Extracting 500,000 Yen from Parents of Internet Defamers: The Pros and Cons of Hezumaryu’s Disclosure Request Business

“Is it really about justice?”

Former nuisance-style YouTuber Hezuma Ryu has sparked controversy by conducting what he calls home visits to confront defamers.

On March 25th, via X (formerly Twitter), he announced, 

“I have filed disclosure requests against 8 individuals who engaged in malicious defamation,” 

and added, 

“As the next step, I will visit them in person with a lawyer. If their attitude is poor or if they fail to convey their apology, I will publicly expose their names and companies.”

Without delay, on the 26th, he revealed that he had gone to Kagoshima to meet with one of the defamers, stating, 

“Although he was shaking with fear and broke down in tears, I felt no sympathy whatsoever. Once the settlement talks progress smoothly, I will move on to Kanagawa.”

The actions haven’t ceased this month either. On the 8th, he updated X, saying, 

“I visited the home of a 48-year-old unemployed man in Kanagawa Prefecture, against whom I filed a disclosure request, accompanied by a lawyer,” 

and continued, 

“Although he threatened to call the police, we didn’t enter the premises, so it doesn’t constitute trespassing. Since we settled for 500,000 yen, I have decided not to disclose his name or address.”

“I extorted money from his parents because he didn’t have any savings. By the way, he repeatedly told me, ‘You’re fat and ugly, and both your parents and wife are disgusting.’ I believe he’s simply reaping what he sowed.” 

This post has been viewed 2.14 million times on X (as of the 10th), and continues to be widely circulated.

Online defamation should never be condoned. In recent years, cases have emerged where individuals have taken their own lives due to severe online harassment.

“Against excessively malicious posts, you can request the platform to disclose the identity of the sender. This can help to ‘identify’ the harasser to some extent, but there are aspects of Hezuma’s method that raise questions,” says a legal professional.

Under the guise of home visits, confronting the originators of the defamation, and uploading the exchanges to X. Threatening to expose their names and companies if they show a bad attitude. In a sense, this resembles collection tactics.

The aforementioned legal professional states,

“As a general rule, disclosure requests are made for the purpose of litigation. The application also states ‘for damages claims.’ Is Hezuma initiating legal proceedings?

If he is not filing a lawsuit and instead barging into the homes of the defamers and directly extorting 500,000 yen from their parents, then it deviates from the original purpose of the disclosure request.”

Indeed, Hezuma himself was once arrested and convicted as a nuisance YouTuber. However, he now presents himself as a champion of eradicating online defamation.

“Certainly, Hizumaryu deserves recognition for his volunteering efforts in the aftermath of the Noto Peninsula earthquake. However, regarding this recent issue of online defamation, it feels somewhat like a ‘disclosure request business,’ and there has been a lot of criticism online,” notes a sports journalist.

Above all, actions resembling collection could have adverse effects on the future of disclosure request systems.

The legal professional mentioned earlier states, 

“If sender information continues to be utilized for purposes other than litigation, platform providers may harden their stance. Let’s hope it doesn’t disadvantage those planning to make disclosure requests in the future.”

Hezuma responded to a follower’s comment pointing out that 500,000 yen seemed low for a settlement,

“No mistake. Disclosure requests cost 300,000 yen per person, so even with 500,000 yen, it’s only a profit of 200,000 yen. Plus, it’s become difficult to make disclosure requests without Elon Musk. (It takes six months to a year) Most of them are unemployed in their 40s and 50s. So, it’s at a level where it’s good to recover while making it a joke. It’s painful to be ridiculed by family, but you can’t recover from nothing.”

Defamation is a criminal act, and it’s understandable to feel anger when one’s family is ridiculed. However, we must not forget the fragility of using disclosure requests as fodder—it’s a point worth considering.