In water too clear lives no fish; but in dirty soil grow abundant crops.
Hong Zicheng, "Caigentan"
Land swindler.
Land swindler?
Without a shadow of doubt,
that bear believed it was going to own me.
But it turned ugly and miserable in a single moment and died.
Perhaps I just… cannot forget the ecstasy I experienced at that moment.
Takumi.
Will you join me?
Will you become a land swindler?
The con man who ruined your life was a land swindler.
This time, why don't you…
push someone else down into hell?
Land swindlers steal large sums of money by posing as landowners
who want to sell their land using forged documents.
Land fraud occurred all over Japan during the post-war period
when society and government offices were still in chaos.
During the economic bubble from the late 1980s to the early 1990s,
real estate prices surged,
and land fraud often occurred in urban areas.
However, the digitalization of real estate trading documents
made it harder for scammers to steal identities.
Land fraud seemed to have subsided.
Then in the mid-2010s,
Tokyo was selected to host the Olympics, leading to rising land prices.
Due to absentee ownership and the lack of proper management,
land fraud incidents increased again,
where fraudsters targeted properties of little to no interest.
Land fraud is carried out by a group with a leader,
a negotiator,
an informer,
a legal expert,
a document forger,
and a casting coordinator for imposters.
They require precise and highly advanced criminal techniques.
An emergency call reported an odor from a building in Shimbashi
within Atago police's jurisdiction.
This building was also possibly involved in a real estate fraud case
currently being covertly investigated by the Second Investigation Division,
so Shimomura and Okubo are rushing to the scene.
At this point, the whereabouts of the building's owner are unknown,
so the link between the call and the owner must also be investigated.
I repeat--
- Okubo, Second Investigation Division. - Thanks for coming.
Please go ahead.
Tatsu.
I'll call headquarters.
Regarding the case of a female building owner
whose remains were found in her building in Shimbashi, Tokyo,
new details show that the case
may be connected to real estate fraud concerning the land…
For several years, a group of real estate fraudsters known as "land swindlers"…
…have swindled two billion yen from a real estate company.
The group set up a different woman as the deceased owner and had the imposter
conduct negotiations as the real landowner…
This group of land swindlers consists of multiple members,
and the police have been unable to track them down at this time.
Your zodiac sign?
Dragon…
- Right? - Why do you check with her?
It's your own sign.
We've practiced this many times, right?
I'm sorry.
- Mr. Sasaki. - Yes?
Incorrect.
What?
You are Kenichi Shimazaki.
Don’t forget, there's no one named Sasaki here.
Right…
Mr. Shimazaki.
Y-Yes?
It'll be fine.
Just relax, okay?
Okay.
Just do exactly as you did with Reiko.
Okay.
All right. Goto, please take it from the top.
What's your name?
My name is Kenichi Shimazaki.
Date of birth.
February 17th, Showa year 15…
Western calendar?
February 17th, 1940.
My zodiac sign is the dragon.
Born in Shibuya City, Tokyo--
No!
Don't start blabbing things no one asked you for.
Give short answers.
Oh, sorry.
It's okay to just give a brief response.
If they ask something that you weren't prepared for,
be ambiguous and evade it.
We'll help you out.
It will be fine, Mr. Sasaki.
Yes, okay.
May I use the toil--
Again?
You just went.
Go ahead.
Can he really pull it off?
Couldn't you find someone better?
There was a candidate who better resembled the owner.
But Harrison chose him.
I don't know about this…
Well, he's just an imposter.
And no bullies like you will be at the meeting.
Wanna use this?
I already did.
Hey, isn't it about time?
You're right.
Let's get going then.
We're off to the settlement.
How are the papers?
They're good to go.
May I see them?
Sure.
Registered seal certificate.
Property registration record.
Fixed asset valuation certificate.
Fixed asset tax statement.
Residence certificate--
Is this a special film?
It's unnatural for the papers to have no fingerprints.
Foreign intelligence agencies also use this film lately.
Also, the driver's license.
Health insurance card.
Registered seal. Property key.
No My Number card or passport.
Indeed, it's more natural for him to not have them.
Microchips are embedded in the driver's license.
This is fine work.
Thank you.
We'll get going then.
Takumi.
Yes?
