Kazuhide Uekusa
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese economist
, economic analyst, former senior economist at Nomura Research Institute, and chairman of the Three-Nations Research Institute Co., Ltd.
. He gained notoriety for his sex offense arrests.
. According to TV interviews with his ex-classmates, he was mostly a straight A student, so they called him a child prodigy
.
After graduating Matsue Fourth Municipal Junior High School, he went on to Ryogoku Metropolitan High School. Although this school is coeducational, he was in a boys' class. According to his classmates here, he never talked about girls nor love affairs. They were very impressed that he used to read books while attending school.
In 1979, he entered the prestigious University of Tokyo
and majored economics. Uekusa joined Nomura Research Institute
in April 1983 after graduating from University of Tokyo in March 1983. He obtained positions as a researcher of Fiscal and Momentary Policy Institute at the Ministry of Finance
in July 1985, an assistant professor at the Economic Research Institute at Kyoto University
in June 1991, an honorary fellow of the Hoover Institution
at Stanford University
in October 1993, a senior economist at Nomura Research Institute in April 2002, and became a professor at the graduate school in Waseda University
from April 2003, until he was dismissed in April 2004. Afterwards, he established the Three-Nations Research Institute, and became a chairman of the company on April 1, 2005. In April 2006, he made a career comeback in an academic position as a visiting professor at Nagoya University of Commerce & Business
graduate school in Nagoya
. He lectured on "national economic strategy" until the arrest in September of the year.
Additionally, he appeared a number of times on Japanese television programs like Fuji Television
's Tokudane!
as a commentator.
" for being arrested on April 8, 2004 because he tried to peep
under a high school
girl's skirt using his hand mirror on the escalator
of Shinagawa Station
of East Japan Railway Company
in Minato, Tokyo
. He was dismissed from being a professor on May 7, 2004 because of the arrest, despite denying the charges. He held a news conference
in Kasumigaseki
on August 30, 2004, where he said "I was told I'd be able to go home quickly if I admitted my guilt, and so I admitted it. Clearly, this is a police frameup. I swear by heaven and earth I'm innocent".
His trial was opened at the Tokyo District Court
on March 23, 2005 and the Chief Justice
sentenced him to "Paying the fine of 500,000 yen (approx. £3,203 or $4,410) and confiscating his hand mirror". He insisted that it was an "unfair judgement" and showed intentions of appealing. The ruling was established however as he did not make the appeal by the deadline on April 6, 2005.
Additionally, there is a standing criminal record that required he pay the fine of 50,000 yen (approx £320 or $441) for lewd exposure and advances on a woman while on the JR Tōkaidō Main Line
from Yokohama Station
to Kawasaki Station
at about 9:20 p.m. on January 30, 1998. He allegedly caressed the foot of a woman standing opposite him, and then proposed he masturbated for her in his trousers. The woman went to the train conductor and reported the incident. Uekusa was then escorted off the train by the Kanagawa Prefecture
police.
A large number of pornographic videos, DVDs and images about voyeurism were discovered in Uekusa's house and his white BMW E36
of AC Schnitzer
specifications in a domiciliary visit by the police. For these reasons during a trial, the Chief Justice stated that the "Defendant's sexual tastes are obvious". While still asserting that the charges upon his character are false, Uekusa is also trying to rebuild his reputation. One such attempt is characterised by his return to lecturing on economics
.
In spite of the fact he declares himself not guilty of the previous offense (hand mirror case), he was arrested again at the Keikyū Kamata Station
for molesting a high school girl in a Keihin Kyūko train which goes in a direction completely opposite his home on September 13, 2006, around 10:10 p.m.
He claims to be innocent. He says he was drunk when he was arrested, so he does not remember what happened that night. However, Nagoya University of Commerce & Business
announced that they dismissed him from being a visiting professor on September 27, 2006.
He was indicted for chikan on October 4, 2006.
He was held at the Tokyo Detention Center from then until January 22, 2007, when he was released on bail of 6,000,000 yen. Tokyo District Court
granted bail on January 19, but cancelled it the same day when the Tokyo District Prosecution Office objected. On January 22, the Tokyo High Court upheld the original Tokyo District Court ruling.
