Sept. 2004 – No. 3
On September 14th [2004], the Tokyo High Court dismissed Masatomo Yamazaki’s appeal and supported the lower court decision for the libel case against him by Takao Yokota, a former Omiya City council member. The plaintiff claimed that his privacy was infringed upon in a book written by Yamazaki in 2001. The first decision in the case made by Saitama District court condemned Yamazaki and concluded that his book was “unlawful and constituted illegal actions.”
The Tokyo High Court concluded that “the verdict on first instance was reasonable and there is no reason [for Yamazaki] to appeal” and dismissed the appeal and ordered Yamazaki to pay 300,000 yen to the former city council member, as compensation.
On the previous day, September 13th, Yamazaki was also condemned by the Tokyo High Court in another defamation lawsuit involving the same false rumor book. Moreover, Yamazaki was also condemned for the trial against which the husband of his extramarital affair partner had appealed; and Yamazaki received order for payment of 3 million yen for consolation money. Likewise, severe sanctions are imposed on him one after another for his antisocial, illegal act.