Former Breaking Down Fighter Sentenced to 1 Year 6 Months, Claims Alcohol Abstinence Is Key

The verdict for Satoru Kubota (28), a former popular contestant and influencer from “Breaking Down,” who was accused of assaulting a woman he was dating and charged with injuries and other offenses, was held at the Tokyo District Court on August 16. The presiding judge stated, “There are no mitigating factors for the impulsive and selfish motive,” and sentenced him to 1 year and 6 months in prison.

“On the day of the incident, Kubota returned home to the woman he lived with around 4 a.m. after drinking with acquaintances. When the woman criticized Kubota’s drinking behavior, he became enraged. He assaulted her by pinning her down, grabbing her hair, and hitting her in the face. Later, Kubota went out to a convenience store, but upon returning, he found that the woman had locked the room and locked him out. This further enraged him, and he was also charged with property damage for hitting the door with a fire extinguisher.” (reporter from a national newspaper covering judicial matters)

Defendant Satoru Kubota was arrested in March 2023 for violence against the same woman.

“In the previous arrest, Kubota paid 2.5 million yen as a settlement and reconciled. Afterward, the couple resumed living together. Although Kubota was supposed to have quit drinking, he resumed drinking and began to violently assault the woman again. There were several incidents where the woman reported him to the police.” (sports newspaper reporter)

In the initial trial held in May, Kubota admitted to the charges, saying, “There’s no mistake.” What became clear in court was Kubota’s drinking problem. He assaulted the woman by pinning her down and reportedly said, “You’re going to call the police again, right? I don’t care anymore. I’ll kill you,” while holding a knife to her neck. The woman testified:

“I felt so terrified that I thought my life was over.”

“He’s kind when he’s sober, but he changes completely when he drinks. He would verbally abuse store clerks and taxi drivers.”

Despite the woman’s and others’ support in believing he could reform, Kubota fell back into drinking and repeated his mistakes. On social media, he expressed remorse and hinted at a desire to make a comeback.