Mito Prefectural Police headquarters is seen in the city of Mito. (Mainichi/Kotone Nirasawa)

       MITO -- A traveling salesperson has been arrested by police in the east Japan prefecture of Ibaraki for allegedly intimidating people into buying laundry poles he advertised as apparently costing "298" yen ($2.62) for an exorbitant 29,800 yen (about $262) without telling customers they had a cooling-off period or other information.

       The Ibaraki Prefectural Police's consumer and environmental division and the Hitachi Police Station arrested traveling salesperson and city of Chiba resident Takeshi Notoya, 40, on Nov. 29 on suspicion of contravening the Act on Specified Commercial Transactions for acts including intimidation and delivery of insufficient documents.

       The suspect is specifically accused of targeting three people including an 83-year-old man living in the Ibaraki Prefecture town of Goka between April 28 and Oct. 21. Among the actions he is claimed to have taken, he reportedly pressured the individuals into buying very expensive laundry poles while failing to provide documents explaining that the customers were entitled to a cooling-off period, among other information.

       According to the prefectural police division and others, the suspect drove around in a small truck while advertising, "Two laundry poles for 298," apparently implying 298 yen. When the 83-year-old man inquired about buying one, the suspect apparently turned on him and said, "That's 29,800 yen. There's no canceling." After selling him two laundry poles and a drying rack for 400,000 yen (some $3,500), the suspect reportedly gave the older man a receipt with fake contact details on it, and left.

       The suspect has reportedly denied part of the allegations, and is said to have told police: "I didn't give an explanation, but I didn't intimidate them."

       (Japanese original by Toru Morinaga, Mito Bureau)

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