Pachinko Boss Smiles During Arrest — Facing Serious Election Law Charges

Orders from the top were absolute

A man with disheveled hair and sleepy eyes facing the press—

On August 26, the joint investigation headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Department and seven prefectural police forces arrested Yamamoto Masanori (real name: Lee Chang-beom), 50, president of the pachinko parlor operator Delpara, along with six senior executives, on suspicion of violating the Public Offices Election Act (vote-buying promise). The photo shows Yamamoto two days later, being transferred from Akasaka Police Station (Minato Ward, Tokyo).

“According to national newspapers, Yamamoto and the six executives instructed around 60 employees to vote in July’s Upper House election for Yasuhisa Abe, 66, a Liberal Democratic Party–endorsed candidate in the national proportional representation block (who ultimately lost). They allegedly told store managers across the country that if they submitted photos of completed ballots with Abe’s name, they would be paid 3,000–4,000 yen as overtime compensation.

Delpara earlier this January acquired 10 pachinko parlors from Shiroyama Kanko, which operated under the MoriNaga brand in Kagoshima City. The MoriNaga stores continued operating under their original name as part of the Delpara group. The case came to light after a MoriNaga employee questioned a manager whether the instructions were illegal, prompting the Metropolitan Police to launch an investigation. A MoriNaga staff member present at an online meeting reportedly testified: ‘Orders from above are absolute. I just passed them on to the employees.’” (National newspaper reporter)

Why did Yamamoto and the other executives direct their employees to support Abe?

“Abe joined Sankyo, a pachinko-related company, in 1992 and became president in 2001. In 2014, he was appointed chairman of the All Japan Amusement Business Cooperative Association. Since then, he has been a central figure in the industry, contributing to the growth of pachinko while also working on measures against gambling addiction. In 2022, he established the political group All Japan Amusement Industry Political Federation and became its first chairman; he now serves as supreme advisor.

In his first bid for office, Abe was the first-ever candidate fielded directly by the pachinko industry. Yamamoto, as part of that industry, likely wanted to support him—but ended up resorting to an illegal and misguided method.” (The same reporter)

National Police Agency chief comments

It is believed that more than 250 employees actually cast ballots under the scheme, making this case the largest election vote-buying bust in a national election since the start of the Heisei era.

On August 28, Yoshinobu Kusunoki, Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, addressed the matter at a regular press conference:

“This was a malicious election law violation, and we responded strictly based on law and evidence. The Metropolitan Police Department and other forces are pressing ahead with their investigation to uncover the full scope of the case.” (Asahi Shimbun, Aug. 28)

“Ensuring that elections are fair and that the will of the people is properly reflected in politics is the very foundation of democracy. Through the enforcement of election laws, the police have an important duty to safeguard electoral fairness.” (Asahi Shimbun, Aug. 28)

His remarks underscored the grave social implications of the incident. How does Abe himself view this scandal, carried out by corporate executives who claimed to support him? His office was contacted for comment, but no response was received by the deadline.

As for Yamamoto, when boarding the transport vehicle, he first glared at the cameras before flashing what looked like a smile. Judging by that expression, it was hard to believe he had fully grasped the seriousness of the crime he stands accused of.