Former Morning Musume Idol’s Ties to Organized Crime?

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    Earlier this week, the Japanese media reported about the latest scandal involving former Morning Musume member Ai Kago. It seems that her boyfriend has been arrested for attempted extortion:

    The boyfriend, a 44-year-old restaurant manager, had attempted to avoid paying back loans by threatening his creditors. He said he had a close relationship with a boss from the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan’s largest yakuza gang.

    When police came to arrest the man, Kago was in the apartment with him. They had been living together since last year, so police have also questioned her about the alleged crime. Her relationship with the man caused her suspension and eventual departure from her last talent agency.

    This is not the first time that Ai Kago has got in trouble because of her poor choice of boyfriends. Her career as a popular member of Hello! Project was destroyed in 2006/2007 after tabloids snapped photos of her engaging in underage smoking and dating an older married man. She had made a minor comeback under other talent agencies, but this latest scandal obviously won’t help her future.

    As is standard practice with group photos or video used in television media coverage of scandals, people who are not involved in the scandal have had their faces blurred to protect their reputations. When it’s done with the faces of other idols on famous album covers, it almost seems ridiculous.

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