Honeypot Robbery and Assault: The Fearsome Tōyoko Kids Who Stole 1.1 Million Yen

Threatening and assaulting a foreign man

On October 28, the Shinjuku Police Station of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department announced the arrest of eight men and women aged 21 to 34 — including Kazuma Takahashi (25), Ryuya Hatta (21), and Aika Kasai (22), who reportedly met in “Toe-Yoko.” They are suspected of robbery resulting in injury. They allegedly assaulted a foreign man who attempted to buy sex from a girl in Shinjuku’s Kabukicho, accused him by saying “You slept with a minor,” inflicted injuries requiring one month to heal, and stole a backpack containing 1.1 million yen in cash.

According to the Shinjuku Police, the incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. on February 24. On a street in Hyakunincho 1-chome, Shinjuku Ward, Takahashi and the others punched and kicked the foreign man, who suffered serious injuries including fractures to his nose and jaw.

“The victim had been approached on the street in Kabukicho by a teenage girl — different from the eight arrested — who offered prostitution. They went to a hotel, but as soon as they entered, the girl fled outside. When the man chased her out, Takahashi and the others confronted him, picked a fight, and assaulted him.

Police believe the group used a typical honeypot scam to extort money. Six of the eight, including Takahashi, deny the allegations, saying things like ‘We only restrained him; we didn’t take the money,’” (Social Affairs reporter)

Toe-Yoko in recent years has been called a breeding ground for crime, with suspected links to so-called “Tokuryu” — anonymous, fluid criminal groups. What kind of people were Takahashi and his associates?

“I know him, but I’m not telling you guys.”

“That’s Shoma. I can’t say more, but yeah, that’s him.”

When asking Toe-Yoko kids about Takahashi, those were the kinds of answers that came back. “Shoma” was apparently his nickname. Some also said, “I haven’t seen him around for the past half year.”

The true faces of the suspects as heard in Toe-Yoko

One of the Toe-Yoko kids said:

“Shoma was well-known around here, probably because he lived nearby. He wasn’t here every day, but anyone who’s been in Toe-Yoko for a long time has definitely seen his face. Recently, Toe-Yoko has both scary-looking adults and people who just want to have fun together, but Shoma was someone you couldn’t easily approach. He was always telling scary stories, and I often heard rumors that he was doing bad things.”

Toe-Yoko is said to accept anyone, but in reality, it consists of several groups, each with a different vibe. Takahashi and the others reportedly hung out with the older adults. Among them, Kasai was considered the scariest, according to another Toe-Yoko regular.

“I’ve heard from people close to her that she did petty scams. She just had this scary aura, so I never approached her myself. There were also rumors that she was dating Takahashi.”

“Puchi” refers to puchi enjo-kōsai (petite compensated dating), meaning sexual services without intercourse, such as “I’ll use my hand for 5,000 yen.” Kasai is said to have taken the money and then run away without doing anything — a scam.

A girl who was recruited for a honeypot scam

As we continued interviewing people, we heard that there are individuals in Toe-Yoko who broker honeypot scams. One girl said she was invited a few months ago, being told she could “make easy money.”

“It might not be the people who were arrested, but I was told, ‘You don’t have to actually have sex. Just stand around Okubo Park, negotiate with a guy, and go into a hotel. Once you message us, we’ll come pick you up. Since you’re a minor, the guy will pay immediately.’ I remember being told things like ‘1万円 per job’ and ‘You’ll never get caught by the police.’ It scared me, so I didn’t do it, but there are girls who fall for this and end up doing honeypot scams.”

If caught violating the Anti-Prostitution Law, only the woman is punished — but if she’s a minor, the situation changes. Since the number of underage street girls in Kabukicho is increasing, men on the buying side are reportedly becoming more cautious. A man who frequently visits the street girls around Okubo Park admitted, “A particular group was running the honeypot scam.”

“You hear about honeypot scams all the time. You go into a love hotel, and the girl says things like ‘It hurts’ or ‘Just with your hand today’ and quickly leaves the room. Then, her accomplices waiting outside ambush you and say, ‘You touched a minor. We won’t go to the police, but you’ll pay up, right?’ That’s the method.

Regulars never fall for group-based honeypots because word spreads fast. But tourists who don’t know Kabukicho at all often get caught.”

There are also cases where the man takes a shower, the girl steals cash from his wallet, and then her accomplices attack him outside the hotel. Even if no sexual act occurred inside, there’s no way to prove it, leaving the victim with no choice but to pay under threat.

In this incident, the damage was particularly large at 1.1 million yen, and the victim suffered serious injuries — fractures to his nose and jaw, taking one month to heal. Prostitution is illegal, but those who exploit it to extort and assault others through honeypot scams are likewise guilty of a grave crime.

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