[Part 2] Inside the Illegal Scouting Group Natural: A Highly Organized Operation Rivalling Corporations

Executive officers, managing directors, department heads… Titles resembling those of major corporations, with detailed descriptions regarding salaries and raises. Additionally, strict rules are in place, including high fines for information leaks, protocols for dealing with the police, and methods for handling street-level trouble—every possible piece of know-how is detailed.

This is part of the highly confidential internal materials created by Natural, the largest and most powerful (and notorious) scouting group in Japan. These pieces of information are exchanged between the headquarters—the executive division—and the field members, known as players, using a high-security, secretive app.

The research team obtained a large amount of data, almost 1,000 pages of printed A4 sheets, and with the help of insiders, conducted an analysis. What emerged from the analysis was the reality of operations where women are treated like commodities to generate massive profits. Additionally, it became clear that they maintain strict control over their lower-level members and use every possible means to avoid detection by authorities.

[Part 1] From police officers’ photos to arrest manuals. The full scope of the illegal Natural scouting group’s use of dark apps.

It’s just like the Yamaguchi-gumi

Upon reviewing the internal data again, there is a significant amount of materials, including training documents for new scouts, criteria sheets for ranking the women they scout, and detailed information about adult entertainment establishments nationwide. However, what has recently become particularly noticeable is the response to police investigations. The police were once referred to as viruses, and there was a department called the Virus Control Division, but now they are referred to as pros. The department responsible for dealing with this is called the “Defense Division.” Within the app, frequent warnings have been posted from the Defense Division about the increasing intensification of enforcement and the difficult situation the company is facing.

Regarding how to respond when arrested for scouting activities, the instructions include completely refusing to speak. Do not say a word and do not sign or stamp the confession statement, and explain that it was just casual street solicitation and do not mention the organization. It is also instructed to quickly call a specific lawyer. Additionally, there are photos and descriptions of plainclothes officers conducting street questioning in districts like Tokyo and Osaka, which are regularly shared among members. Furthermore, news of rival groups’ executives being arrested is referenced, with a note stating, “Don’t end up like ‘Access.’ They had no countermeasures for the pros, and now they have more arrests.”

In the past, scouting was usually done by small groups of a few to several dozen people. However, last year, Natural’s revenue was said to have reached 5 billion yen. Why has such a large organization come to exist? A person with long-standing connections to the scouting industry explains it as follows.

“It’s similar to the Yamaguchi-gumi in the yakuza. By having a large number of people and operating organizationally, they can negotiate with the shops from a position of power, and their information network makes it easier to gather women. The more talent they supply, the more money flows in as scouting fees, leading to tens of billions to over 100 billion yen in revenue. Natural has attracted talented individuals, mostly university students, with the candy of earning a lot of money at a young age. Once they join, they enforce strict rules and violence as the whip to make them comply. Over the last 5–6 years, they have rapidly grown into a massive national organization by absorbing other groups.

Furthermore, like the yakuza’s tribute system, the upper management seems to have quickly established a mechanism to funnel money to themselves. All transactions are done in cash to avoid traces, and, of course, they do not pay taxes. I’ve heard that some of the executives, using the funds they’ve accumulated, are involved in even more heinous criminal businesses.”

Based on interviews, the structure of the organization has become clearer. It follows a pyramid structure with the chairman at the top, and the groups on the ground are divided into colors such as red, blue, green, and white, each managed vertically. Members can rise in rank by achieving good results in scouting or bringing in new recruits.

The organization’s core, known as the headquarters, includes the previously mentioned Defense Division, as well as departments like the Collection Division, Contract Division, App Division, Support Division, General Affairs Division, and Accounting Division. It is said that the staff at the headquarters total around 100 people.

The government is working on amending the Entertainment Business Control Law to prohibit adult entertainment shops from paying scouts, signaling a clear intention to dismantle scouting organizations. On the other hand, within Natural’s app, while stating, “It’s important for everyone to be aware of the risks as the world changes, including legal amendments,” the headquarters boldly declares that they will continue to carry out their business to ensure the survival of the organization.

The vast internal data from Natural reveals a strangely formed organization. We tracked down and contacted several current members from the group’s core. What emerged from these revelations were the hidden, dark realities behind the organization.

(*Nihonbashi Group: A new type of investigative and information team composed of individuals from media, government, politics, IT, and other sectors. The group collaborates with domestic and international organizations, focusing mainly on investigative reporting and documentary production.)

From the April 4–11, 2025 issue of ”FRIDAY”