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2 More Kuroko's Basketball Dōjinshi Events Receive Threat Letters

The website for the Sankei Shimbun newspaper reported on Wednesday that two more "Shadow Trickster" Kuroko's Basketball-themed dōjinshi events received threat letters last month. The event hall for Shadow Trickster Kanazawa received a threat letter on April 9, and the event hall for Shadow Trickster Kobe received a threat letter on April 10.

The event in Kobe, which was scheduled for April 28-29, was cancelled. However, the event in Kanazawa was held as planned without incident on April 21. Several security guards were posted at the entrance to the event, and the security guards checked bags at the entrance for suspicious objects. According to the event staff, the inside of the envelope with the threat letter included a volume of manga wrapped up with the word "kill" written on the wrapping. The accompanying letter said the sender would hurt "unrelated people." Event staff cooperated with local police for the Kobe event.

These two letters are in addition to the Shadow Trickster Shizuoka event that also received a threat letter on April 9. The event in Shizuoka, which was scheduled to be held on April 21, was cancelled on April 12. That event itself had been scheduled right after Studio You, the company that organizes the Shadow Trickster events, had cancelled the Shadow Trickster Osaka 2 event that was planned for April 7.

When Studio You cancelled the Shadow Trickster Shizuoka event, the company explained that it originally scheduled the event because so far in 2013 it seemed as though the threat letters had stopped and things were returning to normal. Then the Twin Messe event hall received a threatening letter, and Studio You decided to cancel the event. Sankei Shimbun also noted in its report that since the beginning of 2013 the threat letters had stopped. However, with this new string of letters sent in April, the newspaper suggested that maybe the culprit has resumed activities.

Sankei Shimbun reported that last year, a user identified as "Mofuku no Shinigami" posted on an online message board that he/she would send threat letters to no less than 90 places. In January, a user named "Kaijin 801 Mensō" posted on the same message that the threats would stop. The letters to Kobe, Shizuoka, and Kanazawa were signed by "Kurohōtai." Police currently do not know if the three users are related, but said that it is "very likely" that they are the same person. In addition to the letters sent to the event halls in Shizuoka and Kobe, letters were sent to more than 10 other establishments nearby, which is a similar technique to the letters sent last year by "Mofuku no Shinigami."

Sankei Shimbun also reported that more than 110 places have now received threat letters since the threats began in October 2012.

Background

Since October, locations linked to Kuroko's Basketball creator Tadatoshi Fujimaki have received threat letters with powdered and liquid substances. A source in the investigation of the threats said there is a high possibility that the liquid sent to Sophia University (Fujimaki's alma mater) on October 12 could emit a lethal dose of hydrogen sulfide if vaporized.

Several Kuroko's Basketball dōjinshi events throughout Japan have been cancelled in the aftermath of the threats. The "Shadow Trickster 3" event did proceed without incident at the Big Sight on October 20, shortly after the center received its first threat. The official "Kuroko no Basuke produced by Namco Namja Town" event in Tokyo ended 19 days early as a result of the threats, and Animate Café Tennoji in Osaka cancelled a planned Kuroko's Basketball collaboration event. Comic Market (Comiket), the world's largest dōjinshi event, barred Kuroko's Basketball items and circles in December.

In February, the organizers of the Comic City dōjinshi events barred circles from selling Kuroko's Basketball items at March 17's Haru Comic City 18 event, after they received a request to do so from the management of the Tokyo Big Sight event complex. The same organizers had barred Kuroko's Basketball from the Comic City Osaka 92 event on January 6, and then cancelled February 10's Double Clutch event outright. However, they held the Comic City Tokyo 131 event at Tokyo Big Sight and insisted on allowing Kuroko's Basketball circles. Comic City Tokyo 131 proceeded without incident on January 27.

The Tokyo Big Sight convention center noted last month that it might allow Kuroko's Basketball-related events starting in May "if there is no change in the situation" and if event organizers "have in-depth discussions with the authorities to ensure the safety of all attendees."

[Via Yaraon!]