Drug Enforcement Officer’s Blunder at Dealer and Addict Hangout Revealed by Gun Incident

This is the latter part of an episode from 1972, when former narcotics officer Ryoji Takahama describes his 36-year career as a “Matrix” (narcotics officer). The story continues with his experiences in the Osaka districts of Naniwa and Nishinari, where he frequently visited for investigations. He recounts an unexpected “blunder” that occurred near a pachinko parlor he often visited for information gathering.

 

[Part 1] “Inside the Fight Against Drug Crime in Osaka’s High-Crime Areas and the Origins of the Matori Lifestyle”

Gathering Information at Hangouts for Drug Dealers and Addicts

The area on the eastern side of Nishinari Ward, adjacent to Abeno Ward, is primarily composed of densely packed small apartments. In some locations, the streets are so narrow that even ambulances and fire trucks cannot access them, and the layout resembles a maze. For those unfamiliar with the area, it can feel like a labyrinth from the moment they step in. This area has become a hotspot for drug-related crimes, making surveillance challenging and heavily reliant on information from informants.

In this area, there is “Tobita Shinchi,” a remnant of the old “Tobita Yūkaku,” with several traditional Japanese restaurants operating. The “Tobita Hondori” street, running north and south on the west side of Tobita Shinchi, is about 400 meters long and wide enough for only two cars. This street has three pachinko parlors.

These pachinko parlors often had drug dealers and addicts, so I would check each one to see if any informants or past drug offenders were present. If found, I would call them outside, take them to a nearby café or bar, and extract information about drug trafficking. If an informant was unavailable or inconvenient at the time, I ensured they contacted the office the next day.

 

 

A Bitter Memory from the Pachinko Parlor

I regularly visited one of these pachinko parlors. Over time, I became close with the staff, and whenever I was losing, they would secretly operate the machines from behind to give me more pachinko balls. Thanks to this, I was able to get about two cartons of cigarettes. When I won, I would distribute three boxes of pachinko balls for free to the touts lingering on the street. After a brief chat with them, I would then move on to another pachinko parlor. This was my daily routine.

Some of the people I befriended at the pachinko parlor later learned my true identity and began providing me with information about methamphetamine in the area. Based on this information, I was able to arrest several dealers and addicts.

The pachinko parlor brings back a bitter memory. This occurred in my late 30s, a time when I was at my peak. At that time, I was involved in cracking down on organized crime in the target area, so I made an effort to look similar to the gangsters.

My appearance at the time included a mustache, a crew cut hairstyle, sunglasses on occasion, and clothing similar to what they wore, making me look like a full-fledged gangster. There were many times when, while walking in crowded downtown areas with my wife on weekends, people would part ways, mistaking me for a gangster. My wife found it amusing and would often share these funny stories with friends, which I still remember well. 

Let me recount that bitter memory. It was around 8 p.m. one evening. I was standing on the street near the usual pachinko parlor, scanning the area to find collaborators or drug offenders I had previously arrested to gather information. As I was intently searching, two uniformed police officers approached me and began questioning me, possibly sensing something unusual about my demeanor or behavior.

 

In those days, it was common practice to conduct investigative activities alone, unlike today where it’s standard to operate in pairs for safety reasons. Back then, I was conducting information gathering on my own under my own responsibility, and my superiors tacitly accepted this approach. It was a time when such practices were permitted.

 

 

“He has a handgun!”

Under normal circumstances, I could have shown my narcotics officer identification to the police officers at that moment, which would have cleared up the situation without any issues. However, given the location, doing so might have hindered my subsequent information-gathering efforts. So, despite realizing the risk, I chose not to make any excuses and cooperated with their questioning.

As people passing by began to show interest in the interaction between me and the police officers and started gathering around, the officers seemed to realize the situation could become problematic. They guided me into a nearby alley and began a body search over my clothes. When one of the officers was patting down my back pocket, he felt something unusual. His hand brushed against the handcuffs hanging there, and immediately he shouted, “He has a handgun!”

 

Normally, when heading out for searches, I would either carry the handcuffs in a case or stuff them in my right rear pocket to avoid the noise they might make. However, this sometimes made it difficult to respond quickly in an emergency. Given the unpredictable nature of the Tobita Hondori area, I kept the handcuffs on a belt near my right rear pocket, easily accessible.

 

Given that some of those I had previously arrested or coerced during intense interrogations harbored animosity towards me, encountering them could potentially lead to violent confrontations. To counter this, I carried the handcuffs in a way that allowed me to quickly apply them if needed or use them defensively, like a baton.

 

Ignoring the intrigued onlookers, I reluctantly showed my identification and explained that I was collecting information. The astonished expressions on the faces of the two police officers, upon hearing my explanation, are still vividly etched in my memory.

 

 

“Now, it has become a tourist attraction.”

 

At that time, on the eastern side of the area, there was the Osaka City University (now 

Osaka Metropolitan University) affiliated hospital. However, in 1993, the hospital was rebuilt due to urban development and was newly renovated. Additionally, near Abeno Station, there is now the “Abeno Harukas,” the tallest skyscraper in Western Japan, offering a panoramic view of Osaka City. The transformation in the area is truly remarkable.

 

As for Nishinari, it has gained fame through the proliferation of the internet. “Doya,” the simple accommodations in the area, can be rented for about 1,000 yen per night, making it popular among foreign backpackers and young travelers. This popularity is partly due to the proximity of transportation hubs like JR and Nankai Railway’s Shin-Imamiya Station, the Osaka Metro’s Dobutsuen-mae Station, and Nipponbashi’s Denden Town. These locations offer convenient rail access to Universal Studios Japan, Kobe, Kyoto, Nara, and even Kansai Airport.

 

Who could have imagined such a situation when I was working as a narcotics officer? Nevertheless, according to daily information, drug-related crimes seem to persist in some areas. Thus, it still feels like an area shrouded in mystery to me.