Fukuoka arrest exposes repeated teacher license forgery after parent reports misconduct

A parent's complaint leads to a forged license investigation

A 66-year-old assistant teacher at a municipal junior high school in Sue, Fukuoka Prefecture, has been arrested on suspicion of using a forged teaching license to obtain the job. Police identified him as Masahito Kondo and said the copy he submitted carried his name alongside a license number issued to someone else.

Kondo has admitted to using counterfeit official documents, according to police. His arrest follows a September complaint from a parent about an inappropriate remark to a female student, which prompted scrutiny of both his conduct and his credentials.

The school hired Kondo in April after he applied in January. His duties included supporting math classes and supervising students during time outside lessons. Although a teaching license is not legally required for assistant teachers, the local education board asks applicants to present one to help confirm their competency and protect students.

The case brings together a current police investigation and a history of revoked credentials, concealed disciplinary action and document forgery stretching back nearly two decades. Kondo previously received prison sentences of 16 months and two years and six months in cases involving forged or altered teaching licenses.

As of October 15, 2025, police were examining materials seized from his residence, while the education board had begun reviewing the hiring and verification procedures used for assistant teachers this year. The immediate issue for the school was how a document pairing one person's name with another person's license number passed its recruitment checks.

How the school discovered the problem

A parent complained in September that Kondo had told a female student she "looked erotic." Concerned about the disclosure, the parent searched online and found his history of working without valid teaching credentials.

School officials then asked Kondo to produce his original teaching license. He failed to do so, was placed on leave and was removed from his duties. Police were consulted, and investigators later searched his residence and seized materials while examining the suspected forgery.

The school treated the allegation about the remark seriously, but it was the request for the original document that brought the credential problem into focus. A copy had been accepted during hiring; when officials sought the underlying license, Kondo could not provide it.

The sequence shows how a concern about a student's treatment led to a separate investigation into the adult supervising that student. The parent's complaint, the online search and the school's subsequent document check each played a part in exposing a past that had not stopped Kondo from securing the assistant role.

A record stretching from 2005 to 2017

Police believe Kondo held positions in both Kyushu and the Kanto region while relying on either revoked licenses or forged credentials. His disciplinary history began well before his appointment in Sue.

In 2005, Kondo was involved in a child prostitution case. He was dismissed from his post and lost his teaching license. He later regained the license, but lost it again in 2012 following further scrutiny.

Authorities say he tried to return to the classroom in 2013 by concealing that his license had been revoked. He was hired in Saitama Prefecture and later fined for violating the Education Personnel Certification Law after the concealment was discovered. He subsequently changed his surname.

• 2005: Kondo was dismissed and lost his teaching license after involvement in a child prostitution case.
• 2012: His license was revoked again after he had regained it.
• 2013: He obtained a position in Saitama Prefecture while concealing the revocation and was later fined.
• 2014: He applied for a teaching position in Fukuoka with a forged license and received a prison sentence of 16 months.
• 2017: He received a prison sentence of two years and six months in Miyazaki Prefecture after submitting an altered copy of a revoked license.
• January and April 2025: He applied for the Sue assistant position and then began work.
• September 2025: A parent's complaint prompted the school to investigate his credentials.

The attempts in Fukuoka in 2014 and Miyazaki in 2017 were detected during recruitment, preventing him from entering the classroom in those cases. In Sue, he had already begun working before the problem came to light.

What the earlier forgery cases revealed

Kondo's 2014 application in Fukuoka involved a forged teaching license. The case file described the fabrication as sophisticated and damaging to public trust, and he was sentenced to 16 months in prison for forgery.

The court reviewing that case described both the appearance of the document and its effect on confidence in schools:

The forgery was highly convincing and it damaged public trust.

The Miyazaki case in 2017 involved a different technique. Kondo submitted a copy of a revoked license with his new surname pasted over the older name. He was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.

Court records from the earlier convictions described the preparation behind the documents and the harm caused when people without valid credentials present themselves as educators. In one case, the forged license looked authentic. In the other, an existing document was altered to display a new surname.

The suspected document in Sue again involved a mismatch between the identity shown on the copy and the credential it appeared to represent. Investigators say it bore Kondo's name but a license number issued to another person. Verifying that number against the issuing authority's record would allow officials to check who actually held the credential.

What Japan requires of teachers and assistants

Public school teachers in Japan must hold valid teaching licenses issued by prefectural boards of education. Applicants receive those licenses after meeting national standards set by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, known as MEXT, and completing recognized teacher training.

The Education Personnel Certification Law governs the granting, suspension and revocation of teaching licenses. Prefectural boards can revoke or suspend a license following serious misconduct, criminal convictions involving students or other acts that call a teacher's suitability into question.

A revoked license is a credential that the issuing authority has withdrawn. Keeping a paper copy does not restore the permission it once represented. Checking a document therefore requires confirming that the credential remains valid as well as confirming who holds it.

Assistant teachers and classroom aides do not always need a license by law. Many education boards nevertheless request one to maintain quality standards and screen for prior misconduct. Sue's board used that requirement to help assess applicants' competency and protect students.

