Concerns Grow Over Ryoko Hirosue’s Future Amid Reckless Driving

“Hi, it’s Hirosue.”

According to the police, actress Ryoko Hirosue (44), just before her arrest, allegedly spoke to a stranger at a parking area in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and touched their body.

She was arrested on suspicion of assault by the Kakegawa Police Station in Shizuoka Prefecture shortly after midnight on April 8. About five and a half hours before her arrest, around 7 p.m. the previous evening, a car she was driving collided with a large truck inside the Awagatake Tunnel on the Tomei Expressway. Although she sustained minor injuries, she was transported to the nearby Shimada City General Medical Center, where she allegedly assaulted a female nurse, A (37), by kicking her left leg multiple times.

“While waiting for treatment, Hirosue reportedly ignored the surrounding requests to stop and walked around the hospital. When Nurse A admonished her, she allegedly started shouting loudly and became violent. Nurse A reported the assault to a police officer who was at the hospital for the accident investigation, leading to her arrest,” said a reporter from a national newspaper’s social affairs section.

Even right after the accident, Hirosue was said to have sat on the road and attempted to walk around the tunnel. During her police interrogation, she reportedly shouted loudly and repeatedly stood up and sat down, making the investigation difficult.

“I would like to urge everyone to be very careful when driving.”

A man claiming to be the manager was riding in the car that caused the accident. In reality, he was a support figure for Hirosue, and it is said that he had an agent contract with her personal office, “R.H.” The car is believed to be owned by the man or the company he belongs to, but it was Hirozue who was driving at the time of the accident. The incident occurred while she was traveling a long distance, returning home from shooting a movie in Nara Prefecture. She may have been alternating driving with someone.

Hirosue is fond of cars, but her driving is reckless. She often honks the horn while driving. In March 2010, she was involved in an accident in Tokyo when her car collided with a stationary vehicle at a traffic signal. At the time, her agency issued an apology statement saying, “We want to be extremely careful while driving.”

At her personal office “R.H.”, Hirosue is both the president and the star talent. Despite having support figures, like the man in the accident, there were no staff members nearby who could have warned her or prevented trouble.

In March, during her return to nationwide broadcasting on “The Common Ten!” (Fuji TV), she confessed feeling distressed, saying, “I had never been in a position of authority, so it’s difficult.” Excessive stress from work may have contributed to her panic after the accident.

On April 9th, Hirosue was sent by the Hamamatsu West Police in Shizuoka Prefecture for prosecution. What will happen to her in the future?

According to Tahei Ogawa, a former detective in the Kanagawa Prefecture Police and a crime journalist:

“It depends on the extent of the victim’s injuries, but if it’s only for the injury charge, she will likely pay a fine of 100,000 to 200,000 yen and face a summary indictment. If it’s judged that detention is unnecessary, there’s a possibility of release. The issue lies ahead. Hirozue has previously caused trouble, such as suddenly crying at a movie production announcement or riding a taxi without paying.

If the pressure of independence continues, she will need more reliable staff and solid support. Moreover, she is a mother of three children. Whether she’s shopping or traveling, she is always in the public eye, which creates immense pressure.”