STARTO Cracks Down on Fake Documents Ahead of Kento Nakajima’s Taiwan Show

An incident occurred in which a Japanese attendee was taken away by local police

On September 25, STARTO ENTERTAINMENT’s official legal X (formerly Twitter) account posted a message titled “Notice and Request to Fans,” announcing that trouble involving Japanese attendees had occurred during Kento Nakajima’s (31) concert held on September 14 in Taipei, Taiwan. Possibly as a result, at solo concerts of STARTO idols held in Japan, ID verification at entry had reportedly become stricter.

According to STARTO’s announcement, the incident involved the September 14 performance “KENTO NAKAJIMA 1st Live 2025 in TAIPEI ‘N / bias’” at Zepp New Taipei. It was revealed that a Japanese attendee had possessed a forged local official document (residence certificate) and was taken away by local police.

Furthermore, the statement explained, “Forgery of official documents is a serious criminal act punishable under the penal codes of each country or region. This case is being prosecuted under Taiwanese law and was widely reported in local media.”

The announcement also warned that such illegal behavior not only deeply disappoints the talent and the fan community as a whole, but also has irreversible, serious consequences for the person committing the act. It emphasized the gravity of the situation, noting that it could even escalate into an issue affecting international trust.

For fans, STARTO advised: “Please always use official methods to purchase tickets and enter venues,” and “Please carry valid identification to concerts and events.”

“In fact, regarding this topic, it had already caused a stir among some STARTO fans on the night of the 14th. On X, posts appeared stating, ‘A Japanese person was taken away by black-clad security at Kento Nakajima’s Taiwan concert,’ and that the police were waiting outside because the person’s ID was forged.

On the text-sharing app Threads, a video was uploaded showing a woman having her official document, ticket, or something checked by staff dressed in black. Fans present likely filmed it after sensing the unusual atmosphere on-site,” reported an entertainment writer.

While these situations spread on X, the agency’s official warning has received support from fans. Comments included:

“This should be a reason to strictly enforce ID verification at STARTO concerts.”

“All performances should require ID checks. It may be difficult, but if this isn’t done, fraudulent entries will never stop.”

“Some people are saying, ‘It’s the agency’s fault for not cracking down before,’ but that’s just absurd. Clearly, the troublesome fans who break the rules are the ones at fault.”

Various opinions like these were expressed online.

In the past, there was also a scandal involving forged driver’s licenses

“Meanwhile, it is unclear whether this was in response to the overseas incident, but at the Naniwa Danshi concerts held in Hiroshima on September 20–21, a strict security protocol appears to have been in place.

Multiple posts on X stated things like, ‘Hiroshima’s ID checks were intense. Many people were taken away after the show started,’ and ‘The ID verification was insanely strict. I was fine, but the person next to me was taken away by staff in black.’

After the agency explained the outcome of Nakajima’s concert on the 25th, some fans speculated about a connection, asking, ‘Was the strict ID verification at Naniwa Danshi’s concert because of this?’” (same source as above)

Additionally, regarding STARTO-related events, when WEST. held their 10th-anniversary performance at Osaka Shochikuza in December 2024, strict ID checks were reportedly enforced. The Shochikuza official website had announced in advance that all attendees, including companions, would be checked at the entrance, and fan club members were asked to bring their membership cards.

“During that performance period, a woman reportedly presented a suspected forged driver’s license at the entrance, prompting the theater to contact the police.

According to a Yomiuri Shimbun Online article dated June 19 this year, the woman had forged a driver’s license with her own photo but a friend’s name, attempting to impersonate the friend to attend the concert. She was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for four years (prosecutor sought two years) for attempted fraud and forgery and use of a certified official document” (same source as above).

Given this context, and now with a case involving forged official documents overseas, STARTO may have strengthened enforcement at the recent Naniwa Danshi concerts. Fans reported on social media that ID verification was again required at the Shizuoka concerts on September 27–28, following the strict measures in Hiroshima.

The previously mentioned legal account also warned that illegal acts overseas could hinder future overseas performances and may escalate into issues of international trust, which is absolutely unacceptable. Moving forward, it is hoped that STARTO’s measures will prevent further fraudulent entries.