In early 2021, authorities in Osaka, Japan, located approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles) southwest of Tokyo, uncovered a massive romantic scheme. Takashi Miyagawa, a 39-year-old part-time worker with no fixed address, faced arrest after police discovered he was managing 35 different partners simultaneously.
He maintained the illusion of a serious commitment with each woman, but his primary objective was to extract a continuous cycle of birthday presents. This case reveals how a single individual manipulated multiple calendars and defrauded dozens of victims before international media coverage of his arrest eventually went cold, leaving the final legal outcome unpublished.
A Scheme Built on Fabricated Birthdates
Miyagawa was born on November 13. To maximize his collection of gifts, he provided false birth dates to nearly every partner he dated. He told a 47-year-old partner that his birthday fell on February 22. He claimed to a 40-year-old woman that his special day was in July. A 35-year-old victim believed he was born in April. By staggering these dates throughout the 2021 calendar year, he ensured a steady stream of celebratory presents and financial contributions.
Promises Used to Secure Expensive Gifts
The suspect met many of these women while working for a marketing company selling hydrogen water shower heads. During these business interactions, he transitioned into romantic pursuits, promising marriage to secure their trust. One victim recounted that Miyagawa explicitly stated he intended to spend the rest of his life with her.
The reported total value of the defrauded items and cash amounted to 100,000 yen, which equals roughly £668 or $840. Among the items he received was a tailored suit valued at £200, which is approximately $250.
The Victims Join Forces to Expose Him
The entire operation collapsed when the women began to realize the overlap in his schedule. Rather than acting individually, the 35 victims collaborated to form a unified Victims Association to document the fraud. In February 2021, they presented their combined evidence to the police in Osaka.
Before the official charges were filed, reporters from MBS News confronted Miyagawa on the street in January 2021. Video footage captured the suspect physically sprinting away from the news crew and cameraman as they asked about the multiple women.
The Arrest and the Missing Conclusion
Authorities officially arrested Miyagawa on suspicion of fraud in April 2021. The story immediately went viral across the globe as an unusual international news event. However, Western news outlets dropped the coverage right after the initial arrest.
Because of this sudden stop in international reporting, there are no published public records in English detailing his actual trial, a final court verdict, or any ultimate legal sentence within the Japanese justice system. The documented timeline simply ends with the police taking him into custody in 2021.