The Last One Mile Labor Union once again raises a serious issue to society regarding Makoto Watanabe, Representative Director, Chairman, and CEO of Last One Mile Co., Ltd., which cannot be overlooked as the representative of a listed company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The question of this article is extremely simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is Makoto Watanabe an antisocial force?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or perhaps, even if not anti-social forces themselves, are they an individual who has made it a regular practice to exploit relationships with anti-social forces or their influence to dominate others and seize businesses or property?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our association does not determine Mr. Watanabe to be an \"antisocial force\" in the legal sense, without awaiting recognition by courts, police, stock exchanges, or other competent authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, considering the recordings preserved by our union, messages on social media, multiple testimonies from former executives, and the facts stated in past official notices collectively, the Board of Directors, Audit and Supervisory Committee, Tokyo Stock Exchange, and Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission of Last Mile Inc. have grounds to investigate immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to recordings and other materials preserved by our union, Mr. Watanabe has reportedly been repeatedly making statements to the following effect since April 2026, targeting a specific individual and a US-listed company in which that individual is involved as a shareholder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These remarks are not merely exaggerated expressions by an eccentric executive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This informs the other party of an intent to cause harm to their life, body, honor, property, or business management, and depending on the specific circumstances, it may give rise to legal issues such as intimidation, coercion, forcible obstruction of business, or other offenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, before publicly disclosing this issue for the first time, our union sent a formal notification letter to the board of directors and the audit and supervisory committee of Last One Mile, requesting fact-checking and corrective action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nevertheless, there has been no substantive response from the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even if the representative of a listed company makes remarks such as \"I will kill you,\" \"I will crush you,\" and \"I will delist the company,\" if all the directors and audit and supervisory committee members pretend not to hear, does that complete the internal control?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Multiple testimonies from executives, employees, and other related parties have stated that Mr. Watanabe's coercive words and actions are not something that started suddenly of late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The main reports known to our association are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our union is prepared to provide information on all of these matters to the relevant authorities, distinguishing between matters that can be verified through recordings, matters supported by multiple direct testimonies, and matters currently undergoing additional verification as hearsay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the fact that stories about the representative of a listed company involving antisocial forces, Japanese swords, yakuza executives, intimidation, and methods of trapping opponents repeatedly emerge from multiple independent sources at different times is itself not normal corporate governance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The official notice sent to Last One Mile Inc. in the past states that there were reports of Mr. Watanabe repeatedly making statements to the following effect at dinner parties and other occasions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After that, the union members actually complain that Watanabe overturned past agreements, carried out a one-sided campaign to shape opinions within the company, and pressured them to hand over their assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the statement and the subsequent events match, the explanation that it was \"just a joke\" is not enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Did you actually use anti-social forces?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even if he didn't use it, did he intimidate his opponents by hinting at its existence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Did you obtain contractual, equity, business, or personnel benefits by leveraging that power?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is precisely these points that need to be investigated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Information regarding Mr. Watanabe's secretary and their spouse has also been submitted to our union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to an informant, the spouse has ties to antisocial forces and a long prison record for past fraud and other offenses, and it is suspected that Mr. Watanabe was also aware of these circumstances and used them as an operative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We do not question the marriage with antisocial forces itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The issue is whether the representative of the listed company utilized the influence of the other party in private disputes or business negotiations while being aware of their background and previous history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our cooperative has received information that Satoshi Saito, former head of the corporate planning office at Last One Mile Inc. and a certified public accountant, has been making statements to people around him since around 2023 regarding Mr. Watanabe, to the effect that \"he is recorded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange as at least an anti-social force\" and \"he has already been recognized as an anti-social force by the stock market.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here, \"anti-shi\" is generally understood as an abbreviation for \"anti-market forces.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, anti-market forces and antisocial forces are not the same, either legally or conceptually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anti-market forces are sometimes used in a context referring to individuals or groups that undermine the fairness and reliability of the securities market, but this does not immediately mean they are anti-social forces such as organized crime groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even so, if Mr. Saito, who was responsible for Last One Mile's IPO administration, is in a position to understand the review practices of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the securities market, and is known by himself and others as an IPO contractor, evaluated Mr. Watanabe as \"anti-market,\" that is extremely important internal information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why did you evaluate it that way?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Did the TSE, lead managing securities companies, audit firms, and other market participants point out anything specific regarding Mr. Watanabe?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the listing screening process, what checks were conducted regarding Mr. Watanabe's background, network of contacts, financial transactions, and relationships with anti-social forces?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Saito has a responsibility to explain the basis for the evaluation of being \"anti-city\" that he is said to have communicated to those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To put it simply, just because someone is evaluated as an anti-market force does not automatically mean they become an anti-social force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, what is at issue in this case is not just the term \"anti-city.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following matters overlap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If these are supported by objective materials, the problem will not be limited to merely an \"ill-mannered executive.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is an issue that goes to the core of the Tokyo Stock Exchange's listing system itself, specifically whether the influence of anti-social forces had been brought into the management of a listed company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Tokyo Stock Exchange prohibits listed companies, their parent companies, subsidiaries, or officers from having relationships with organized crime groups, members of organized crime groups, or persons equivalent thereto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, the involvement of organized crime groups and other antisocial forces in the management of listed companies is prohibited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the Tokyo Stock Exchange determines that such a relationship has been revealed and has significantly damaged shareholders' and investors' confidence in the market, it may be subject to delisting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n