Take this as well.
What is this?
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Where's Mr. Sasaki?
- He went to take another leak. - Oh.
Why did he have to pick such a spacey old man?
I still don't get Harrison.
How long have you been working with him again?
About four or five years.
Oh, that's not long.
I thought you knew each other longer.
He seems to trust you a lot.
You think so?
By the way, you see this?
Did you know our imposter for this job is also missing?
Really?
I wonder who did it.
I guess some things are better left unknown.
He's here.
I'm so sorry!
CASE OF SHIMBASHI LANDOWNER'S REMAINS POLICE CONCLUDE AS NOT CRIMINAL
Harrison Yamanaka?
Yeah.
A famous land swindler in the real estate industry.
But "Harrison"? Isn't he Japanese?
He uses different aliases as he sees fit.
He's known as Harrison Yamanaka among his collaborators.
May I?
"Former gang member."
"During the economic bubble in the late 1980s,
he became well-known as a land shark."
"He later led a group of land swindlers
and operated one large-scale land fraud after another."
"After the bubble burst, he was arrested as the main culprit
of a fraud involving a mixed-use building in Tokyo."
"Sentenced to five years in prison."
After his release, he kept quiet for a while until…
What was it?
The dot-com bubble.
He became active again around that time.
Huh?
What is this 2007 case that says "not indicted due to lack of evidence"?
Oh.
There was an open space in Akasaka-Mitsuke that was vacant for 20 years.
The Napa Hotel
bought it from a broker for 1.2 billion yen, but…
But it was land fraud?
The imposter old man, the recruiter who cast the imposter,
the broker, and the shady judicial scrivener.
We arrested the group members
and finally reached Harrison, who masterminded the fraud.
I had seen many con artists and intellectual criminals before,
but he was unlike any of them.
Excuse me.
Prosecutors won't indict Harrison due to lack of evidence.
We were so close…
Huh? So none of them were indicted except for the imposter?
That's right.
This old man had dementia.
His statement recounting the incident didn't match up at all.
And the 1.2 billion yen?
Who knows?
They likely didn't get their money back, as Napa kept the incident private
to maintain their reputation.
Damn. Seriously?
Wait.
You think Harrison had a part in this Shimbashi case too?
There's no proof.
Just a hunch.
Why would a decent company fall for
a real estate scam with such a simple imposter trick?
That's probably the real kick, don't you think?
For these land-swindling bastards.
I'm Inoue, in charge of managing the Shimazaki property.
I am Maki from Mike Homes.
Pleased to meet you.
I'm Ishiguro, the judicial scrivener.
Pleased to meet you.
- I'm Yamashita. - Thank you very much.
Now that we have both the seller and the buyer present,
I would like to start the procedure.
Thank you for taking the time today out of your busy schedules.
Since our time is limited, I'd like to jump right into business.
"'This property' refers to the building land
located on 36-8-7 Ebisu, Shibuya City, Tokyo."
"The owner of this property, Kenichi Shimazaki,
hereinafter referred to as 'Owner,'
and the buyer…"
The property to be sold in this deal
is a 54-year-old house only five minutes on foot from Ebisu Station.
The owner, Kenichi Shimazaki, has lived alone in this house for many years.
He had been hospitalized on and off due to cancer
and admitted to a hospice in Atami.
That was when we were briefed on this property by Takeshita,
our informer who gathers data on the land.
Here it is.
Five minutes from the station.
Yebisu Garden Place and The Westin Tokyo are nearby.
This is as Ebisu as it gets.
Aren't many developers after this land?
Brokers and salespeople hover here all the time.
The owner is a cranky old man
who stayed here even after his diagnosis.
Well, this is how it ended up.
So he has no family?
No. He inherited the house from his parents,
and his wife died long ago.
Any other relatives?
If he had any, this place wouldn't look like this.
There are no encumbrances, so this is an excellent property.
How big?
It's 478 square meters.
It's 9.8 million yen per tsubo. A Category 2 residential zone.
If you built a condo here, all the units would sell in a flash.
- This is great. - I agree.
Let's do it.
How much do we list it for?
Let's see.
We'll say 900 million for now.
Okay.
We spread fake information to real estate brokers in Shibuya, Ebisu, and Daikanyama,
saying the land was listed for sale.
