Two Recycling Operators Arrested for Illegally Employing Five Vietnamese Nationals at Sorting Workshop in Tokorozawa, Saitama
This article organizes publicly available information into a single account. Where it describes an arrest or an ongoing investigation, that reflects only one stage of criminal procedure and does not mean guilt has been established (the presumption of innocence applies). We will update this article as new information becomes available, including the outcome of prosecution, non-prosecution, or trial. This article is not intended to unfairly disparage any individual, group, nationality, ethnicity, or belief, and aims to provide objective, fact-based information.
Two men in the recycling business, Kaito Uemura and Keigo Matsuo, were arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal employment under the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act for allegedly having five Vietnamese men and women work illegally at a recyclables sorting workshop in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture. According to Nippon TV's NNN and other outlets, the two are suspected of illegally employing the five Vietnamese nationals, who were in their 20s to 50s, at the workshop between March and May 2024.
The pair are believed to have been connected to the workers through an acquaintance's introduction, paying roughly 1,200 yen an hour on a same-day basis for sorting collected recyclable goods. The residence status of the five workers and whether the two men were aware they were employing people illegally have not been disclosed.
Current status: Whether the two admit the allegations, the identity and role of the person who introduced the workers, and how the five Vietnamese nationals will be handled remain unclear as of this writing. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
On facilitating illegal employment, the Immigration Services Agency has said it will begin joint on-site inspections of demolition contractors with the transport ministry as early as October 2026. Related article
Editorial Perspective
No decision on indictment has been made at this stage, so this article reflects information from the investigative phase. An arrest is only one step in criminal procedure and does not establish guilt (the presumption of innocence). According to National Police Agency and Ministry of Justice statistics, the number of Penal Code cases involving foreign nationals visiting Japan has risen for two consecutive years since 2023, but remains below its mid-2000s peak (related article). A single case does not necessarily reflect the broader statistical trend; further developments are worth watching.