Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk

Chapter 178 Changes in the Eastern Rectification Committee [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

That night.

In a high-class restaurant in Akasaka, about twenty members sat around a long table.

After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation gradually shifted from macroeconomics to more specific topics.

"I heard that land prices in Tokyo are going to rise again. In Minato Ward, it was only 20 million yen per tsubo last year, but it's already 3,500 yen this year."

"It's not just Tokyo; prices are also rising in Osaka and Nagoya. One of my clients bought a building in front of Osaka Station last year and resold it this year, making a 40% profit."

"The problem now is that there is too much money and too few projects. Banks are chasing after you to lend money. If you dare to lend, they dare to approve it."

The person who said this was the head of the financing department of a local bank, surnamed Gu Yutian, who was thirty-five or thirty-six years old.

That night's conversation was the first time Yayoi Masaki realized that the Toseikai was slowly changing.

Its mission is no longer simply to organize and research.

When members sit together, they spend most of their time exchanging information, facilitating transactions, and negotiating their interests.

Who has collateral that's about to be seized by banks? Who can secure government-led development projects? Who knows the officials in charge of urban redevelopment at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism? Who can quell the opposition in local councils?

These topics began to be discussed again and again in the private rooms of ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurants), in the booths of members-only bars, and in the lounges of golf courses.

Masaki Yayoi found Nobumoto Takatsukasa.

It was springtime in 1981, and the cherry blossoms in Tokyo were just beginning to fall.

Takatsukasa Nobumoto received him in Akasaka's office, his manner as polite as ever. He served him tea, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then waited quietly for him to speak.

Masaki Yayoi didn't beat around the bush.

"Takatsukasa, the current state of the Toujokai is quite different from what we agreed upon back then."

Takatsukasa Nobumoto held his teacup and looked at him.

"What's different?"

"The nature of the business has changed. It was originally agreed that we would conduct research and consulting on asset succession and business restructuring for small and medium-sized enterprises. But who are the people coming here now? Real estate agents, tax accountants, judicial scriveners, and people from banks."

"They come here to exchange information and facilitate transactions."

"This goes against our original intention."

Takatsukasa Nobumoto put down his teacup, placed his hands folded on the table, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke.

"Yayoi-san, you're right, the nature of the East Rectification Association is indeed changing."

Yayoi Masaki looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"But do you know why it changed?"

Masaki Yayoi did not answer.

Nobumoto Takatsukasa stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window is the street scene of Akasaka, and the Shinkansen passes by in the distance with a deep rumble.

"Because times are changing."

He turned around and looked at Masaki Yayoi.

"After the oil crisis, Japan's economy was driven by exports for several years, but this model has reached its peak. The next step must be to rely on domestic demand."

"What drives domestic demand? Land, construction, and real estate development."

"The biggest wealth opportunity in Japan over the next decade lies in land. Whoever understands this trend first will be able to take the initiative in the next cycle."

"What the East China Association does is to provide a platform for those who understand this trend."

Yayoi Masaki looked into Takaji Nobumoto's eyes, his own eyes revealing utter disappointment.

As he left, Nobumoto Takatsukasa only said one sentence: "Yayoi-san, times have changed, and we must change with them."

As Yayoi Masaki left Akasaka, it was getting dark.

He didn't go to the station; he stood on the street for a while, watching the neon lights of Tokyo light up one by one.

The night in Akasaka is much more prosperous than in Kyoto.

The streets were filled with people in suits, and the taillights of taxis left streaks of light in the night.

Standing in the crowd, he suddenly felt that the pace of this city was too fast.

The pace was so fast that even someone like him, who was used to the slow pace of life in Kyoto, couldn't keep up.

But he did not withdraw from the East Asian Association.

The East China Association's membership network has penetrated into the operations and financing of hundreds of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Kansai region.

As one of the largest building materials trading companies in the Kansai region, Yayoi Shoji has many business dealings with these companies.

If he withdraws, Yayoi Trading's credibility within the East Asia Group system will disappear.

Small and medium-sized enterprises that rely on this system to obtain financing, orders, and information channels will be affected.

Masaki Yayoi is not a person who only thinks of himself.

So he stayed.

But he drew a red line for himself:

Do not participate in any underground activities involving power-money transactions, and do not use the Dongzhenghui platform to seek improper benefits for yourself or Yayoi Trading.

He guarded this red line for nearly two years.

1983 years.

late autumn.

Takatsukasa Nobumoto hosted a banquet at the Totokan, inviting Yayoi Masateru to dinner.

There were only the two of them in the private room. The menu was simple: a few Kyoto-style kaiseki dishes and a pot of warm sake.

Takatsukasa Nobumoto poured a glass of sake for Yayoi Masaki.

"Yayoi-san, there's something I'd like to hear your opinion on."

Masaki Yayoi accepted the wine glass.

"What is it?"

"The Tokyo Bay Crossroads".

Masaki Yayoi frowned slightly.

The Tokyo Bay Cross Road was one of the most watched mega-projects in Japan at the time.

The plan connects Kawasaki and Kisarazu, crosses Tokyo Bay, and is 15 kilometers long, with nearly 10 kilometers of it being an undersea tunnel.

Once completed, it will greatly shorten travel time between the Boso Peninsula and the Tokyo metropolitan area, and stimulate land development along the route in Chiba Prefecture.

"The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has released a preliminary budget, with a total investment of approximately 1.1 trillion yen."

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Nobumoto Takatsukasa's voice was calm.

"Currently, the main entities confirmed to be involved in the project include Kawasaki City, Kisarazu City, and several large construction companies, but the land is still the key factor that determines the project's outcome."

He paused.

"Whoever holds a large amount of land along the project route will be able to take the initiative in the next round of development."

Masaki Yayoi looked at him.

"You want me to participate?"

Nobumoto Takatsukasa nodded: "There are a few plots of land in Kisarazu that are currently in private hands. If you are interested, I can introduce you to the owners. As for the price, it's not too late to buy now."

Masaki Yayoi remained silent for a long time.

The steam from the sake rose between the two, blurring the peaceful expression on Takatsukasa Nobumoto's face.

"Takatsukasa".

Masaki Yayoi finally spoke.

How much information do you have about this project?

Nobumoto Takatsukasa did not answer immediately.

He picked up his glass, took a sip, and put it down.

"What I can see is about three months earlier than the publicly available information."

"The specific route plan, land acquisition plan along the route, construction period and funding arrangements are all within that scope."

Masaki Yayoi tapped his finger lightly on the table.

It was three months earlier than the publicly available information.

This means that within the East China Land Development Association's system, some individuals can obtain crucial information that determines land prices three months in advance.

The time difference in information is where the true value of the East China Conference lies.

In the financial and real estate markets, knowing something a day earlier allows you to plan ahead a day earlier, and knowing something a month earlier allows you to earn money that others cannot.

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