TBS Interviews Fukui

On Wednesday, TBS aired an exclusive interview with Tomomasa Fukui, president of the failed study abroad agency, Gateway21, in which he said the company failed due to poor management. Fukui also denied embezzling any of the ¥950 million in fees paid by students.

The interview takes place in Fukui's 3-story home with a basement. The home is more than 3,00 sq ft in size, quickly establishing that he has done well for himself.

Fukui, however, says he has to move. Cardboard boxes are strewn throughout his luxury home, past due notices for utilities are piled up on his desk, and the water in the outdoor pool has turned green.

The interview cuts to the where angry clients angrily demand, "What am I supposed to do now (that I can't study overseas)?" and "I quit my job (so I could study abroad)."

These students have paid their fees and quit their jobs in preparation for their studies overseas. Fukui gets down on his hands and knees and apologizes, but this just makes the crowd angrier.

The students are looking for answers. A 34-year old man, who quit his job so that he could study in Los Angeles from next month, paid Gateway21 ¥1.89 million. "At the absolute minimum, I want him [Fukui] to take responsibility."

The man holds up brochures from Gateway21 displaying the phrases "Value-added Homestay" and "Guaranteed." So, why did the company go bankrupt?

Fukui says he borrowed from consumer loan companies and plowed the money back into the company, using it to buy plane tickets for students. He maintains that he did everything he could to save the company, even selling his possessions. Fukui denies funneling any of money for private use: "There have been reports that the money went to pay for my ¥300 million home, but that's simply not possible. I put my house up for sale on July 12."

"Expenses were ¥80 million a month." Fukui says that the company became strapped for cash over the course of the past few months due to plummeting sales and expenses involved with maintaining a branch office in Ginza. A look at the company's bankbook shows that the balance for June was a paltry ¥246.

When the reporter asks Fukui if he thinks that Gateway21's continuing to accept payments from students while the company was in trouble amounted to fraud, he rejected the notion. "Honestly, I didn't see it as such. I thought and my employees thought that if we could hold on for 2 weeks in September, the company would make it."

He admits to mismanaging the company. "It was a structural problem where payments to language schools overseas were so close together that the company ran out of money."

While poor management brought down the company, the prospect of returning any of the nearly ¥950 million in fees to some 1300 students is virtually nil.

Comment: This story led the evening news on TBS. There was a video online, but as is so common with Japanese news sites, it vanished after a day. It should also be noted that Gateway21 on the 8th, with a creditor's meeting slated for February 10 next year.

Fukui scores points for being forthright and having the courage to get down on his hands and knees before a angry crowd and apologize to them. This of course, does not absolve him of anything, but it is in stark contrast with Nozomu Sahashi's aloofness. Sahashi was defiant (still is!) until the end when he was finally ousted from his position, and then went into hiding.

Original article

破綻の留学仲介社長、私的流用を否定

留学希望者から９億５０００万円を預かったまま経営破綻した留学仲介大手「ゲートウェイ２１」の社長が、ＪＮＮの単独インタビューに応じました。その中で、社長は私的流用を否定、あくまで「会社の破綻はビジネス上の失敗だった」と語りました。

東京の郊外にある地上３階、地下１階の豪邸。エレベーターもあり、延べ床面積は３００平方メートル以上。この豪邸の持ち主は、今月１日に経営破綻した留学仲介大手「ゲートウェイ２１」の福井伴昌社長です。

「もう引っ越ししないといけないので」（福井伴昌社長）

豪邸のあちらこちらには引っ越しに備えた段ボール箱。机には公共料金の督促状もあります。会社が抱えた借金は１３億円。経営破綻を象徴するかのように、庭にあるプールの水も緑色に濁っています。

「おれ今日からどうしたらいいんだよ」「仕事辞めてるんだよ」（被害者、今月５日の債権者集会）

　留学費用を振り込み、仕事まで辞めたという多くの留学予定者たち。福井社長は説明会で土下座して陳謝しましたが、人々の怒りはおさまりません。

「どうしてくれるんだって、それですよね、問題は」（留学を予定していた男性）

３４歳のこの男性は、仕事を辞め、来月ロサンゼルスに留学する予定でした。振り込んだ留学費用は１８９万円。

「必要最低限の責任くらいはとって欲しいと思いますね」（留学を予定していた男性）

男性がゲートウェイから受け取った書類には、「付加価値留学」「保証」などの文言が並んでいます。会社はなぜ破綻したのでしょうか？

「サラ金で借りて、会社に投入して、（留学生の）航空券まで買った」（福井伴昌社長）

福井社長は金策に走り続けた努力を強調。自宅からも売れるものは売ったと言います。「３億円の豪邸でそこに資金が流れたという報道がありましたけど、絶対にありえない。自宅は７月１２日にもう売りだしている」と、私的流用も否定しました。

「経費がね、８０００万くらい月間かかっていたので」（福井伴昌社長）

社長によると、ここ数か月売り上げが落ちていた上、銀座に支店を構えるなど経費がかさみ、資金繰りが悪化したということです。会社の収支が記録された口座の明細を見ると、今年６月の時点でわずか２４６円しかありません。

　それでも留学資金を集め続けたことを聞くと・・・

「（Ｑ．詐欺と言われてもしかたないのでは？）正直言って、その認識はまったくなかったです。９月の２週間だけなんとか乗り切れれば（会社は）まわっていったと、私もそうだし、社員もそう思っていた」（福井伴昌社長）

　しかし、経営の失敗は認めました。

「（語学学校などへの）海外送金が集中し過ぎると資金が回らなくなるという、構造上の問題があった」（福井伴昌社長）

あくまでビジネス上の失敗で会社が破綻したという福井社長ですが、留学費用を支払ったおよそ１３００人の９億５０００万円は、そのほとんどが返済される見通しが立っていません。（08日16:26）