On October 26, 2023, Junya Ikeda, who rose to fame as Gokai Silver in the 2011 television series Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, was arrested for defrauding a man in his 60s. Conspiring with others, he allegedly persuaded the man to part with his three cash cards after posing as a police officer. He was then arrested again the following month for withdrawing ¥1.5 million from the victim’s bank accounts. Ikeda’s contract with his agency was terminated, and his voice was removed from the anime shows, Ensemble Stars! and The Kingdoms of Ruin. Earlier this month, he was found guilty of fraud and sentenced to three years in prison.
Junya Ikeda’s First Letter Posted on X
Following the conclusion of his trial, a letter written by Ikeda was posted on his X page. “Hello, it’s been a while. I’m Junya Ikeda,” he wrote. “I have one request, so I’m brazenly writing this letter. There is the ‘truth,’ but ‘legally,’ I was found guilty in court and will be an inmate from now on. I’m all alone in the world. I have no relatives I can rely on, and no family to help me. For some reason, I have no savings, and I’m homeless now without a home. But there was someone who gave me light. That was someone who told me, ‘I’m still waiting for you,’ and ‘I’ll always be your fan.'”
Then came his request: “I know this is a roundabout way of saying it, but if you are still a fan of mine, would you be so kind as to write me a letter? That is the main point. I know it is a shameless request. But please lend me your strength so that I can crawl out of this brink of despair, turn my face forward again, not give up on life, and shine before you once more. After about three years of rest, I would like to open the curtain on my second chapter. Please give me the motivation to do so.”
Criticism of Ikeda’s Letters
Ikeda revealed the address of the Tokyo detention house where he’s imprisoned, adding, “Visits are also accepted.” Many people criticized the brazenness of his words, leading to a follow-up letter on October 22. Ikeda promised fans that despite the adverse reaction, he wouldn’t quit and would “keep shouting.” He asked them to continue to show their support and wait for his return. He also vowed to do a nationwide “thank you” tour to show appreciation for those who sent him letters.
Ikeda’s follow-up letter has also been heavily criticized by X users. “This guy only writes about his fans in his letter, but does he understand that he tried to ruin a person’s life…? It wasn’t a mistake; he was trying to scam an old man and steal his money and he should make amends to that person first. He should do the fan thing after he’s done,” wrote one person. Another said, “As someone who is currently watching Gokaiger every week, I feel nothing but discomfort towards Junya Ikeda when I read the news articles. He was involved in fraud and received prison time, so I think he should wait until he has served his sentence before he speaks out. I don’t see any remorse.”
