Three people who allegedly staged a sham Imperial wedding reception were arrested Tuesday and accused of defrauding their guests, many of them celebrities, out of 13 million yen.
Yasuyuki Kitano, 41, a Kyoto resident and groom at the wedding, has claimed to hold the Imperial title of Prince Arisugawa for about 15 years and called himself Satohito Arisugawa. But the Metropolitan Police Department said it has confirmed with the Imperial Household Agency that Kitano is not related to the Arisugawa family.
Also arrested were Harumi Sakamoto, 45, who posed as Kitano's bride at the lavish party, and Shinya Kusunoki, 42, an executive of the company that organized the event.