The Atmosphere Changed — Cocaine Bust at Kakekomidera as Street Kids Speak Out

On May 18, Yoshihide Tanaka (44), the secretary-general of Japan Kakekomidera — a public interest incorporated association based in Kabukicho, Shinjuku, Tokyo that provides support to young people and others — was arrested on the spot by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police on suspicion of violating the Narcotics Control Act.

According to investigators, Tanaka was found in possession of a bag of cocaine in his wallet on a street in Okubo, Shinjuku Ward. He admitted to the charges, reportedly stating that he had it “for personal use.” Additionally, a woman in her 20s who was with Tanaka at the time also tested positive for drugs and was arrested on the same suspicion. The woman was said to be a user who had come to consult with Japan Kakekomidera.

Expressionless, with no way to tell what they’re thinking

Suspect Tanaka was originally a freelance writer covering areas like Toe-Yoko, and according to people connected to Kakekomidera, he started getting involved with us around three to four years ago. A teenage girl, A-san, who once made use of Kakekomidera, recalled, “He gave off the impression of changing his attitude depending on who he was dealing with.”

“I spoke with him a few times, but he was expressionless — you couldn’t tell what he was thinking. In online articles, people wrote that he was dedicated to his work, but honestly, he was often just silent something felt off about him.

The last time I went to Kakekomidera was two months ago, on a day when they were offering free meals. I went with a male friend. Tanaka-san treated me politely, but with my friend, he kind of gave him a lecture — it left a bad taste in my mouth.” (A-san)

This time, many of the Toe-Yoko kids shared their thoughts. According to them, since the start of this year, the atmosphere at Kakekomidera has changed considerably. B-san, a teenage boy who was also a user, said, “They were discriminatory. I never want to go near that place again.”

“Some days, only girls were allowed in. There were even days when only underage girls were let in. It pissed me off to be turned away because of my age or gender.” (B-san)

According to B-san, the number of users has recently been decreasing, with more people now going to Kimi wo Mamoritai (nicknamed Kimimamo), another support group in Kabukicho. It raises the question of whether this incident might be connected to those changes.

 

He was also trusted by the parents

We also spoke with Aoi Shimizu, the representative director of Japan Kakekomidera. When asked about suspect Tanaka, Shimizu responded, “He’s not the kind of person who would use drugs.”

“I joined Kakekomidera about two and a half years ago, so I don’t know what Tanaka-san was like before that. But normally, he was calm, collected, and sincerely handled consultations. He was someone trusted by the parents as well. There was no sign of him being involved in drugs, so we’re all just as shocked by his arrest.” (Shimizu)

As for the discriminatory treatment mentioned by the Toe-Yoko kids, Shimizu explained that there was a reason behind it.

“During the year-end and New Year holidays, a man showed up at our office trying to recruit others for tsutsumotase scams (honey traps). As a safety precaution, we temporarily restricted male users. At that time, it’s true we had days when only women or only minors could enter.

Because Kabukicho is an area with a lot of people connected to criminal organizations, we implemented those restrictions as a preventive measure to keep everyone safe. It was a necessary decision to maintain a secure environment at Kakekomidera. Those restrictions have already been lifted.” (Shimizu)

It remains unclear whether the Toe-Yoko kids’ claims that the vibe changed were simply a misunderstanding caused by these safety measures taken by the facility’s management.

 

Dealers of over-the-counter drugs for overdosing and illegal narcotics

The woman arrested alongside suspect Tanaka reportedly told investigators, “Tanaka suggested to me, ‘If you’re going to overdose, you’d be better off using cocaine or marijuana.’”

Is access to drugs really that easy in Kabukicho? The Toe-Yoko kids we spoke to earlier also testified, “We’ve seen dealers around.” One of them explained, “The dealers selling over-the-counter drugs for overdosing and those selling illegal drugs are different people.”

“Around the Toe-Yoko area, there’s this guy in his 30s wearing a black hat selling medication sheets. There are still kids overdosing on those. Meth and cocaine come through a separate route. I’ve heard that on a certain street in Kabukicho, there are Black dealers handling illegal drugs.”

According to habitual users, cocaine is referred to as “Hana” (flower) in Kabukicho slang. Out of curiosity, when we approached some of the Black dealers standing on the street the kids told us about and asked, “Got any Hana?” they immediately replied, “Yeah.”

That’s how close illegal drugs remain in Kabukicho’s streets. One wonders if Tanaka, who was regularly moving through the area as part of his work, gradually became numb to that environment.

On May 25, in response to Tanaka’s arrest, Japan Kakekomidera released an official statement. They acknowledged the gravity of a staff member privately contacting a client and announced new rules: banning staff from using personal phones for consultations, prohibiting the exchange of personal contact information, and ensuring all staff members are aware of consultation content. They vowed to strengthen governance and thoroughly enforce compliance measures to prevent a repeat incident.

With a mission of helping both victims and offenders, Japan Kakekomidera receives significant subsidies from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Shinjuku Ward. An incident like this forces local authorities to step in, and it will inevitably impact the organization’s future activities.

This isn’t a situation where the rescuer becomes the one needing rescue can be brushed aside. Truly strict and serious measures are now being demanded.