'Rogue' Japanese institute probed

By FRAN MOLD and CATHERINE MASTERS

The Japanese school at the centre of an inquiry into the death of a student is an unregistered "rogue" institute which is now being investigated by immigration and education officials.

Education Minister Trevor Mallard said last night that Government agencies were unaware of the existence of the Columbus Academy in West Harbour until it was reported on Tuesday that a 22-year-old Japanese student had been found beaten to death there.

The student, Nozomu Shinozaki, a keen amateur sumo wrestler who had mental health problems, died from head injuries and nine of his fellow students have been charged with assault and kidnapping.

The academy's director, Kutsuo Kanamori, has been charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice after he allegedly told students under his care not to co-operate with police.

Mr Mallard said the academy was not officially registered as a private training institution and had not been approved by the Education Ministry.

"It appears it has been set up outside any New Zealand legal-type arrangements.

"This is not part of New Zealand's export education industry ... It appears to be somewhat roguish."

A man who said he was a former staff member told the Weekend Herald anonymously last night that parents in Japan sent their children to the school because they were different. In Japan that brought shame on the family.

The dead man's parents have come to New Zealand but are in hiding and could not be contacted. Many of the accused students' parents are understood to have also arrived.

Greg Mayo, Mr Shinozaki's former sumo wrestling coach, was angry that the student's parents seemed to have abandoned him in New Zealand.

"I know for a fact the two years that I knew Nozomu he never went home to Japan and that really disgusted me.

"I lived in Japan for six years and I know there is a lot of pressure with society for conformity and I figured that his parents were wealthy enough to have him at a fulltime college like Columbus but uninterested enough to take a personal interest in him."

But he said Mr Shinozaki never complained.

"I wonder if he thought it was his lot. I did sort of challenge him on his parents and him not going home, but again, he kind of accepted it."

Mr Mayo said sometimes students from the school came to watch Mr Shinozaki when he trained but he had always thought the school was a cloistered environment.

"They have their own extra-curricular activities. Nozomu was doing his own thing, really, by coming to the sumo club. No, they didn't get a lot of chance to meet other people."

Mr Shinozaki was a nice lad, he said. He had a low IQ but loved attending sumo training, was always enthusiastic and was the only club member never to miss a practice.

"As for training, he had a lot of enthusiasm but he had trouble picking up the finer points. I had to drill him over and over.

"My wife said to me that he had a 'pure heart'. She's a Japanese lady. That's what she said to me this week with the news breaking.

"He was certainly happy when he came along to sumo club but I think he was finding his school ... he probably found it a bit of a grind.

"I mean, he probably wasn't the happiest of kids at that time."

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters yesterday called for the Government to close the school, saying New Zealand already had a "superabundance" of home-grown problem teenagers.

"The Japanese Government would certainly not welcome a plane-load of Mongrel Mob prospects from New Zealand, so why should we import their social problems?"

Mr Mallard said he could not comment on whether the school would remain open or what would happen to the students.

"I would tend to say it might be in dire straits at the moment if the director is not there."

He said no immigration visas had been issued to students on the basis that they were studying at the Columbus Academy.

But some of those involved had student permits to study at other registered institutions. It was not clear yet whether they had in fact been attending classes at those institutions as well as the academy.

Mr Mallard said he understood it was the first time the police had been called in to deal with a problem at the academy.

But he would not reveal any information about the director or the students yesterday because he did not want to interfere with the police inquiry.

He was not aware of any similar illegal education organisations operating in New Zealand. "But I can't be entirely confident. It is impossible to be confident. I had not heard of this institute until yesterday."

Mr Shinozaki's death had exposed some "very worrying concerns" about the academy and wider immigration issues, Mr Mallard said.

There would be policy issues that needed to be looked at as a result of the investigation by Government officials.

They would report back to ministers early next week.

It is understood that the story of Mr Shinozaki's death has been receiving intense publicity in Japan.

But Mr Mallard said he did not think the incident would damage New Zealand's reputation as a quality education provider.

"I'm confident that as the facts come out it will be clear this is not a reflection on the education system in New Zealand at all because it is not part of it."