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Episode 572 – The Revolutionary, Part 7
In our penultimate episode for this miniseries: Miyazaki Manabu narrowly escapes doing prison time, only to end up back in the underworld first of Osaka, and then Tokyo. And from there, he ends up square in the crosshairs of the police once again–this time as a suspect in one of the most infamous criminal cases in postwar history.
Sources
Miyazaki, Manabu. Toppamono: Outlaw,, Radical, Suspect. My Life in Japan’s Underworld. Trans. Robert Whiting.
Ivy, Marilyn. “Tracking the Mystery Man with the 21 Faces.” Critical Inquiry 23, No 1 (Autumn, 1996)
Some original NYT coverage of the Glico Morinaga case.
An article by the Japan Times on the occasion of the final expiration of the statutes of limitations as they relate to the case.
Images
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-2930" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/AJ201412010053M-230x300.jpg" alt="" width="230" height="300" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/AJ201412010053M-230x300.jpg 230w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/AJ201412010053M.jpg 287w" sizes="(max-width: 230px) 100vw, 230px" />Ezaki Katsuhisa, the kidnapped CEO of Ezaki Glico.
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9808" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/バッタ屋の店頭P8097256-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/バッタ屋の店頭P8097256-300x225.jpg 300w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/バッタ屋の店頭P8097256-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/バッタ屋の店頭P8097256-768x576.jpg 768w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/バッタ屋の店頭P8097256.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />According to Wikipedia this is a Battaya shop in Osaka. I cannot verify the legitimacy (or lack thereof) of the merchandise therein.
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9809" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/pictures-of-the-first-ajw-president-from-1968-to-1975-and-v0-tf28xo5kb9b81-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/pictures-of-the-first-ajw-president-from-1968-to-1975-and-v0-tf28xo5kb9b81-300x300.jpg 300w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/pictures-of-the-first-ajw-president-from-1968-to-1975-and-v0-tf28xo5kb9b81-150x150.jpg 150w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/pictures-of-the-first-ajw-president-from-1968-to-1975-and-v0-tf28xo5kb9b81-768x768.jpg 768w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/pictures-of-the-first-ajw-president-from-1968-to-1975-and-v0-tf28xo5kb9b81.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />One of the only photos I could find of Mannen Toichi–this from his time as the All Japan Women’s Pro Wrestling Federation Chairman.
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9811" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/D8ofrd0VUAETyP2-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/D8ofrd0VUAETyP2-300x225.jpg 300w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/D8ofrd0VUAETyP2.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />A Dai Nippon Isseikai noise truck. All you need to have the full experience is a full volume blast of some World War II patriotic music.
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In our penultimate episode for this miniseries: Miyazaki Manabu narrowly escapes doing prison time, only to end up back in the underworld first of Osaka, and then Tokyo. And from there, he ends up square in the crosshairs of the police once again–this time as a suspect in one of the most infamous criminal cases in postwar history.
Sources
Miyazaki, Manabu. Toppamono: Outlaw,, Radical, Suspect. My Life in Japan’s Underworld. Trans. Robert Whiting.
Ivy, Marilyn. “Tracking the Mystery Man with the 21 Faces.” Critical Inquiry 23, No 1 (Autumn, 1996)
Some original NYT coverage of the Glico Morinaga case.
An article by the Japan Times on the occasion of the final expiration of the statutes of limitations as they relate to the case.
Images
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-2930" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/AJ201412010053M-230x300.jpg" alt="" width="230" height="300" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/AJ201412010053M-230x300.jpg 230w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/AJ201412010053M.jpg 287w" sizes="(max-width: 230px) 100vw, 230px" />Ezaki Katsuhisa, the kidnapped CEO of Ezaki Glico.
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9808" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/バッタ屋の店頭P8097256-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/バッタ屋の店頭P8097256-300x225.jpg 300w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/バッタ屋の店頭P8097256-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/バッタ屋の店頭P8097256-768x576.jpg 768w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/バッタ屋の店頭P8097256.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />According to Wikipedia this is a Battaya shop in Osaka. I cannot verify the legitimacy (or lack thereof) of the merchandise therein.
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9809" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/pictures-of-the-first-ajw-president-from-1968-to-1975-and-v0-tf28xo5kb9b81-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/pictures-of-the-first-ajw-president-from-1968-to-1975-and-v0-tf28xo5kb9b81-300x300.jpg 300w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/pictures-of-the-first-ajw-president-from-1968-to-1975-and-v0-tf28xo5kb9b81-150x150.jpg 150w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/pictures-of-the-first-ajw-president-from-1968-to-1975-and-v0-tf28xo5kb9b81-768x768.jpg 768w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/pictures-of-the-first-ajw-president-from-1968-to-1975-and-v0-tf28xo5kb9b81.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />One of the only photos I could find of Mannen Toichi–this from his time as the All Japan Women’s Pro Wrestling Federation Chairman.
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9811" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/D8ofrd0VUAETyP2-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/D8ofrd0VUAETyP2-300x225.jpg 300w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/D8ofrd0VUAETyP2.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />A Dai Nippon Isseikai noise truck. All you need to have the full experience is a full volume blast of some World War II patriotic music.