‘I’m so emotional about what I did to the Yakuza’ Fire extinguisher sprayed on kitchen car after threats, gangster’s pride told at trial.

If you do business here again tomorrow, I’ll smash up your store.

On November 25, the Tokyo District Court held the first trial of Joji Abe (42 at the time of his arrest), accused of obstructing business by using a fire extinguisher to spray a man’s kitchen car selling baby sponge cakes in a parking lot near Nishiarai Daishi in Adachi Ward, Tokyo.

Abe was also arrested on charges of violating the Violent Acts Punishment Law (group intimidation). At the time of his arrest, he denied the charges , saying that he was just giving a warning.

According to the indictment, on January 2, 2013, a man was selling baby sponge cakes from a kitchen car in a parking lot near Nishiarai Daishi,

He threatened the man, saying such things as, “Whose permission do you have to open your store?

The next day, however, the man went back to the same place to open a business. However, when the man continued to operate at the same location on the following day, Abe sprayed a fire extinguisher into his kitchen car, making it impossible for him to operate. Abe, a slender but muscular man, entered the court dressed in a saxophone blue top and bottom sweatshirt. His short, gold-mesh hair and sharp eyes are intimidating. About the indictment, Abe said, “There is no doubt in my mind that I did what I did,

I’m sure I did it,” he admitted.

I am sure that I did it,” he admitted.

According to the prosecutor’s opening statement, Abe had worked in the construction industry after graduating from junior high school, but had been a gang member since he was 28 years old and had four prior convictions.

We learned of the situation from the victim man’s statement: on January 2, from several people, including defendant Abe,

On January 2, several people, including Abe, asked him, “Whose permission do you have to open your store?　Are you licking my chops?

However, because he had a business license, he continued to operate his store at the same location on January 3. Then defendant Abe came in,

I thought my father (the head of the gang) would feel bad if he saw it,” he said.

He sprayed the man in the face with a fire extinguisher he was carrying and threw it into the kitchen car. The man complained of pain in his eyes and other parts of his body and had difficulty breathing. The kitchen car, which was covered with fire extinguishers, was closed for four to six days for cleaning. In addition, the kitchen car required 460,000 yen for cleaning and maintenance.

I don’t know what’s so serious.”

During the questioning of the defendant, Abe spoke of the yakuza’s “territory” that had been violated. When asked by the defense attorney about his motive for committing the crime, Abe replied, “I didn’t feel good about myself because I had been doing business even though I had warned them,

He explained, “I couldn’t stop myself from doing business even though I had warned him.

He then explained,

I am truly sorry. I am sorry for what I did.

He also apologized for the damage. He also apologized for the damage he had caused,

I want to make sure that money is not the answer,” he said.

He continued to express his remorse with a mysterious expression on his face.

Abe continued to express his remorse with a mysterious expression on his face,

I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and I’m in the process of leaving the association,” he said.

He suggested that he would resign from the gang. Then he added, “I don’t know what’s so serious,

I don’t know what is serious. I will live my life so as not to cause trouble to others.”

and vowed to rehabilitate himself. When the prosecutor asked, “Is it easy to quit (a gang)?

I don’t know because I have never been a gang leader. But I have to talk it out.

I don’t know,

I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but I’ve done it. It would be strange to say that I am filled with emotion having done the Yakuza.

The judge sprayed him with a fire extinguisher.

When asked by the judge why he sprayed the fire extinguisher, Abe said, “I had a fixed idea of what a yakuza would do,

I had a stereotype of what a yakuza was supposed to do,” he said.

He regretted his adherence to the yakuza way of life. Abe, who has four previous convictions, wonders if he really meant what he said this time.