Actual Cost of Surveillance in Tokyo 23 Districts

Month surveillance conducted: May 2012

Case: Client wished to locate subject workplace information by surveillance.
Relationship of client and subject: family

Information:

1. Subject face photos were provided by client. These were used only for reference because photos were taken about 10 years ago.
2. Living place (apartment unit), gender, age, height and bicycle information were provided to PI.
3. At the time of consultation with PI, client could not decide what time investigation should be started. This was because client did not know subject life style.

Pre-Surveillance:

Client and PI agreed to conduct pre-surveillance to know possible time that subject left his living place.

Condition:  

1. A PI checks subject bicycle every a few hours.

2. In case subject leaves his living place by foot, PI checks if house door is opened during the work time above.

3. The work was conducted on Monday and Tuesday. However there was no enough information in the 2 day pre-surveillance to collect subject departing time, so client asked PI to continue the work for Wednesday and Thursday.

Work Fee for this pre-surveillance: 10,000 JPY per day, 4 days: 40,000 JPY.

Expenses: Transportation, 4 days: 7,520 JPY , Lodging and Meals, 4 days: 8,640 JPY.

Result: The PI came to know that subject workplace requires uniform clothing. Some uniforms    were hung for dry at balcony. Door was opened very early in the morning. Bicycle was at home.

Surveillance:

Surveillance was conducted on one workday by 2 foot operatives.
Result: Workplace information was obtained in our minimum surveillance time: 2 hours.

Work Fee : Site Check for new PI: 5,000 JPY , 2 hours foot surveillance: 26,000 JPY (6,500 JPY per hour by 2 hours by 2 PIs)

 Expenses: Transportation: 2,000 JPY , SD card and shipping: 1,240 JPY

TOTAL AMOUNT CLIENT PAID: 90,400 JPY (or $1,159 USD, when $1USD=78 JPY)

Locate Investigation Method 1

Please feel convenient below for your locate need. Below investigation is conducted by using open source information.

1. Locate Company by Company Name and Area

This is to obtain company registration information/record.

2. Locate Company (Change of Address)

By obtaining commercial registration record, change of address might be appeared on the record.

3. Locate Address of Representative Director

Address of representative director is on commercial registration record.

4. Locate Address by Alumni Information

Alumni book has graduates addresses. Some people keep current information for alumni gathering.

5. Address Check by Residential Map

Residential map might show corporate name or individual's surname (or complete name) of occupant/resident. Past to current editions reveal possible years of residence and long-time neighbors.

6. Address Check by Internet

Paid business database might show business owner’s information. Government daily news might show subject information on bankruptcy, naturalization etc. These may contain address or other useful information. Past newspaper/periodicals check might show clues for further investigation.

Subject: PI General Investigation
Relevant:
1. Reverse look-up of published phone number by CD Rom search
2.Searching membership information from joining association

PI Story:

Former US Air Force soldier stationed in Wakkanai, Hokkaido around 1970 wanted to reunite with a Japanese friend then. There wasn’t enough and solid information to start investigation. Fortunately investigator could locate subject sister by alumni book information, old and current residential map information. The sister cooperated PI to connect subject. This client did not need to pay much for locate fees.

Key to success – Just luck.

Bank Account Locate

Unfortunately PI investigation using data-broker such as below has been faded away due to arrest of the brokers. Some brokers still approach to PIs and many PIs are reluctant to hire them. Below is old post. (added:2016)

Client is required to give PI following information to locate subject bank account(s).
1. subject name (in both kanji and Roman letters)
2. subject date of birth
3. all known subject addresses

If subject is corporation, corporate registration record is required for this inquiry.

(Precedent about seizure for claiming bank deposits --April 16 ’93 Tokyo Supreme Court)
Written petition for seizure to claiming bank deposit needs branch name of the bank.

(Precedent about bank account and seizure-prohibited claims – Feb.5 '92 Tokyo Supreme Court)
Obligee can seize full amount in debtor’s bank account which is even used for mainly receiving pension money from National Public Service Personnel Mutual Pension and Employee's Pension that are “Seizure-Prohibited Claims”.


Subject: PI Confidential Investigation
Relevant:
1. Postal savings account locate
2. Date of birth inquiry by subject name and registered address

Site Check

Site Check is one of the most asked basic PI inquiries. This is conducted before surveillance to establish investigative planning and for background check. What course of action PI conducts for and after such investigation:

1) Brief internet search of address
OIA Investigator first runs given address and land line number etc. on internet to collect any information. Google’s street view is really a good tool.

2) Obtaining residential map.
This is also called a map of resident by door plate display. OIA obtains this map for not only to know exact location of address, but also to know name in Japanese of household head /company at searching address.

3) Shooting digital pictures of subject address
Some information can be only obtained by observation and passing-by. Sometimes office name or other resident’s name is found on mail box/door.

4) Obtaining property/commercial record
Above 1)-3) cost about $200USD and travel expenses. Depending upon client request, OIA investigator obtains property/commercial registration record. These 2 are open public records in Japan that anyone can apply. Client can know owner’s address, mortgage information etc. on property record (land and building are separate record) and basic information of registered company including household address of representative director on commercial record.