Who Is “Z Lee”? Updates Continue Despite Arrest—Tokuryu, Journalist, or Police?

More than 10 people broke into his house¥

The enigmatic underground influencer “Z Lee” has been arrested.

With over 900,000 followers on X, Z Lee’s posts have often gone viral, even reaching those who don’t follow the account through recommendations.

On November 14, the Metropolitan Police Department arrested five individuals suspected of running this account on charges of unlawful entry into a residence. Among those arrested were Masaki Tanaki (43), a company executive believed to be a central figure, Takayuki Sawaguchi (38), whose occupation is unknown, and Koji Shukuwa (33), a professional fighter with appearances in RIZIN and K-1, known as “ANIMAL☆KOJI.”

Z Lee’s identity has long been shrouded in mystery. Although they have appeared on platforms like YouTube, their face has never been revealed, and their voice has always been altered. It’s said that multiple individuals may be involved in managing the account, as updates continued even after the arrests of Tanaki and others.

“In 2022, they tracked down the home of a motorcycle thief, stormed in with over 10 people, and uploaded the scene to X. They even posted, ‘To the perpetrator: Please return home soon,’ before entering the residence and releasing a video claiming they had found motorcycle parts inside. They reportedly stayed in the residence for over an hour. One would think that such actions would clearly lead to charges of unlawful entry, but perhaps they underestimated the consequences because the other party was a thief,” commented a television station insider.

While Z Lee is known for viral exposés through videos, their primary activities were thought to include gambling predictions for horse and bike racing, organizing food distribution drives, and running a rescue cat café. However, the police are investigating Z Lee as part of an “anonymous and fluid criminal group,” commonly referred to as a “Tokuryu.”

“Tokuryu” is a criminal group that has become a social issue, repeatedly committing crimes by recruiting individuals through social media and job listing sites to carry out their operations. A notable characteristic of this group is its use of highly confidential communication apps such as Telegram and Signal.

There have been testimonies hinting at this connection.

Three years ago, the YouTube channel KAI-YOU Videos released a video titled “Seven Testimonies About Z Lee: The Man Operating in the Shadows of Shinjuku.” In this video, Rika Hoshimi, a celebrity acquainted with Z Lee, shared her experience:

“I thought he was an interesting person. So, I suggested exchanging LINE contacts, but he asked if I had apps like Telegram or Signal—some app like that. I didn’t even know such apps existed.”

This anecdote adds to the suspicions surrounding the group’s use of secure communication platforms.

 

“There are a lot of Z Lee’s out there, aren’t there?”

Z Lee even avoided using LINE, stating that they would only consider exchanging contacts through Telegram or Signal. This behavior suggests a strong aversion to leaving traces of their identity or conversation history.

Additionally, Takashi Tachibana of the NHK Party discussed Z Lee in August 2022 on Yuta Misaki’s (Aojiru Prince) YouTube channel. After prefacing with, “I was told never to say this,” Tachibana remarked,

“There’s more than one Z Lee, isn’t there?”

To which Misaki, who had collaborated with Z Lee, responded,

“That seems to be the case. There’s such a theory.”

Tachibana then revealed that he communicated with Z Lee through direct messages and claimed,

“One of them is not from the Metropolitan Police Department, but the National Police Agency. I’m almost certain.”

This claim gained traction when Misaki shared his own experiences. According to a sports newspaper journalist, Misaki recalled that during his first encounter with Z Lee, he was warned about Koki Tanaka, with whom Misaki had collaborated, saying,

“There’s an investigation underway, so be careful.”

About three to four months later, Tanaka was arrested for drug-related charges, leaving Misaki shocked.

Misaki also revealed that Z Lee had warned him about another individual (whose name was withheld), who later became involved in an incident. Reflecting on these events, Misaki concluded,

“There’s no way such information could come from anyone other than someone connected to law enforcement.”

Lending credibility to Tachibana’s claim of a police insider within Z Lee.

However, as some journalists pointed out, there are individuals in the media who have connections with police sources. It’s also possible that Z Lee has ties to weekly magazine reporters rather than actual police officials. What remains clear is Z Lee’s extensive access to insider information.

Although arrested on charges of unlawful entry, authorities are likely to investigate Z Lee’s smartphones and computers. The question remains: what other secrets lie hidden within Z Lee’s shadowy operations?