TOKYO -- The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD)'s organized crime division announced March 11 the arrest of four men on suspicion of violating the Construction Business Act through unauthorized renovation work.

Unemployed Kaneyuki Shimizu, 49, a resident of the capital's Shibuya Ward, allegedly organized and oversaw multiple deceitful renovation companies involved in repeatedly doing unnecessary work. As the head of a group called "Shimizu-kai," companies under his control are said to have signed at least 800 renovation contracts over a period of roughly five years since around 2019, generating total revenue of approximately 10 billion yen (around $67.5 million).

The suspects are specifically accused of entering contracts for roofing and other services with men in their 50s and 60s in Kanagawa Prefecture between October and November 2023. The work was allegedly priced respectively at 5.3 million and 6.93 million yen (some $35,800 and approx. $46,600), and necessary permits from the national and Kanagawa Prefecture governments were not obtained.

Police have not revealed whether the suspects have admitted to the allegations.

According to the MPD, Shimizu was active on social media, identifying himself as "Super Salaryman Shimizu" while showcasing a lavish lifestyle and interactions with celebrities. He allegedly recruited workers for the affiliated renovation companies, which employed about 150 people at their peak. Authorities have identified the group as an "anonymous and fluid crime group."

The organization's employees were divided into "appointers" who conducted cold-call sales and "closers" who finalized contracts, primarily visiting households in the greater Tokyo area. Employees are thought to have stirred up anxiety among residents through false statements such as, "We were working nearby and could see your roof was damaged," pressuring them into unnecessary contracts. The actual work was subcontracted to third parties, with the affiliated renovation companies reportedly taking half or more of the contract sums.

(Japanese original by Ryo Endo and Ayumu Iwasaki, Tokyo City News Department)