Man Impersonating Swimmer Daiya Seto, Flaunting Lavish Lifestyle with Luxury Cars and Social Media Posts

“We have identified the malicious sender. We hope that this incident will serve as a deterrent to online harassment.” 

This comment was released on March 6th by the support team of swimmer Daiya Seto.

On the same day, the Saitama Prefectural Police’s Nishi-Iruma Station arrested suspect Dai Kashimoto (33), a company employee residing in Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture, on suspicion of defamation and displaying obscene images. Atamamoto had impersonated Seto and posted direct messages with women and obscene images on social media, making them accessible to the general public.

 

“The incident occurred on the night of August 12th last year. Atamamoto uploaded images of a man’s lower body from an account pretending to be Seto. Furthermore, he publicly shared obscene exchanges with women via direct messages on X (formerly Twitter). The posts immediately sparked a major backlash.

The following day, Seto denied the allegations on X, stating that they were baseless rumors. He expressed frustration, saying, ‘Malicious harassment is truly regrettable and intolerable,’ and consulted with the Iruma Police Station. The station accepted the complaint in February this year after analyzing the account and identified Atamamoto’s involvement. Atamamoto admitted to the crime, stating, ‘There is no mistake that I posted obscene images.'” (National newspaper social affairs reporter)

 

“He’s a car idiot!”

 

There is no connection between swimmer Seto and the suspect. The police are considering the crime as a prank. When a photographer from this magazine headed to the police station immediately after the arrest, the suspect, in the back seat, remained hunched over without lifting his face. Perhaps it was only at this moment that he realized the seriousness of the situation, now turned into a scandal.

Looking at the suspect’s social media accounts, it seems he was living a lavish lifestyle, often seen driving luxury cars.

“The suspect, who graduated from one of the top schools in Hiroshima Prefecture, went on to work as a company employee after graduating from a local university. His social media profile states, ‘I’m a car enthusiast living in Higashi-Hiroshima City.’ As indicated, many photos uploaded show foreign luxury cars such as Jaguars, Porsche Cayennes, BMWs, and Maseratis.

It appears his parents were wealthy, so he didn’t seem to have financial difficulties. His social media posts depict him enjoying hobbies like fishing, golfing, and dining out on weekends. However, there were many boastful stories about luxury cars, and apparently, his friends didn’t always approve.” 

In recent years, there has been concern about the attention economy, where users post extreme content, including false information, to attract attention and gain value. The suspect’s posts severely damaging the reputation of a famous person can be seen as an egregious act symbolizing this trend.