Renowned Director’s Despicably Cunning Tactics Exploiting Position to Victimize Actresses

On March 11th, film director Hideo Sakaki (53), who was arrested on February 20th on suspicion of quasi-rape against a woman in her 20s, was arrested again on suspicion of quasi-rape against another woman. The suspicion stems from an incident around 6 p.m. on March 19, 2015, in a room of an apartment in Minato Ward, Tokyo, where he allegedly engaged in indecent acts under the pretext of acting guidance with a woman in her 20s at the time.

Appearing before the press with disheveled hair, he closed his eyes quietly in the center of the back seat as he was being taken into custody. It is reported that Sakaki is remaining silent regarding the allegations of his re-arrest.

“At the time, the woman had apparently been cast in a film directed by suspect Sakaki. She was called to the location apartment for a meeting regarding this and was told, ‘Since it’s your first film role, you might be feeling anxious, so let’s practice,’ and it was during this time that she was victimized,” said a reporter from the social affairs department.

The victim stated, “At that time, I believed without doubt that Sakaki, as the director, would guide me, and when I resisted, I was told that I would be a useless actress if I didn’t comply. I thought it would be difficult to continue living as an actress.”

Furthermore, regarding the reasons for not previously reporting the victimization, she stated, “I sealed away the harm because I was afraid of potential retaliation within the film industry, and I felt that my future as an actress would disappear, making it difficult to continue living as an actress.” This testimony underscores the despicable nature of Sakaki’s crimes, which were perpetrated by exploiting his highly privileged position as a director in the film industry, abusing the trust between director and actress.

 

 

“When he was arrested in February, the suspicion at that time stemmed from an incident in May 2016, where he allegedly brought a woman in her 20s into a room of an apartment under the guise of acting guidance and proceeded to commit indecent acts by undressing her, stating, ‘It would be troublesome if you had tattoos, so I want to confirm if you’re naked.’

The Metropolitan Police Department has accepted complaints from multiple women. In July of last year, during a search of Sakaki’s residence, they seized SD cards and other items, uncovering over 50 indecent videos involving multiple women. The victim in this case became aware of the harm after seeing footage of the crimes among those videos, leading her to file a complaint in January.” 

Regarding the sexual misconduct allegations against suspect Sakaki, “Shukan Bunshun” reported accusations from eight actresses who claimed to have been victimized in March 2022. At the time, although Sakaki denied the allegations, two films he directed, “Mitsuki” starring Emi Sato and “Hazard Lamp” starring Ken Yasuda and Yuki Yamada, were abruptly cancelled just before their release. This incident served as a catalyst for further accusations of sexual misconduct against film directors and producers.

“Looking at the reports from 2022, it appears that Sakaki had been engaging in sexual misconduct with numerous women in a very routine manner, such as coercing them into dark places after inviting them for drinks. Aside from the cases first filed in the spring of last year, it seems that other women are also being questioned by the police. It’s possible that there will be more charges brought against him.”

Sakaki remains silent regarding the allegations of his re-arrest this time. Will the day come when he confronts his own guilt?

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