“This Is How I Like to Do It” — Former SoftBank Player’s Indecent Assault Arrest Tied to Troubling Past Reported by This Magazine

There had also been talk of going to the majors

Escorted by police for his transfer to the prosecutors, the man emerged from the station with his head down, never once lifting his face before getting into the vehicle.

On June 12, the Kanagawa Prefectural Police announced the arrest of Hayato Mishima (43), a self-proclaimed cleaning worker, on suspicion of non-consensual indecent assault. Mishima is a former professional baseball player who once played for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks under the name Hayato Dojo.

“Around 11:30 p.m. on April 20, Mishima allegedly forcibly touched the upper body of an 18-year-old woman walking home along a street in Hodogaya Ward, Yokohama. He had no prior connection with the victim. Surveillance camera footage from the area led police to identify Mishima. During questioning, he remained silent, saying, ‘I won’t talk until my lawyer arrives’,” said a national newspaper social affairs reporter.

As Hayato Dojo, he played as a strong-armed catcher for Yokohama College of Commerce. After graduation, he joined powerhouse corporate team Nissan Motors. In 2006, he signed with the Kagawa Olive Guyners of the Shikoku Island League, where he became a central player and was named league MVP. During this time, there were also reports of a possible move to the MLB’s Boston Red Sox.

He joined the SoftBank Hawks in the 2008 draft as a developmental player. In 2010, he was promoted to the first team and recorded his first hit. However, on August 24, 2012, he was suddenly released from his contract following a forced indecent assault incident.

Around 10:30 p.m. on August 19, 2012, in Kasuya District, Fukuoka Prefecture, Dojo assaulted a 20-year-old part-time worker as she returned to her apartment, threatening her with words like “Don’t look at my face,” pulling her hair, and forcing her to touch his groin.

He was arrested on August 23 for the assault, but it was later revealed that he had committed two other similar assaults in July in Koga City and Higashi Ward of Fukuoka. He was subsequently re-arrested.

“During the trial, Dojo admitted guilt and expressed remorse. He cited stress over limited first-team appearances and strained relationships with coaches as factors behind his actions, but ultimately said, ‘I still don’t understand why I did it.’

In January 2013, he was sentenced to two years in prison. Though his legal team appealed for a suspended sentence, the appeal was denied, with the court citing his prior conviction for a similar offense. It was also revealed that he had committed such crimes even before joining SoftBank. This criminal history is believed to be the reason his U.S. visa was denied, preventing the Red Sox deal from materializing,” a sports journalist explained.

He grabbed her arm and forced her into a toilet stall

FRIDAY also covered the 2012 case. From his days at Yokohama College of Commerce and Nissan Motors, Mishima (formerly Dojo) was frequently the subject of troubling rumors. A woman who claimed to have been victimized by him around the summer of 2004 gave the following testimony:

“He was notorious at the club I worked at in Yokohama as someone dangerous. He came about once a month, and whenever he got drunk, his personality would change and he’d become aggressive. That day, he showed up with a few friends and drank about 20 to 30 shots of tequila, getting completely wasted. Eventually, he even stripped to the waist and started dancing wildly to the music.”

When Dojo returned to his seat, exhausted from dancing, the woman recalled that his eyes were completely glazed over. The incident happened moments later.

“When I got up to go to the bathroom, I suddenly realized he was right behind me. He said, ‘I like raping women like this,’ grabbed my arm, dragged me into a toilet stall, and started trying to lift up my skirt. I was terrified and screamed, ‘Kyaa!!’ at the top of my lungs. That made him suddenly let go and leave the restroom. Even after I returned to my seat, I was too scared to look him in the eye.”

At the time of the 2012 incident, Dojo had just gotten married. Despite all the time, effort, and opportunities he had squandered through his past crimes, Mishima continues to repeat his offenses. One must ask—will he keep piling on new sins even now?