’ feud is most likely to be settled in court, but the case has got many people wondering how Kyoko earned the “gorgeous life” that she lives.

In an interview in the April 5-12 edition of the weekly magazine “Josei Seven,” Kyoko says that she has had several patrons in the past.

“I don’t deny the existence of these people who had given me finance or helped me to get my businesses going. Depending on a person’s view, some may see such people as lovers,” she conceded.

In the article, three persons were mentioned as patrons, including a now deceased business tycoon, referred to as Mr Y, who was famous for wearing bowties, and a former prime minister whose administration lasted a relatively long period.

“I have no intention whatsoever to mention individual names,” Kyoko said. However, the financial industry has been thrown into a commotion trying to figure out the identity of Mr Y.

It was in the late 1990s when the Kano Sisters emerged into the spotlight as “gorgeous sisters.” Their private life has remained mostly a mystery even after the media exposure, so it is a rare instance that a certain individual was named, even if it is only by his initial.

“Mr Y used to own several businesses, including hotels,” one industry insider told Shukan Post. “He especially liked Mika Kano and he invited her to his country house in Izu. I heard that Kyoko made the initial contact when she told him that she wanted to learn about stocks.”

Another industry insider suggests that Kyoko built strong ties with people in the financial industry through Kenichi Takemura.

“Kyoko used to attend seminars on business management that Takemura presided at,” the industry insider said. “She built up a strong network with top officials of big corporations and politicians at such seminars. She specially had close ties with the chairman of an airline company and a beer company.”

The Kano sisters did attend the opening reception of the now-closed ANA Hotel Sydney in Australia in 1992, accompanied by Takemura.

“Takemura is acquainted with them,” Takemura’s agency said when Shukan Post asked about the relationship between Takemura and the Kano sisters. ”But it was a long time ago. Perhaps she attended the seminars, but we cannot recall for sure.”

When Shukan Post contacted the office of the former PM believed to be the person mentioned in the article, a spokesperson said: “We never heard him speak about such a relationship with the Kano sisters. We don’t think they ever met in person.”

And although the article didn’t say so, the Kanos are also believed to have had a connection with the late Shin Kanemaru, who was known as the “Don in the Diet” when he was active.

“I am not sure how the two first met, but Kanemaru liked Kyoko a lot and used to call her ‘Ojo,’” said a financial industry worker.

Another surprising name has come up, Kisho Kurokawa, an architect who is recently getting much media coverage as he is running for Tokyo governor at the moment. In an interview with Sports Hochi, he said that he will add “a group of beautiful women” to his campaign. “I am thinking of calling the Kano sisters as I’ve known them since before they became famous,” he said in the interview.

Whether these people were patrons or not, remains a mystery, but one can easily imagine that Kyoko had built a strong network in the political and financial worlds and that the network had contributed to her wealth over the years.

In fact, during the bubble era, Kyoko founded a company that imported jewelry, accessories and watches. “The annual sales were at least 1 billion yen. Maybe it was double or triple the amount,” she said.

Her network isn’t limited only domestically. She has ties overseas as well.

Some are mentioned in her autobiography that was released in 2000. In the book she wrote about a rich man giving her tens of million yen when she was just merely a high school student. Then there was a meeting with an oilman whose fortune was worth 80 billion yen. At a casino in Monaco, Kyoko was approached by a man who gave her 500,000 euros. According to her, the same man had also given her a Rolls Royce, Bentley and Mercedez, as well as real estate and stocks.

“I do not think that receiving presents is a bad thing for women,” she said in the interview with Josei Seven about all the gifts. “I have never been ashamed or felt bad about my lifestyle.” (Translated by Toshiya Fujii)

March 29, 2007

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How Kyoko Kano accumulated her weatlth
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How Kyoko Kano accumulated her weatlth
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