Six Executives of Pachinko Parlor Company Arrested for Alleged Election Violations

Six individuals holding executive positions at Derupara, a company managing pachinko parlors, have been arrested for their suspected involvement in directing employees to vote for Yasuhisa Abe during the Upper House election that occurred in July. This announcement was made on August 26 by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department in collaboration with seven other regional police offices, revealing that these executives are believed to have breached the Public Offices Election Law.

The arrested executives, based in Minato Ward, Tokyo, allegedly colluded with managers of the company's pachinko parlors to ensure that around 250 employees cast their votes for Abe, a candidate supported by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Investigations indicate that these executives, including Derupara’s president, Masanori Yamamoto, promised cash rewards of 3,000 to 4,000 yen to employees who would comply with their voting instructions.

Meetings held online on July 2 and 3 saw executive directors Yuasa and Konishi instructing managers to encourage staff to vote for Abe. The situation further escalated when employees were reportedly asked to take photos of their ballots as evidence of their votes for the candidate. While no confirmed reports of payment for these votes have emerged, those who followed the directives could face legal repercussions under the Public Offices Election Law.

As the investigation unfolds, authorities expect the number of suspects involved to potentially reach around 280, marking it as one of the largest cases of vote-buying linked to a national election in Japan since the Heisei Era. Investigators are also delving into the ties between Derupara and Abe’s campaign, aiming to clarify the preceding events that prompted executives to seek votes from their staff. Established in 2007, Derupara operates 31 pachinko venues across several prefectures and reported significant revenue prior to its recent acquisition of another gaming company.