On October 16, 2007, Uekusa was sentenced to four months in prison by Presiding Judge Sho Kamisaka of the Tokyo District Court. He repeated his earlier denials, but fabric traces on his suit in addition to witness testimony were enough to convince the court that he had groped under the victim's skirt. In handing down the sentence, Kamisaka noted that "The court cannot anticipate that the accused will be rehabilitated" on his own recognizance
.
Uekusa vowed to appeal, in a statement saying "the truth will always prevail."
In a talk with journalist Benjamin Fulford
on June 19, 2008, he stated that he was arrested in the national policy investigation after he criticized an economic policy by Junichirō Koizumi
and Heizō Takenaka
on a television program.
, Tokyo 1992, ISBN 4-00-004173-8. Kodansha
, Tokyo 1999, ISBN 4-06-206330-1. Iwanami Shoten, Tokyo 2001, ISBN 4-00-026268-8. Shisei Bungaku, Tokyo 2006 ISBN 4902995018 with Takahiko Soejima. Shodensha
, Tokyo 2009 ISBN 4396613342
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
, economic analyst, former senior economist at Nomura Research Institute, and chairman of the Three-Nations Research Institute Co., Ltd.
Three-Nations Research Institute
is a company that offers information about international politics and economy, does investment consulting based in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It was established on April 1, 2005...
. He gained notoriety for his sex offense arrests.
Career
He was born and raised in Edogawa, TokyoEdogawa, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It takes its name from the river that runs from north to south along the eastern edge of the ward. In English, it uses the name Edogawa City....
. According to TV interviews with his ex-classmates, he was mostly a straight A student, so they called him a child prodigy
Child prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
.
After graduating Matsue Fourth Municipal Junior High School, he went on to Ryogoku Metropolitan High School. Although this school is coeducational, he was in a boys' class. According to his classmates here, he never talked about girls nor love affairs. They were very impressed that he used to read books while attending school.
In 1979, he entered the prestigious University of Tokyo
University of Tokyo
, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
and majored economics. Uekusa joined Nomura Research Institute
Nomura Research Institute
Nomura Research Institute, Ltd. , often called NRI, was established in 1965, now employs about 4,700 people, and is Japan's largest Consulting and IT consulting firm....
in April 1983 after graduating from University of Tokyo in March 1983. He obtained positions as a researcher of Fiscal and Momentary Policy Institute at the Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Finance (Japan)
The ' is one of cabinet-level ministries of the Japanese government. The ministry was once named Ōkura-shō . The Ministry is headed by the Minister of Finance , who is a member of the Cabinet and is typically chosen from members of the Diet by the Prime Minister.The Ministry's origin was back in...
in July 1985, an assistant professor at the Economic Research Institute at Kyoto University
Kyoto University
, or is a national university located in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest Japanese university, and formerly one of Japan's Imperial Universities.- History :...
in June 1991, an honorary fellow of the Hoover Institution
Hoover Institution
The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace is a public policy think tank and library founded in 1919 by then future U.S. president, Herbert Hoover, an early alumnus of Stanford....
at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in October 1993, a senior economist at Nomura Research Institute in April 2002, and became a professor at the graduate school in Waseda University
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
from April 2003, until he was dismissed in April 2004. Afterwards, he established the Three-Nations Research Institute, and became a chairman of the company on April 1, 2005. In April 2006, he made a career comeback in an academic position as a visiting professor at Nagoya University of Commerce & Business
Nagoya University of Commerce & Business
is a private university at Nisshin, Aichi, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1935, and it was chartered as a university in 1953.The university started awarding MBA degrees in 2005 and won accreditation from AACSB in 2006 and from the Association of MBAs in 2008.-External links:* *...
graduate school in Nagoya
Nagoya, Aichi
is the third-largest incorporated city and the fourth most populous urban area in Japan.Located on the Pacific coast in the Chūbu region on central Honshu, it is the capital of Aichi Prefecture and is one of Japan's major ports along with those of Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, Chiba, and Moji...
. He lectured on "national economic strategy" until the arrest in September of the year.
