Kenji Maruyama, a former judo Olympian and current company executive (58 years old), has been arrested by the Chiba Prefectural Police on suspicion of fraud. Although Maruyama has an illustrious career as a judo athlete for Japan in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, this incident has revealed inappropriate actions.

Maruyama is suspected of deceiving a woman in her 70s in Chiba Prefecture, claiming an ‘investment in cryptocurrency’, taking about 40 million yen approximately 6 years ago. According to the Chiba Prefectural Police, Maruyama exploited the rise in cryptocurrency value to defraud the woman of her cash.

There are reports that Maruyama was running a judo dojo in Onojo City, Fukuoka Prefecture. A detailed investigation into this incident is currently underway. It will eventually be revealed through the police investigation why Maruyama resorted to such actions and what he intended. I express my respect and sympathy to the victims involved in this matter.

It is deeply regrettable that a person who could be called a national hero has committed fraud. It remains to be seen what circumstances or problems lay behind this. Investing in cryptocurrency is very risky and requires a thorough understanding and knowledge of the transactions. On the other hand, this incident is likely to raise awareness of scams involving cryptocurrency.