Ushijima the Loan Shark Actor Suspected in ¥93 Million Fraud, Compared to On-Screen Villain

“Starting next month, a living assistance payment of 500,000 yen will be provided. A registration fee is required for this.”

The man allegedly sent this kind of message to the female victim, deceiving her into purchasing electronic money.

On June 26, a joint investigation team from the Chiba Prefectural Police and five other prefectural police departments arrested Saburo Miyajima (43), a resident of Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, on suspicion of fraud. Miyajima is also an actor who has appeared in numerous films, TV dramas, and commercials.

“He has appeared in many works such as the film Ushijima the Loan Shark Part 2, The Fable: The Killer Who Doesn’t Kill, and the streaming drama Tokuryu – The Trap of Dark Part-Time Jobs. In Ushijima the Loan Shark, he played a member of an anti-social group, and he often portrayed characters living in dark worlds. His realistic performances were highly praised, but if the allegations are true, it means he committed fraud just like one of the villains he portrayed,” said an entertainment reporter from a sports newspaper.

Electronic Money Manager

ChatGPT said:

The alleged crime took place in October of last year.

“Miyajima is believed to have sent a false text message to a woman in her 50s living in Fukui Prefecture, stating, ‘A living assistance payment of 500,000 yen will be provided.’ He then allegedly told her that a ‘registration fee is required’ and tricked her into sending 40,000 yen worth of electronic money gift codes.

On June 25 of this year, police searched the base of a special fraud group in Tokyo. Miyajima was present at the scene, which led to suspicions of his involvement in the crime. The group is believed to have caused around 93 million yen in damages. Miyajima is thought to have served as the manager of the electronic money,” said a reporter from a national newspaper’s social affairs section.

A photographer from this magazine captured Miyajima’s transfer to prosecutors on June 27. He appeared to glare at the camera with a menacing expression.

Taihei Ogawa, a former Kanagawa Prefectural Police detective and crime journalist, commented:

“The electronic money obtained through fraud is a major funding source for these groups. The sheer amount of damage in this case is shocking. Given his role in managing the money, Miyajima was likely a senior member of the group. It doesn’t seem like he joined recently; he probably had been part of the organization for quite some time and had earned their trust. It feels like the line between the villain roles he played and his real-life actions has completely disappeared.”

Police have not disclosed whether Miyajima has admitted to the charges.