Soon after, we received multiple inquiries.
But the keenest among them was
Mike Homes, an up-and-coming real estate company specializing in
development and sales of investment studio condos.
So, can I really get my hands on this land?
It's up to you, Mr. Maki.
How much is it?
It's 900 million.
Nine…
Mr. Maki, if you don't make up your mind, someone else will snatch it.
The building coverage ratio is 60%. The floor-to-area ratio is 400%.
We will have 36 units in a condo built with the max floor area allowed,
with studio units on the lower floors and family units above.
With all units leased, total annual rent will be 130 million yen.
Even if construction costs 800 million, it will be profitable in 13 years.
If we can acquire it for 900 million, it's not just reasonable; it's a steal.
- I know, right? - Boss.
Please get in touch with them immediately.
Right.
However, we do not sell so easily.
Goto, our legal advisor, contacts the target as a broker
and puts the target on edge by hinting that other developers are also keen.
What can I say? Ebisu is a major hot spot after all.
I can't give you exact names,
but we've gotten inquiries from many big-name companies,
ones more famous than you, to be honest.
Please give us a chance.
Mike Homes's biggest aspiration is to develop our own condo.
No offense, but your company isn't even listed.
You know, the seller himself will probably put more trust
in well-known companies that we see in TV commercials.
That being said, the seller wishes to sell as soon as he can.
It's not first-come-first-served, but he does want to settle it soon.
One billion.
- Excuse me? - We'll pay one billion yen.
Boss…
Big companies need time for management approval.
But I can decide at my own discretion.
We'll add 100 million to make it… one billion.
How is that?
Then, shall we sign an agreement sometime next week?
Thank you very much!
We need a deposit of 100 million upon signing.
Do you accept?
Yes, agreed.
May I make one request as well?
I'd like to meet the seller, Mr. Shimazaki.
Sure, you can meet him whenever he can make it.
Selection of the imposter for Kenichi Shimazaki was underway
by Reiko, the recruiter in charge of casting.
The imposter must not have relatives.
Reiko has a list ready at all times
of seniors with adequate social manners,
but who also bear some sort of stigma and are in need of quick cash.
…Shimazaki.
Your date of birth?
February 17th…
I recommend this guy.
He resembles the real Shimazaki, and his trial interview was acceptable.
He was a high school physics teacher but got fired for student molestation.
And after that?
Seems like he taught at different cram schools.
He's got a sharp memory.
What's this man's background?
Oh, that one.
He worked as a construction worker his whole life.
When he got old, he…
The red baton on the streets…
- Traffic control staff. - That's it.
But it's getting tough on his body, so he wants to live in the countryside.
He's 2.7 million yen in debt to consumer finance firms.
Your current address?
Well, um…
But as you can see, he's no good. He's starting to go senile.
Let's go with him.
What? Seriously?
The most important thing is not the likeness but the authenticity.
You know that well too, Reiko.
Even after the imposter for the property owner is decided,
we still don't let Mike Homes meet him.
The more the imposter meets the buyer, the higher the risk of getting caught.
So we make up an excuse every time, such as poor health or moodiness,
and instead reassure the buyer by inviting them to the property.
What a shame. Mr. Shimazaki was willing to join us until yesterday.
We even sent him tickets for the bullet train.
But just this morning, he told me he wasn't coming.
You see, he can be a bit moody sometimes.
I see. Too bad he couldn't make it.
But he did say we're free to look around inside.
The original lock has been replaced with a new one.
Of course, we make the lock and key look old.
There we go.
Okay.
- After you. - Thank you.
Thank you.
This is so spacious.
The property is surrounded by low-rise houses,
so I bet you get good sunlight even on the first floor.
Yes.
This is a terrific property.
Would you mind if I checked the inside of the house?
Well, I don't mind.
- But Mr. Shimazaki doesn't want you to. - Huh?
It's messy inside,
and I'm guessing he's embarrassed to show it to strangers.
It'll be torn down anyway.
Do you really need to see inside?
But we'd like to inform the demolition company…
Oh, yes. About that, President Maki.
Yes?
We'd like to pay for the demolition and the operator.
What?
You know, for us,
we're selling this extensive land for far below market price.