Additionally, he appeared a number of times on Japanese television programs like Fuji Television
Fuji Television
is a Japanese television station based in Daiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, also known as or CX, based on the station's callsign "JOCX-DTV". It is the flagship station of the Fuji News Network and the ....
's Tokudane!
Tokudane!
Tokudane! is a weekday morning news program airing on Fuji Television, a television station in Japan. It was first broadcast on 1 April 1999, and currently airs from 08:00 to 09:55 Mondays to Fridays.-Main presenters:* Tomoaki Ogura...
as a commentator.
Criminal events
Today, he is mostly known as "MirrormanMirrorman (TV series)
is the title superhero of a tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, Mirrorman. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, the series aired on Fuji TV from December 5, 1971 to November 26, 1972, with a total of 51 episodes. This was Tsuburaya Productions' first non-Ultra superhero...
" for being arrested on April 8, 2004 because he tried to peep
Voyeurism
In clinical psychology, voyeurism is the sexual interest in or practice of spying on people engaged in intimate behaviors, such as undressing, sexual activity, or other activity usually considered to be of a private nature....
under a high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
girl's skirt using his hand mirror on the escalator
Escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase – a conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.Escalators are used around the...
of Shinagawa Station
Shinagawa Station
is the first major station south ofTokyo Station and is a major interchange for trains operated by JR East, JR Central, and Keikyu. The Tōkaidō Shinkansen and other trains to the Miura Peninsula, Izu Peninsula and the Tōkai region pass through here...
of East Japan Railway Company
East Japan Railway Company
is the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....
in Minato, Tokyo
Minato, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 1 March 2008, it had an official population of 217,335 and a population density of 10,865 persons per km². The total area is 20.34 km².Minato hosts 49 embassies...
. He was dismissed from being a professor on May 7, 2004 because of the arrest, despite denying the charges. He held a news conference
News conference
A news conference or press conference is a media event in which newsmakers invite journalists to hear them speak and, most often, ask questions. A joint press conference instead is held between two or more talking sides.-Practice:...
in Kasumigaseki
Kasumigaseki
Kasumigaseki is a district in Chiyoda Ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is the location of most of Japan's cabinet ministry offices...
on August 30, 2004, where he said "I was told I'd be able to go home quickly if I admitted my guilt, and so I admitted it. Clearly, this is a police frameup. I swear by heaven and earth I'm innocent".
His trial was opened at the Tokyo District Court
Tokyo District Court
is a district court located at 1-1-4 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. -References:...
on March 23, 2005 and the Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
sentenced him to "Paying the fine of 500,000 yen (approx. £3,203 or $4,410) and confiscating his hand mirror". He insisted that it was an "unfair judgement" and showed intentions of appealing. The ruling was established however as he did not make the appeal by the deadline on April 6, 2005.
Additionally, there is a standing criminal record that required he pay the fine of 50,000 yen (approx £320 or $441) for lewd exposure and advances on a woman while on the JR Tōkaidō Main Line
Tokaido Main Line
The is the busiest trunk line of the Japan Railways Group , connecting Tōkyō and Kōbe stations. It is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities...
from Yokohama Station
Yokohama Station
is a main interchange station located in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. It is the busiest station in Kanagawa Prefecture and the 5th busiest in Japan as of 2004, serving 2.05 million passengers daily.-Lines:Yokohama Station is served by the following lines:...
to Kawasaki Station
Kawasaki Station
is a railway station in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company .-Lines:Kawasaki Station is served by the following JR East lines.*Keihin-Tōhoku Line*Tōkaidō Main Line*Nambu Line-Station layout:-Adjacent stations:...
at about 9:20 p.m. on January 30, 1998. He allegedly caressed the foot of a woman standing opposite him, and then proposed he masturbated for her in his trousers. The woman went to the train conductor and reported the incident. Uekusa was then escorted off the train by the Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
police.
