Veteran Entertainment Reporter Reflects on ‘Life of a Liar’ Following Kenji Haga’s Arrest

Another suspect, Kenji Haga, has been arrested again for money problems. I really used to cover him a lot when I was a wide-show reporter and in charge of entertainment news.

Tatsuo Umemiya cried and regretted his relationship with his daughter Anna Umemiya. He was one of the people who had to pay a debt to Haga.

There is one incident about the suspect Haga that I will always remember.

I once interviewed him directly about his relationship with Anna on Nippon Television’s “The Wide. From the director and reporter who had interviewed me,

The director and reporter who had covered the story asked me, “Since you heard a good story, please keep Mr. Haga company tonight so he won’t be interviewed by other stations.”

They asked me to stay with Haga-san so that he would not be interviewed by other stations tonight.

I had dinner with Haga at a high-class restaurant in the hotel and

At the time, their relationship was a story that was followed by the news shows. There was a competition between the two of them to be “overtaken” by the other.

I made an appointment to meet with Haga at a restaurant in a luxury hotel. From there, we had a pleasant chat over drinks to prevent him from being interviewed by other companies.

I think it was around 18:00 to 22:00. Then the program staff came to me.

A female anchor is going to announce her marriage. Can you go to the interview?”

I was asked if I could go to the interview. It was big news, so I decided to rush to the scene.

So the question remained, “What to do with the Haga suspect?

I am sorry. I have one more job. I wanted to stay longer, but I have to leave.

I would have liked to stay longer, but I’m sorry I have to leave,” I asked him not to be interviewed by other companies “just for tonight.

Naturally, he said

Of course I will keep my promise.

He replied, “Of course I will keep my promise.

Haga himself made a pitch to the TV stations.

I was relieved and headed for TV Asahi, where the press conference with the female newscaster was to take place. About 10 minutes after I left Haga, I received another phone call from a staff member. About 10 minutes after I left Haga, I received another phone call from a staff member.

Mr. Haga has called all the stations to say he will be interviewed on the hill next to TBS. What kind of appointment have you been promised?”

I was puzzled. But the suspect Haga was,

I won’t let Mr. Ishikawa be humiliated.

He even said, “I won’t let Mr. Ishikawa be humiliated.

I was surprised that he called me himself and called the wide-web TV show …… before his “tongue was dry”.

I called him several times but could not reach him at all that night. That had never happened before, and he always called me back.

What was that dinner and drink about? He had made such a promise, but then he broke it a few minutes later. It was the moment I realized the “true nature” of Haga.

The arrest of Haga also traces back to a fraud case involving private equities in which he was convicted in 2001. The civil court had ruled that the victim must pay about 400 million yen, and the Okinawa building held in his name was put under the name of a company Haga created a month earlier and headed by the suspect. A total of seven people were involved, including the head of the Yamaguchigumi Kodokai crime syndicate and a judicial scrivener, and among them was his divorced ex-wife. The divorce is said to have been a “sham divorce,” and this is the proof of it.

He may have thought he could get away with it by enlisting the help of a gang in order to evade enforcement, but the world is not that forgiving. He will have to make amends in the future.

On SNS

Anna Umemiya is a strong person. But I am worried about her illness.

but she has taken more than tens of millions of yen from Anna and her children. Since he can make such a post, he must not think twice about what he has done, even if he is criticized by the public.

Mr. Haga was arrested for “lying” about his real estate registration. Will he be able to get out of his “life of a liar”?