Arson Verdict in January: Kobe University Rocked by Badminton Club Scandal, Accused of Property Damage and Theft in Chain of Events

A video purportedly showing the spring training camp of Kobe University’s badminton club BADBOYS was posted on March 18 and has been causing a firestorm on SNS.

 

Kobe University is a prestigious national university that has produced iPS cell researcher Shinya Yamanaka, House of Representatives members Sanae Takaichi, Shijaku Katsura, and Kuranosuke Sasaki, among others.

The post, which appears to be an inside leak, reads as follows.

We have seen some disturbing behavior such as vandalizing items in inns and breaking shoji screens, and we want you to spread the word so that new students at Kobe University will be aware of this kind of circle as they begin their freshman year at the university.

When you look at the video, you can see that there are multiple men and women in the room, and one man is throwing punches repeatedly, making holes in the shoji screen one after another. Afterwards, several men and women poked their heads out of the holes in the shoji screen and took commemorative photos.

 In another video, a man forcefully raises a man’s body up, causing his head to hit the ceiling and leave a large hole.

The smoking room, left at the back of the door, please make sure to close this door.

The other video shows him taking a commemorative photo in a room holding two pieces of paper with a sign that reads, “Smoking room, door back left, please make sure to close this door. Did he take them off from the smoking room?”

 

A photo taken outside shows a battered ashtray stand.

The comment “I’m really laughing at you for taking this home and using it as your personal belongings.

In the reply column of X, the following comment was written

This is bad. Won’t they catch him?

Poor Ryokan.

There is a possibility that this case could be considered property damage or theft. In some cases, you may be arrested and your real name may be reported. It may also affect his employment. Anyway, I can’t believe that Kobe University, a prestigious university, would cause such a problem. 

If they don’t pay for the damage and settle out of court, they may well be sued for damages in civil court. Even if you think it is just a fool’s errand among your friends, it is quite common for videos and photos to leak out somewhere or be leaked on SNS.

Recently, there was a guilty verdict in another case at Kobe University.

From 2022 to 2023, multiple disturbances and damage to property occurred, and a female student at the university was arrested on charges of arson, damage to property, and assault. He was found guilty on January 29, and sentenced to three years in prison and five years’ probation.

We are heartbroken by the recent string of scandals involving current students at Kobe University. Kobe University is a prestigious university in the Kansai region, and I think the students have a certain amount of pride in it. 

Perhaps, because of the COVID-19 crisis, the guidance from the seniors may not have been conveyed well. Still, it is really embarrassing that negative topics continue to be talked about.

Kobe University has responded to the uproar with the following statement

The university will take strict action based on the results of the investigation.

The university will take strict action based on the results of the investigation, the university said in a comment. It remains to be seen what punishment will be handed down to the students who got off on the wrong foot.