Sumire Matsubara Wins Lawsuit Against Ex-Boyfriend in “Muddy Court Battle,” Orders Return of 45 Million Yen Amid Internal Disputes

It has been revealed through our investigation that Sumire (34), the daughter of Junichi Ishida (70) and an actress, won 45 million yen in a lawsuit against her ex-boyfriend.

While her television appearances have decreased in recent years, Sumire married an ordinary man in November 2021 and gave birth to her first child in April 2022. It was believed that she was living a happy life in her private life.

However, it was reported by “NEWS Post Seven” (January 31, 2024) that there was a financial dispute with Mr. A, the man she dated from June 2018 to April 2021. The report detailed that Sumire had filed a lawsuit against Mr. A seeking the return of funds she had entrusted to him for investment.

On September 26, the Tokyo District Court issued a ruling ordering Mr. A to pay Sumire:

“The plaintiff (Sumire) is to receive 44,894,512 yen.”

What exactly was the nature of this financial dispute amounting to nearly 45 million yen?

 

“Let’s increase the amount through investment.”

Sumire began dating Mr. A around June 2018. As their relationship continued, A began to encourage Sumire to manage her assets. According to a statement submitted to the court by Sumire,

“I (Sumire) started to share my financial situation with A (note: referred to as the defendant in the statement). Then, about a year into our relationship, A told me, ‘It’s a waste to keep your money in the bank. You should invest it. I work in the financial world, so I’m knowledgeable about stocks and Bitcoin. I can manage your money well,’ and he said things like, ‘You need a financial advisor,’ leading me to entrust him with the investment of my assets.”

Thus, Sumire entrusted a total of 29 million yen to Mr. A, whom she considered an investment expert. He managed this money through various cryptocurrency transactions. During their dates, he would show her the account screens on his smartphone, saying things like, “It’s going well,” and “It’s rising.” From A’s comments, it seems that Sumire believed her assets were increasing smoothly.

However, in April 2021, the couple ended their relationship after nearly three years together.

Tens of millions of dollars had not been transferred.

After breaking up with Mr. A in April 2021, Sumire received this explanation regarding her invested funds:

“At that time, A explained to me that all the money I had entrusted to him for investment had been transferred to the account of Company B (note: the name of the securities company in the statement). I trusted him, so I believed his words that he had moved it to Company B’s account.” (from Sumire’s statement)

However, it turned out that this was a lie.

“After my relationship with A ended, I started dating my current husband. In February 2022, I told my husband that A was managing my assets for me, and he accessed my Company B account, realizing that A hadn’t transferred anything there.” (from Sumire’s statement)

This reflects her character; she didn’t confirm whether the tens of millions of yen had been properly deposited into her account for nearly a year until her husband pointed it out. Upon discovering that not a single yen had been transferred, Sumire emailed Mr. A asking, “What happened to my assets?” To which he replied:

“He explained that he had ‘resolved everything’ but didn’t provide any specific details.” (from Sumire’s statement)

Ultimately, on August 5, 2022, Sumire filed a lawsuit against Mr. A, seeking the return of the money she had entrusted to him. In response, Mr. A’s side claimed:

“The two became engaged in December 2020, operating under a common understanding that once married, their finances would be combined. Based on A’s advice, they were jointly investing their assets.”

“However, when they ended their relationship and terminated their cohabitation, A confirmed with Sumire that no refunds were necessary and that he had no debts to her.”

These claims were ultimately not accepted, and the court ruled in favor of Sumire, ordering Mr. A to pay her 45 million yen. It should be noted that while Sumire had entrusted Mr. A with 29 million yen, the amount awarded in the judgment was 45 million yen due to the increase in assets through Mr. A’s management.

This time, Mr. A accused Sumire of unfaithfulness.

Thus, while the financial dispute ended with Sumire’s victory, her lawsuit against Mr. A led to a counterattack from him. The two plunged into a messy legal battle.

According to a report by “Weekly Woman PRIME” (published February 21, 2024), Sumire was allegedly violent toward Mr. A and had been unfaithful. In February 2023, Mr. A filed a lawsuit seeking 2.2 million yen in damages for emotional distress and attorney fees, claiming he had been assaulted by Sumire.

“This trial, after losing in the first instance, saw Mr. A also lose in the High Court in July 2024. However, in January 2024, Mr. A filed a lawsuit against Sumire for 3.3 million yen in damages, claiming that she had committed infidelity while they were engaged. This case is still ongoing,” said an entertainment industry insider.

To gather insights regarding Sumire’s 45 million yen victory and the series of lawsuits, inquiries were made to both Sumire and Junichi Ishida’s agency, but both responded:

“We would like to refrain from commenting as we do not have details about the trial.”

The ongoing messy legal battles raise the question of when this “internal strife” between the two will finally come to an end.