Honestly, we're not profiting much.
- You know what I mean, right? - Yes…
We choose this timing to add the demolition cost to the broker's share.
This will make them see why we set the price lower than the market price,
making the deal more convincing.
We'd like to discuss it with our team first.
Must you go through so much trouble?
I thought you said you make decisions at your own discretion.
Just so you know, Mr. Shimazaki agrees with us handling the demolition.
What?
The buyers' worst fear is offending or displeasing the landowner,
so we don't miss this opportunity to play that card.
All right.
But please make sure we meet with Mr. Shimazaki.
Of course.
I'll make sure of it.
It is the job of the craftsmen of the underworld, the forgers,
to fabricate documents necessary for the deal,
official documents like a driver's license or health insurance card for ID.
The work requires complex techniques to fabricate data on microchips,
watermark printed documents, and so on.
The imposter and the forged documents.
The success of land fraud hinges on the authenticity of these two.
Once all the documents were ready, we sign a sale and purchase agreement.
The 100-million-yen deposit is complete, and now at the final settlement,
payment of the remaining 900 million yen and transfer of ownership are to be done.
We're at the office of the lawyer
who had prepared an identification document
in place of the title deed.
The lawyer attending the signing has no idea this Shimazaki is fake.
This is the first meeting
between the Kenichi Shimazaki imposter and Mike Homes.
Okay.
So, the title deed of land has been lost. Is that correct?
Like we said,
that's why we had this lawyer prepare a personal identification document.
- We just explained that. - I see.
I believe you all saw it for yourselves,
but since it's quite old, things aren't neatly organized inside the house.
I asked Mr. Shimazaki where we might find the deed and looked around, but…
Right…
I'm so sorry.
Oh, no. It's fine.
And the other documents?
They're fine. But if I could go over some--
Enough already.
Huh?
What year did you register?
Pardon?
I'm concerned since you look young.
When was it?
In 2012.
So you've attended the mandatory legal ethics training only once so far.
Are you capable of handling an important settlement like this?
I'm getting a bit worried here.
It's okay. You've got this, right?
Y-Yes…
Are you okay?
Yeah.
Mr. Shimazaki has a routine check-up at the nursing home.
I see.
- You're okay? - Yeah.
Well then, Mr. Shimazaki,
I would like to confirm your identity.
Could you please show us your photo identification?
Oh, yes.
Thank you.
Let's see, the health insurance card, and…
- The driver's license and… - Yes, thank you.
The seal is not necessary.
Here you are.
Thank you. I'll check them.
Okay.
Please go ahead.
Okay.
All good.
My apologies for keeping you waiting.
- Please allow me to confirm a few things. - Sure.
You are Kenichi Shimazaki himself. Is that correct?
Yes, that is correct.
Could you tell me your date of birth?
Huh? Um…
You can take your time.
It's February 17th, Showa year 15.
Okay.
Your zodiac sign, please.
Huh?
Oh.
Your zodiac sign, please.
Oh, zodiac…
Mr. Shimazaki.
The zodiac. With the twelve animals.
Rat, ox…
I'm a dragon. I'm 77 years old, and I was born in the year of the dragon.
Yes, thank you very much.
Well then…
Pardon me.
Please take a look at these.
Which one of these is your house, Mr. Shimazaki?
- Um… - It seems to be hard for him to see.
- If I may. - Oh, right. Of course.
Here, Mr. Shimazaki. Which one?
Um…
Mr. Shimazaki, your house. Which one is it?
Oh, this one
is not the one.
It's this one.
This one is my house.
Is that okay?
Yes. Thank you.
Please allow me to ask one last question.
Mr. Shimazaki.
At which supermarket in your neighborhood do you do your shopping?
Huh? Uh…
A grocery store. A supermarket.
You do go shopping?
Yeah… I do.
I'm assuming you go shopping for deli foods and daily necessities…
You say "supermarket," but there are more than one.
He can answer as many as he likes.
Supermarket…
Mr. Shimazaki.
I'm asking about a supermarket. Supermarket--
Who cares which one he goes to?
What more verification do you need?
We've got the lawyer here
who gave us a certificate proving he is Mr. Shimazaki,
but you just met him today.
And you're just a newbie judicial scrivener.
