Photo description: In front of the club Flower on the day of the incident. At the lower right, a man can be seen holding what appears to be a metal bat. Cars were moving busily in the area. “Mitate is still in the Philippines” — Former member’s confession from prisonReport & text by: Takeshi Mizutani Earlier this spring, I received a letter containing the following: “It seems Shibata was also interested in the search for the fugitive. Even if the fugitive is caught, I don’t think it would benefit him at all.” The sender is Taichi Ishimoto (43), former leader of the semi-gang group Kantō Rengō. The “Roppongi Club Attack Incident” occurred in September 2012, when a man, mistaken for a leader of a rival organization, was beaten to death by several members of Kantō Rengō inside the club Flower. Ishimoto was arrested as one of the accomplices, sentenced to 15 years in prison, and is currently serving his sentence. Shibata refers to Daisuke Shibata, a former executive (deceased 2021). The fugitive refers to Shinichi Mitate (46), considered the ringleader of the attack. Approximately two months after the incident, in early November 2012, Mitate fled to Manila, the capital of the Philippines, and there are no records of him leaving the country. According to a senior official at the Philippine Bureau of Immigration who has continued to investigate locally, Mitate’s whereabouts were traced about two years ago, but the search was unsuccessful: “His hideout was reportedly a condominium near the tourist-heavy entertainment district in Manila. Investigators were sent to search, but his presence could not be confirmed. Since then, there has been no credible information.” Since last fall, some media outlets reported that Mitate may be hiding in Cambodia. The claim was partly based on a widely circulated group photo showing a former Kantō Rengō member in Cambodia with someone believed to be Mitate. The letter from Ishimoto, Mitate’s junior, offers a potential clue about his location: “As far as I know, he has not moved from the Philippines yet.” Regarding the controversial group photo, Ishimoto noted: “The former members in the photo tried to persuade him to surrender for my sake, but he refused, leading to a falling-out. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that they are supporting him.” A senior official from Philippine immigration also commented: “We have heard the rumors of Mitate hiding in Cambodia, but it has not been verified. I still believe he is in the Philippines. Stories about plastic surgery or his death are circulating, but their truth is unknown.” On November 1, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department updated its investigation information on the case. The report mentioned the possibility that Mitate may have returned to Japan and included translations in Tagalog and English, but not in Khmer (Cambodia’s official language). This may indicate that authorities believe he is not in Cambodia. Investigations by authorities in multiple countries have thus far hit a dead end.