Koji’s Encounter with a Former Osaka Detective

This refers to someone named Kusumoto and compares their intimidating appearance to Koji (likely referring to someone well-known, perhaps a figure in combat sports or another field).

A tough-looking former detective from the Osaka Prefectural Police’s Criminal Investigation Division

The fantasista of the martial arts world, Koji (35), has achieved a dream that he had been pursuing for years. He has opened a gym in his hometown of Osaka. At the unveiling event held on January 11, a large number of beautiful women gathered, making it a lively occasion. As someone who prides himself on his motto “I can’t help but be popular,” and self-proclaims to be the “King of Street Kisses,” one might expect him to have created a flashy gym, but there was something strange about the atmosphere.

Upon asking, it turns out that the gym is run by a tough-looking, bald man. This man is Ryūji Kusumoto (39), a former high-ranking detective in the Osaka Prefectural Police’s Criminal Investigation Division, who was involved in the arrest of Junya Hida, a convicted prisoner who had escaped from the Tomita-bayashi Police Station while on remand and had been on the run for about 50 days, even pretending to be a “Japanese bicycle tour challenger.” He was sentenced to 17 years in prison in 2022. This begs the question—does this mean he’s acting as a sort of probation officer?!

FRIDAY Digital immediately caught up with the former tough detective, Ryūji Kusumoto. According to him, he has been observing Koji’s actions since Koji was 15.

—Was he a troublemaker even back then?

“He used to bring various girls to the gym (laughs). I met him at a kickboxing gym in Toyonaka, Osaka. I was about to have my first professional fight when Koji joined the gym. He was full of confidence even back then. He started challenging the strongest fighters in the gym to sparring one by one.”

Naturally, an amateur who boasts about fighting couldn’t possibly win against trained kickboxers, and he lost to the strongest fighter, then the second strongest, and kept losing up the ranks until he eventually faced Kusumoto.

“Did I take a punch? Maybe just one. But I dominated and won. I was in great shape before the match. But you know, what makes Koji different is what happened after that. He used to regularly have meals with the gym members, and there was an opportunity to share his goals in front of everyone. Most people would say something like, ‘I’ll win my next fight,’ or ‘I won’t lose a single match this year,’ but Koji said, ‘I’m going to get on the K-1 ring and become famous,’ and ‘I’ll become a world champion.’ He was looking far ahead, even though he wasn’t even a pro yet, just a middle schooler. The seniors and trainers laughed it off, but I thought, ‘He’s interesting.’ He was already hungry for success back then.”

The grandiose goals that seemed impossible at the time, Koji, who is four years younger, eventually started achieving one after another, and before long, Kusumoto found himself increasingly fascinated by him.

“It’s about making the impossible possible. Koji has already decided that it will happen. And he’s putting in the effort to make it happen. Even after I joined the Osaka Prefectural Police, I kept watching his matches, and whenever there was a match in Osaka, I would go see him.”

Watching Koji’s journey to make what seemed like a dream come true, such as his big matches with Takeru (33) and Tenshin Nasukawa (26), had an impact on Kusumoto.

“I originally aimed to work at the Osaka Prefectural Police’s Investigation Division. I was fortunate enough to achieve that goal by my early 30s. But after achieving it, I found myself without a next goal. I felt like I was doing the job out of habit, in a sort of rut. Meanwhile, Koji was expanding his stage and becoming famous. Watching him up close, I was inspired and began to feel frustrated. My job was stable, but I started thinking that continuing until retirement like this would be boring.”

“Are you the tough detective who arrested the fugitive, Hida, after he escaped from the Tomita-bay police station and was on the run for nearly two months?”

“I was actually in charge of the case that Hida had caused. I was doing the interrogations. During his detention, he escaped from the holding facility, and I had been tracking him. In the end, he was caught stealing at a roadside station by a security guard. I just went to pick him up; I wasn’t the one who found and arrested him, though (laughs).”

“What kind of person was Hida?”

“He was surprisingly polite in some ways, but after he turned 20, he kept going in and out of prison. He had a bit of a psychopathic side. I think he’s smart, though.”

After much consideration, Kusumoto decided to leave the Osaka Prefectural Police at 37.

“The day I caught Koji.”

“I thought that once I passed 40, taking on new challenges would become more difficult. I have four children, and I had thorough discussions with my wife. She wasn’t easily convinced, but in the end, I kind of pushed through with my decision. Right before I left the Osaka Prefectural Police, I had the chance to have a meal with Koji and told him about my decision. He said, ‘I respect you for taking on this challenge.’ He also told me, ‘Whether you stay in the police or move on to a new path, I’ll always consider you a friend and support you.’”

I wanted to support Koji in his journey, to witness things we had never seen before together. That was the moment I caught Koji, whom I had been watching closely since he was 15. My next goal became ‘supporting Kouji’s dream.’ In February 2023, I joined Kouji’s company, TEAM ONE. I was put in charge of the project to open a gym in Osaka.

“I had no experience as a trainer, so I trained at a gym called SFK in Kobe while also searching for a location. With the support of many people, I was finally able to achieve my long-awaited goal of opening the gym. While I do plan to focus on developing professional fighters in the future, for now, I want to concentrate on training juniors, welcoming office workers who want to lose weight, and helping company employees improve their health. If we can nurture young talent and eventually send a second Kouji from Kansai into the world of martial arts, that would be the ultimate goal. I’d love to build this gym with the concept of rising to the top.”

—-Thank you very much. Lastly, what does Kouji mean to you?

“He’s someone who changed my life. If I hadn’t met him, I think I would still be a police officer, feeling frustrated with myself for not taking on new challenges. When he challenged Tenshin, it was the same—I might be exaggerating a bit, but seeing him take on the highest-level challenges in the world felt truly admirable. He’s younger than me, but I respect him.”

The world of martial arts has gained an incredibly reliable ally.

TEAM ONE R-GYM

2F Main Stage Ashiya Higashiyama, 4-13 Higashiyama-cho, Ashiya-shi, Ashiya