How can you question a notary or an official verification
submitted by a lawyer?
Right, Mr. Fujishima?
- Yes, well… - Hey.
Do you even have a sense of professional ethics?
My job is to ensure the safety of this transaction.
I, too, take pride in what I'm doing.
President Maki, please let me resume.
President Maki.
Haven't we done enough?
No.
Please answer him.
It's not that I'm having doubts.
But this, both for me and our company,
is a huge deal that determines our future.
We sincerely ask that you let us confirm that Mr. Shimazaki here
is the real Mr. Shimazaki.
I'm begging you.
Um…
What's wrong, Mr. Shimazaki?
It's okay, don't worry.
I know you've been very nervous all day.
Sorry, may we use the restroom?
Oh, yes. Of course.
Take your time.
I'm sorry.
What now?
Yes, this way.
What's wrong?
My name is Kenichi Shimazaki.
I was born
on February 17th
in Showa year 15, or 1940.
I'm 77 years old, and my zodiac sign is the dragon.
As for shopping,
from my house toward the station,
there is a Peacock Store.
But I often go to Life across Gaien Nishi-dori street.
Because Life is cheaper.
Understood.
Thank you.
Are we done?
Oh, okay, Mr. Shimazaki.
Do you agree to sell the house you own to Mike Homes?
Yes.
Thank you!
May I have your signature and seal on these documents?
Wait until he returns!
Don't embarrass him more.
Let's go.
We're sorry.
My apologies.
Please affix your seal here.
Okay.
Now, all the papers needed for the registration application are set.
You may conduct the final payment.
Everything is done without any issues.
Please transfer the remaining amount.
Mr. Shimazaki.
We are truly grateful to you.
Rest assured, we will make sure to use the land you let us purchase
for something great.
Mr. Yamashita, Mr. Inoue.
Thank you very much for your support on this!
Thank you.
Thank you, too.
Not just yet.
We can't relax until we confirm your payment.
The transfer will be made shortly,
and we should hear from our staff at the bank.
Kindly bear with us.
Yeah, please.
I'm off to Osaka after this.
I can't wait to eat my favorite food there.
Hurry, please.
ALL DONE HERE. PLEASE CHECK THE ACCOUNT.
ACCOUNT BALANCE 900,620,000 YEN
Man, you know that moment when he asked about the supermarket?
I broke into a cold sweat.
Come on, Reiko. It's your job to train them well.
Excuse me? Cramming personal info into their brains is hard enough.
That judicial scrivener was pretty good for his age.
He's a promising one.
I'll recruit him someday.
How'd you pull it off?
That old man had no idea where the stores were, right?
Using this.
What's that?
Oh, a wireless earbud?
Yes.
Harrison came up with it last minute.
Take this as well.
What is this?
If they ask an unexpected question he can't answer,
put that into Mr. Sasaki's ear.
This target is just some small fry,
but small fries have a way
of taking desperate actions when they're about to be killed.
Okay.
But how do I--
Improvise.
We sincerely ask that you let us confirm that Mr. Shimazaki here
is the real Mr. Shimazaki.
I'm begging you.
What's wrong, Mr. Shimazaki?
It's okay, don't worry.
I know you've been nervous all day.
Sorry, may we use the restroom?
Oh, yes. Of course.
Take your time.
I'm sorry.
What now?
Here.
- Huh? - Yes, this way.
Ah…
Mr. Sasaki.
Please repeat
what I'm going to tell you now.
What's wrong?
"My name is Kenichi Shimazaki."
My name is Kenichi Shimazaki.
"I was born…"
I was born…
"…on February 17th…"
…on February 17th…
"…in Showa year 15, or 1940."
…in Showa year 15, or 1940.
"I'm 77 years old."
I'm 77 years old.
"I am a dragon."
I am a dragon.
"As for shopping,
from my house toward the station,
there is a Peacock Store."
As for shopping,
from my house toward the station,
there is a Peacock Store.
"But I often go to Life
across Gaien Nishi-dori street."
But I often go to Life across Gaien Nishi-dori street.
"Because Life is cheaper."
Because Life is cheaper.
You can't beat a master and his student.
Great improv.
Goto.
Before I forget.
Thanks.
Cash again?
I only trust cash.
