Tokyo Minpaku Firm Referred to Prosecutors for Illegal Operations

Tokyo, Jan. 27 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo police referred a "minpaku" private lodging operator in the Japanese capital and two Chinese nationals, including its leader, to public prosecutors Tuesday on suspicion of offering its services on weekdays in violation of a local regulation and ignoring an improvement order.

The company and individuals allegedly breached the law on private lodging business.

The suspects have admitted the allegations in questioning by the Metropolitan Police Department. The 34-year-old male leader of the company, K-carve Life, based in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward, told investigators that he believed its services were acceptable because other operators were doing the same. The MPD called on the prosecutors to indict the suspects.

The case marked the first crackdown on a minpaku operator in Japan under the private lodging business law. The law took effect in 2018, allowing minpaku services to be offered after notification to relevant local governments.

According to the MPD, the company is suspected of filing a false report that its minpaku facility in Tokyo's Arakawa Ward operated for eight days in June-July 2024 although it actually hosted guests for 49 days, including weekdays, despite the ward's ordinance banning weekday operations.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]