The distinction matters for this case: the assistant job did not legally require a teaching license, but the board requested one during recruitment. Police suspect Kondo used a forged official document to obtain employment through that process.

MEXT provides general information about certification standards and administration through its teacher qualifications overview. Historically, local education boards have handled hiring and license checks, including confirmation with the prefecture that issued a credential.

Japan also briefly required license renewal courses. That system ended in 2022 to reduce burdens on educators, while authorities urged stronger professional development and oversight within schools. Verification still depends on careful handling of documents, direct confirmation with licensing authorities and prompt sharing of information across prefectures.

Why a convincing copy can evade checks

The copy submitted in Sue allegedly combined Kondo's name with someone else's license number. That method takes advantage of a gap between what a document looks like and what an issuing authority's records say.

A photocopy can reproduce the layout and the appearance of security features on a genuine document, but it offers no way to confirm the issuer's record in real time. License numbers identify a particular person and prefecture. During a busy hiring cycle, deeper checks may be delayed unless a concern arises in screening.

Surname changes can make searches more complicated. In Japan, changes after marriage or adoption are common and are legal through a formal filing. A lawful name change should not prevent someone from obtaining employment.

When a changed surname appears alongside a revoked license or a forged document, authorities need to match the person's earlier records across jurisdictions. Kondo's 2017 case illustrates the practical issue: his new surname was pasted over the older name on a copy of a revoked license.

The Sue case shows the risk of relying on a photocopy without an immediate check against the issuing prefecture's records. A convincing appearance can carry a document through an early hiring step, while a direct check of the license number and identity can expose the mismatch.

What investigators and prosecutors will examine

Police arrested Kondo on suspicion of using a forged official document to obtain employment. Forging or using a forged official document is a criminal offense in Japan and can result in imprisonment.

Any sentence would depend on the specific charges, the facts prosecutors prove, prior convictions and the court's judgment. Kondo's earlier forgery cases resulted in sentences of 16 months and two years and six months, respectively. Police say he has admitted using counterfeit documents in the current case.

Investigators will examine the seized items to determine how the suspected document was created and whether anyone else was involved. Prosecutors will review the evidence and decide whether to indict him, meaning formally bring a criminal charge before a court.

No date was given for an indictment decision or hearing. The school has removed Kondo from his duties, and the education board's internal review concerns the hiring and verification steps used for assistant recruitment this year.

Practical checks for school recruitment

Cases of forged teaching credentials are rare, yet Kondo's repeated attempts reveal ways that documents can pass early screening. Schools can reduce that risk through checks that connect the applicant, the paper document and the issuing authority's record.

Many boards already verify licenses directly for full teaching posts. Extending that practice to assistant roles, requesting candidates' consent for direct verification before an offer and requiring the original license when employment begins can reduce the opportunity to use forged copies.

• Require original licenses at interview and again when employment begins, and scan them while the candidate is present.
• Confirm the license number and issuing prefecture directly by telephone or a secure portal before making a formal offer.
• Keep a log of revocation notices from other prefectures and check candidates' names, former names and birthdates against it.
• Ask applicants to disclose previous names used in employment and explain that the information is used solely to verify their licenses.
• Train staff to recognize possible alterations, including mismatched fonts, unusual spacing and improper seals.
• Record every verification step in the hiring file so a later audit can check compliance.

The board's requirement to see a license can serve its intended purpose only when the number and identity are verified with the issuing prefecture. Examining the original document and checking the official record address different parts of the same task.

How parents and students can raise concerns

Parents and students are not responsible for checking staff credentials. They may, however, notice comments or behavior that require attention, as the complaint in Sue demonstrated.

Clear reporting routes help schools respond promptly. Specific information about when something happened and what was said gives administrators a concrete starting point for follow-up.

• Report inappropriate comments or conduct that crosses personal boundaries to a homeroom teacher or the school office promptly.
• Keep notes with dates and a short description of what occurred.
• If the response appears slow, request a meeting with the principal or district office and ask about the timetable for action.
• Encourage students to speak when they feel uncomfortable and reassure them that raising a concern is the right step.

In Sue, a parent's report led the school to request the original license and contact police when Kondo could not produce it. The education board's review now turns attention back to the recruitment checks that schools themselves are responsible for carrying out.

Key Points

• Police arrested Masahito Kondo, 66, on suspicion of using a forged teaching license to obtain an assistant position at a municipal junior high school in Sue, Fukuoka Prefecture.
• The submitted copy allegedly paired his name with another person's license number. Police say he admitted using counterfeit documents.
• A September complaint about an inappropriate remark to a female student prompted scrutiny. Kondo could not produce the original license and was removed from his duties.
• His history includes license revocations, a fine after concealing a revocation and prison sentences for forged or altered credentials in 2014 and 2017.
• The assistant role did not legally require a license, but the education board requested one to assess competency and protect students.
• Police are examining seized materials, prosecutors will decide whether to indict, and the education board is reviewing its hiring procedures.
• Direct checks with issuing prefectures, original documents and records matching current and former names can strengthen recruitment screening.