Nihon University has announced that it fired a 77-year-old professor emeritus for borrowing ¥20 million from a former member of the Yamaguchi-gumi yakuza crime syndicate.
Dismissed as of Tuesday was Nagatomo Yamaoka, an expert on international law who, after retiring as a professor in 2008, has taught classes as a part-time lecturer at the university's law department.
The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, which had hired Yamaoka as an administrative counselor, also canceled its contract with him as of Tuesday.
The university will not strip Yamaoka of his professor emeritus title, however.
The private university in Tokyo convened an internal investigative committee Tuesday, which saw Yamaoka acknowledge borrowing ¥10 million 10 years ago and an additional ¥10 million eight years ago. He has not repaid the loans.
"I feel deeply sorry (about the loans) and regret them," Yamaoka said. "I will take the disciplinary action sincerely."
Yamaoka said he did not know his acquaintance had connections with the underworld when he met the former yakuza member through a business partner some 20 years ago.
The law scholar has explained that he spent the ¥20 million on his investment overseas, a university official said, noting that Yamaoka ran an investment firm in Hong Kong.
"We will step up efforts to spread awareness of the fact that associations with anti-social forces are inappropriate, and prevent similar incidents in the future," the university official said.