A large number of pornographic videos, DVDs and images about voyeurism were discovered in Uekusa's house and his white BMW E36
BMW E36
The BMW E36 is the third generation of the 3 Series compact executive cars produced by BMW. It was introduced in late 1990 for Europe and in late 1991 for US and Canada. It was the successor to the E30 3 Series and was eventually replaced by the E90 3 Series in 2005, though E36 coupes were still...
of AC Schnitzer
AC Schnitzer
AC Schnitzer Automobile Technik is a third party tuning company based in Aachen, Germany specializing in BMW and MINI cars, as well as BMW motorcycles....
specifications in a domiciliary visit by the police. For these reasons during a trial, the Chief Justice stated that the "Defendant's sexual tastes are obvious". While still asserting that the charges upon his character are false, Uekusa is also trying to rebuild his reputation. One such attempt is characterised by his return to lecturing on economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
.
In spite of the fact he declares himself not guilty of the previous offense (hand mirror case), he was arrested again at the Keikyū Kamata Station
Keikyu Kamata Station
, is a railway station located in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, operated by Keihin Electric Express Railway .-History:The station opened on 1 February 1901 as Kamata Station . The Airport Line was opened in 1902....
for molesting a high school girl in a Keihin Kyūko train which goes in a direction completely opposite his home on September 13, 2006, around 10:10 p.m.
He claims to be innocent. He says he was drunk when he was arrested, so he does not remember what happened that night. However, Nagoya University of Commerce & Business
Nagoya University of Commerce & Business
is a private university at Nisshin, Aichi, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1935, and it was chartered as a university in 1953.The university started awarding MBA degrees in 2005 and won accreditation from AACSB in 2006 and from the Association of MBAs in 2008.-External links:* *...
announced that they dismissed him from being a visiting professor on September 27, 2006.
He was indicted for chikan on October 4, 2006.
He was held at the Tokyo Detention Center from then until January 22, 2007, when he was released on bail of 6,000,000 yen. Tokyo District Court
Tokyo District Court
is a district court located at 1-1-4 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. -References:...
granted bail on January 19, but cancelled it the same day when the Tokyo District Prosecution Office objected. On January 22, the Tokyo High Court upheld the original Tokyo District Court ruling.
On October 16, 2007, Uekusa was sentenced to four months in prison by Presiding Judge Sho Kamisaka of the Tokyo District Court. He repeated his earlier denials, but fabric traces on his suit in addition to witness testimony were enough to convince the court that he had groped under the victim's skirt. In handing down the sentence, Kamisaka noted that "The court cannot anticipate that the accused will be rehabilitated" on his own recognizance
Recognizance
In some common law nations, a recognizance is a conditional obligation undertaken by a person before a court. It is an obligation of record, entered into before a court or magistrate duly authorized, whereby the party bound acknowledges that he owes a personal debt to the state...
.
Uekusa vowed to appeal, in a statement saying "the truth will always prevail."
In a talk with journalist Benjamin Fulford
Benjamin Fulford
Benjamin Fulford is a journalist living in Japan.He is the great-grandson of George Taylor Fulford.In the early 1980s he went to Japan to study at Sophia University. After receiving a B.A. from the University of British Columbia, he returned to Japan in the mid-1980s to pursue a career in...
on June 19, 2008, he stated that he was arrested in the national policy investigation after he criticized an economic policy by Junichirō Koizumi
Junichiro Koizumi
is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics when his term in parliament ended.Widely seen as a maverick leader of the Liberal Democratic Party , he became known as an economic reformer, focusing on Japan's government debt and the...
and Heizō Takenaka
Heizo Takenaka
is a Japanese economist and retired politician, last serving as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications and Minister of State for Privatization of the Postal Services in the cabinet of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi...
on a television program.
Books
. Iwanami ShotenIwanami Shoten Publishing
is a Japanese publishing company in Tokyo.Iwanami Shoten was founded in 1913 by Shigeo Iwanami. Its first major publication was the novel Kokoro in 1914.Its head office is at Hitotsubashi 2–5–5, Chiyoda, Tokyo....
, Tokyo 1992, ISBN 4-00-004173-8. Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
, Tokyo 1999, ISBN 4-06-206330-1. Iwanami Shoten, Tokyo 2001, ISBN 4-00-026268-8. Shisei Bungaku, Tokyo 2006 ISBN 4902995018 with Takahiko Soejima. Shodensha
Shodensha
is a Japanese publisher of mostly non-fiction magazines and books, though it has recently begun publishing light novels and manga, including magazines which contain both...
, Tokyo 2009 ISBN 4396613342