The money, as always,
will be laundered abroad before sending to your accounts,
so it will take some more time.
Takumi also gets 150 million.
Eighty million for Reiko, and 200 million for Takeshita.
And 420 million for you, huh?
Did we not originally agree on how we split the money?
These are expenses. I want them reimbursed in cash.
Where is Mr. Sasaki now?
I think Nagasaki? He said he was moving there.
Can he live out his life on just three million?
I don't know.
He said an acquaintance was growing some sort of fruit,
so he was going to help them.
Oh yeah,
did you see this?
That president.
He's screwed.
What a scumbag.
He must have been feeling good closing a huge deal
with no idea it was a scam.
- But it should happen soon. - What should?
The application dismissal.
They'll likely hear from the Legal Affairs Bureau by the end of this week.
I'd love to see the look on this guy's face when he finds out.
Thank you.
Great performance.
So?
What's our next plan?
Well, let's see…
It depends on Takeshita.
Any suggestions?
I figured this may come up, so I picked out a few areas.
Quick work. What's gotten into you?
Got meth or something?
I've personally evaluated them, and they're rated with A, B, or C.
My pick is the fourth one, a sports center in Kamata.
It closed down two years ago.
The owner fell for a woman at a Philippine pub
and moved to Manila.
I know this place.
I went there with my sons. It's pretty big.
It's three times the size of the Ebisu property.
The appraisal value is probably around 2.2 or 2.3 billion.
The others are about one billion, but it's better to leave them--
How about we aim for a larger target?
What?
How big?
Well, let me see…
A job so big, there'll be dead bodies everywhere.
Don't you find it unexciting?
Just doing trivial jobs that anyone can do.
We should go big rather than stay small.
Choose a difficult job rather than an easy one.
Conquer an impregnable target that would terrify anyone
and make them think twice about taking it on.
Nothing beats that pleasure.
And that's what gives us ecstasy and thrills
far more pleasing than sex or drugs.
Aren't you all in this business
to experience that excitement?
I've been doing this for many years now,
and our current team has the best possible members.
I also think that with you all,
I can dare to reach for dangerous heights that no one has ever reached before,
even with my life at risk.
There is one.
A job that might leave dead bodies.
Whoa. What a spectacular view.
This is Takanawadai, right?
Shinagawa, Takanawa, Tamachi, and Mita.
The center of Tokyo's large-scale urban development area.
And look. See that dark patch over there?
That's the property?
That one's huge.
Do I see a temple or something?
Yeah. Kouan-ji Temple, was it?
What? That's out of the question.
That's no countryside temple ruin.
A religious corporation operates it. They won't sell.
Hey, just relax and hear me out, okay?
Kouan-ji is only part of the estate.
Behind it, there's a parking lot and a weird, unused building.
These are registered as separate properties from the temple.
So the property is sellable except for the temple?
Exactly.
Who's the owner?
A nun, the only daughter of the temple.
I'm still checking her background,
but it seems her husband disappeared some years ago.
The parking lot and building combined, is it about 3,000 square meters?
It's 3,200.
What's the market price?
Nine billion…
No… maybe ten billion yen.
Ten billion?!
No way. That's just impossible.
No one will buy a ten-billion-yen property.
And that nun,
I heard she's been refusing to sell it no matter what.
That makes it even more impossible.
There might be a loophole we can take advantage of.
Takeshita.
Would you dig a little deeper?
I could, but I want an advance.
Ten million for now.
I'll have it ready.
Wait, are we really doing this?
The imposter isn't necessary so soon,
but you can start preparing for one.
Goto.
Pick the right timing to release property details.
Sure, but who would buy that?
Maybe if it's a government-led project,
but who'd pay ten billion for commercial land?
If we set a trap, prey will always walk into it.
For personal reasons, notifier terminated negotiations.
Fuck!
This is security footage of a man believed to be Harrison.
Who is this?
Is he with Harrison?
I can't tell.
I'm almost there!
No idea. It's too dark, idiot!
No, I haven't had dinner yet.
I'd love a hot bath too.
Yes?
I see. Understood.
Takumi.
Don't let your guard down around them.
I trained you from zero to become a land swindler.
I only trust you.
Well then.
Subtitle translation by: Astrid Oliver