In this week’s news roundup we congratulate Shohei Ohtani on his second MVP award in three years. Another YouTuber in Japan gets himself in trouble, this time for slandering a woman in an unblurred video. In Osaka, a police officer shoots a knife-wielding assailant, hitting his right flank. And a man in Aichi Prefecture who claims to be “a woman inside,” is arrested for entering a female bathing area.
Also this week, Uniqlo founder Tadashi Yanai tells Japan to “Wake up!” The chief of Takarazuka Revue announces that he’s stepping down following the tragic suicide in September of one of the troupe’s artists. And the Johnny Kitagawa sexual abuse scandal continues to make headlines. On Tuesday, the police announced the death of one of his alleged victims in an apparent suicide.
Ohtani Becomes First Player in History to Win Two Unanimous MVP Awards
Shohei Ohtani was named as the American League’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) on Thursday night. Sitting alongside his dog, he received the award for the second time in three years. Garnering all 30 first place votes, the two-way sensation is the first-ever two-time unanimous winner. Ohtani, whose season was cut short due to an elbow injury, won the home run title with 44 and posted a 10-5 win-loss record with a 3.14 ERA. Ronald Acuña Jr. picked up the National League prize.
Kodai Senga, meanwhile, placed second in the MLB Rookie of the Year ballot for the National League. The New York Mets right-hander finished 71 points behind the Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll. The American League prize went to Baltimore Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson. In other sports news, Japan’s men’s soccer team defeated Myanmar 5-0 on Thursday. It was the side’s first qualifying game for the 2026 FIFA World Cup which is scheduled to take place in North America. Next up is Syria on Tuesday.
YouTuber Kazuaki Sugita was arrested on Monday
YouTuber Arrested for Defamation
Kazuaki Sugita, a 40-year-old YouTuber who goes by the name “Rengoku Koroaki” online, was arrested on Monday for allegedly slandering a woman in an unblurred video. On September 19, he posted unpixelated footage of an 18-year-old female while labeling her a ticket scalper. According to the police, he chased the woman near the Imperial Theater in Tokyo and accused her of reselling tickets for ¥80,000. He then reportedly demanded that she return the money.
The police say the accusation against the woman was false and that she was actually there to meet a friend. She told officers that she was surrounded by around five or six men. Sugita is known for posting controversial videos in which he confronts people in public locations, accusing them of misconduct. He describes these acts as “citizen’s arrests.” In June, while dressed as Demon Slayer‘s Kyojuro Rengoku, he and his group confronted infamous YouTuber Johnny Somali.
Knife Wielding Man Shot by Police
A man wielding two kitchen knives was shot by a police officer in Osaka on Monday. Koji Matsumoto, 58, was arrested on suspicion of violating the swords and firearms control law. He allegedly slashed a woman during an argument. Three officers rushed to the scene, ordering him to drop his weapons. One of them then fired a shot in the air. As Matsumoto approached, saying “shoot me,” another officer fired at his leg, hitting his right flank.
In other crime news, a 43-year-old man was arrested on Monday for entering a female bathing area at a hot spring facility in Kuwana city, Mie Prefecture. Hayato Shimada was apprehended by officers at approximately 8:20pm after a woman told an employee that there was a man in the bathhouse. He admitted to the crime, but reportedly said, “I’m a woman inside, so I don’t understand at all why I’m not allowed in the women’s baths.”
UNIQLO CHIEF TADASHI YANAI WARNED HIS COMPATRIOTS TO WAKE UP
Uniqlo Chief Warns Japan to ‘Wake Up’
“Japan is not an advanced nation at all.” That’s the view of the country’s wealthiest person, Tadashi Yanai. The founder and president of Uniqlo’s parent company, Fast Retailing, expressed his concerns during a recent interview with Charlie Campbell for Time magazine. Despite Japanese stocks rising to a three-decade high earlier this year, the billionaire had a stark warning for his compatriots. It’s time to “wake up,” he said, adding that his country had been “dormant for 30 years.”
“In Beijing and Shanghai, people are getting two and three times the compensation of equivalent positions in Japan,” says Yanai. “We need to normalize Japan’s economy.” At the start of this year, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urged companies here to implement wage hikes to combat rising inflation. Fast Retailing did just that, increasing the pay of its full-time employees by up to 40% in March. “That is still low,” admitted Yanai. “It should be much higher.”
Takarazuka’s Chairman Announces His Resignation
Takarazuka Revue’s leader Kenshi Koba announced on Tuesday that he is planning to step down as chairman. The all-female musical theater troupe has been under the spotlight since the death of one of its performers on September 30. A lawyer representing the woman’s family said she took her own life due to overwork and bullying. Addressing her family at Tuesday’s press conference, Koba apologized “for not being able to protect the life of your precious loved one.”
After the woman’s death, Takarazuka Revue set up an investigative team, including outside lawyers, to scrutinize what happened. According to the report, the performer was under a “strong psychological burden” before her death, but no evidence of bullying was found. This conclusion was criticized by Hiroshi Kawahito, the lawyer representing her family. He called for a reassessment of the report, stating that there had been an “inappropriate recognition of facts and evaluation.”
Johnny Kitagawa
Alleged Victim of Johnny Kitagawa Found Dead in Apparent Suicide
On Tuesday, sources revealed that a man in his 40s who belonged to an association for victims of sexual abuse committed by the late music mogul Johnny Kitagawa was found hanged in the mountains of Minoh, a city in northwestern Osaka Prefecture. His body was discovered in mid-October near a suspected suicide note. The man had allegedly received slanderous comments after accusing the Johnny & Associates founder of sexual assault. The family of the deceased made a statement through their attorney on Tuesday.
“We still can’t believe his sudden departure. We’re in a state of shock. In May of this year, he complained to the office that he’d been sexually assaulted in 1995. The person who answered promised that a representative would get back to him. He then didn’t hear anything for five months. His frustration and worries deepened. He also asked the office to take measures against slander and libel, but it only called for action, taking no concrete measures.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, you can reach out to the TELL Lifeline on 03-5774-0992. For more information on the services and how you can receive or provide support, visit telljp.com.
