Parent company: “We made this decision after analyzing the current situation”

Major Japanese video, CD, manga, and video game rental chain Tsutaya confirmed on Monday that it has removed all Kuroko's Basketball DVD and manga rentals from its stores. The issue was brought to attention by a Twitter user, who said she had been told by an employee that Tokyo's Ikebukuro Station west exit branch had removed all Kuroko's Basketball items on Monday, and that all such DVD and manga would be removed from all branches across the country by November 3.

The Culture Convenience Club, the company that owns Tsutaya, told ITmedia's website Netlab, “This is the truth. […] We made this decision after analyzing the current situation.” There are over 1,300 Tsutaya branches throughout Japan.

Background

Since October 2012, locations linked to Kuroko's Basketball creator Tadatoshi Fujimaki have received threat letters, including some with powdered and liquid substances. A source in the investigation of the threats said there is a high possibility that the liquid sent to Sophia University (Fujimaki's alma mater) on October 12, 2012 could emit a lethal dose of hydrogen sulfide if vaporized.

Several Kuroko's Basketball dōjinshi events throughout Japan have been cancelled in the aftermath of the threats. The "Shadow Trickster 3" event did proceed without incident at the Big Sight on last October, shortly after the center received its first threat. The official "Kuroko no Basuke produced by Namco Namja Town" event in Tokyo ended 19 days early as a result of the threats, and Animate Café Tennoji in Osaka cancelled a planned Kuroko's Basketball collaboration event. Comic Market (Comiket), the world's largest dōjinshi event, barred Kuroko's Basketball items and circles last December.

In February, the organizers of the Comic City dōjinshi events barred circles from selling Kuroko's Basketball items at March 17's Haru Comic City 18 event, after they received a request to do so from the management of the Tokyo Big Sight event complex. The same organizers had barred Kuroko's Basketball from the Comic City Osaka 92 event on January 6, and then cancelled February 10's Double Clutch event outright. However, they held the Comic City Tokyo 131 event at Tokyo Big Sight and insisted on allowing Kuroko's Basketball circles. Comic City Tokyo 131 proceeded without incident on January 27.

The convenience store chains 7-Eleven and Family Mart as well as other companies such as Sankei Shimbun received new threat letters earlier this month that said that the sender has put poison and agricultural chemicals in various Kuroko's Basketball confectionery snacks. As a result, 7-Eleven temporarily removed the "Voi-Colle Kuroko's Basketball Wafers 2" cookies, and Family Mart stopped selling the "Ichiban Kuji Kuroko no Basuke ~Seirin & Kaijō~" lottery merchandise line. The Circle K Sunkus store chain is also considering suspending sales of the merchandise.

The second season of the Kuroko's Basketball anime began airing earlier this month in Japan. Crunchyroll is streaming the anime outside of Japan as it airs.

Source: Netlab

Thanks to Gokumew & Raindrops and Daydreams for the news tips