OSAKA — Osaka Prefectural Police on Thursday arrested two "sokaiya" corporate racketeers on suspicion of accepting 85 million yen in bribes from major machinery maker Kubota Corp. in the form of billboard rental fees, police sources said.
Investigators also searched the Kubota Corp. head office for allegedly handing over 300 million yen to sokaiya over the past 25 years, they said.
The sokaiya arrested Thursday were identified as Isamu Takahashi, 69, the former president of the advertising agency that handles the billboards, and Kiichiro Noro, 52, the current president, police said.