Rearrested for Indecency: The Tragic Reason Behind Former Table Tennis Champion Kai Konishi’s Downfall

Why is the “cool ex-representative” …

“Mr. Konishi is not someone who talks a lot, but whenever we meet, he greets me with a loud ‘Good morning,’ embodying the refreshing spirit of an athlete. I have always liked table tennis, and when I saw Mr. Konishi competing in the team event at the World Championships, I thought he was such a cool player. So I was surprised when about ten years ago, he opened a table tennis school nearby. When I asked why in Toda, he said, ‘I just moved close by’” (a man living in the neighborhood).

On September 30, the Saitama Prefectural Police’s Warabi Station re-arrested former Japanese national professional table tennis player Kawai Konishi (43) on suspicion of quasi-forced indecent assault.

“In early June 2019, he allegedly engaged in indecent acts, touching the body of a woman in her 30s, the mother of a student, under the pretense of giving her a massage at the table tennis school ‘WEILAI,’ where he served as a coach in Toda City. Mr. Konishi is also suspected of performing similar indecent acts on another female guardian using the same method. He was arrested on August 20 on charges of non-consensual indecent acts and was later indicted” (national newspaper social department reporter).

The curtains are always closed

The man previously mentioned spoke with a grim expression.

“When the first arrest happened, my LINE notifications were going off constantly with messages saying, ‘Konishi from the table tennis school has been arrested; it’s on the news.’ He’s a celebrity among table tennis enthusiasts. However, he never struck me as someone who would do something indecent to women. Even when I saw the footage of his arrest, he was standing tall and looking straight ahead, so I thought it might be some kind of mistake. But after being arrested twice.”

According to nearby residents, there were suspicious aspects about Konishi’s table tennis school. The curtains were always drawn, effectively concealing the interior of the classroom.

“When the school opened in 2014, the curtains were open, and you could see the practice from outside. However, there were apparently some people who would peek in to watch the young female staff members playing in their short pants… Rather than just watching the practice, they would press their faces against the glass to stare at the female staff. I heard that Mr. Konishi’s wife found this unsettling and instructed him to keep the curtains closed.”

In a classroom where no one could see in, did Konishi allow his fantasies to grow unchecked? If his wife’s consideration ultimately led to his crimes, it is indeed a cruel irony.

Konishi is reportedly continuing to remain silent during the police interrogation.