<figure id="attachment_454331" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-454331" style="width: 732px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="daf4155a"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/01/82583730d28934d8a3a5503e79bac027.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-454331" class="wp-caption-text">His large sign used to hang at the table tennis school where Yoshida used to coach (&#8217;24).</figcaption></figure>
<h3><span class="strongInContent"> Sentencing hearing on January 21</span></h3>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> I am the cause of this misunderstanding, and I am very sorry, and at the same time, I want to ask for forgiveness for myself.&#8221;</span></p>
<p> Kaihei Yoshida (Konishi at the time of his arrest), 44, a former representative of Japan&#8217;s national table tennis team who allegedly committed indecent acts against students and their mothers at the table tennis school where he coached, apologized in court to the victims.</p>
<p> Yoshida, who is accused of indecent assault and indecent assault on three women, will be sentenced on January 21, with the prosecution seeking five years in prison and the defense pleading not guilty.</p>
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<p> Before introducing the arguments made by the prosecution and the defense in their plea, we would like to look back at the history of the case so far. Incidentally, all of Yoshida&#8217;s communication at the trial was conducted through a Chinese interpreter, and all of his statements were made by the interpreter. In addition, since the fourth trial held on October 3, the defendant&#8217;s name has been Yoshida Kaiwei instead of Konishi.</p>
<p> Yoshida was first arrested in August &#8217;24.</p>
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<p><span class="strongInContent"> On August 20, 2012, the Warabi Police Station of the Saitama Prefectural Police Department arrested Yoshida on suspicion of indecency with non-consent. On August 7, he was suspected of committing an indecent act against a student&#8217;s mother, Ms. A, who is in her 40s, at the &#8220;WEILAI Table Tennis School,&#8221; where he coaches.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> About a month later, on September 30, he was arrested again on suspicion of indecent assault against Ms. B (in her 30s), who was also the mother of a student, for indecent acts in early June 2007.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> WEILAI Table Tennis School&#8221; is a table tennis school run by his wife Anne Konishi, also a former representative of Japan&#8217;s table tennis team. The prosecutors indicted Yoshida on charges of indecent assault and quasi-forcible indecency against Ms. A, Mr. B, and Ms. C, a junior high school student who was victimized in July 2011.</span></p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" He relentlessly hit me on the lower half of my body."></div>
<h3><span class="strongInContent">Details of the crime and the defendant&#8217;s &#8220;side of the story&#8221;</span></h3>
<p> The crime allegedly took place during the process of Yoshida giving massages and teaching stretching techniques. The prosecution alleges that Yoshida committed the alleged acts while teaching the parents how to give massages to their <span class="strongInContent">children, saying, &#8220;I want you to give massages to my children at home</span>.&#8221;</p>
<p> For example, Ms. A <span class="strongInContent">complained that &#8220;without warning, the massage began, and she was asked to pose on all fours, saying, &#8216;Can you do this kind of posture?&#8217; After that, he applied the lower part of her body to her relentlessly</span>.</p>
<p> On the other hand, Yoshida <span class="strongInContent">said, &#8220;Mr. A&#8217;s posture was strange, so I touched his body to teach him the correct posture.</span> I was just trying to teach her how to stretch, and I did not intend to be indecent <span class="strongInContent">.</span></p>
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<p> Ms. B also claimed that <span class="strongInContent">&#8220;I was on all fours in the luggage storage area when I was touched on the lower half of my body.&#8221;</span> She also stated that she protested that she thought it <span class="strongInContent">was strange</span> when she was asked <span class="strongInContent">if</span> she <span class="strongInContent">could enter the room,</span> as if she was having sexual intercourse with him.</p>
<p> In response, defendant Yoshida claimed that he <span class="strongInContent">was just giving her a massage and teaching her how to stretch, and that it is possible that his lower body was hit in the process</span>. He then decided to mount Ms. B in order to correct her posture, and asked her if <span class="strongInContent">he could ride her.</span> He stated that when he approached Mr. B to mount him, Mr. B turned around and said, <span class="strongInContent">&#8220;That&#8217;s funny.</span></p>
<p> He <span class="strongInContent">recalled, &#8220;At the time, I thought about what was &#8216;funny,&#8217; but I don&#8217;t remember what I said to Mr. B.&#8221;</span></p>
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<p> Ms. C stated <span class="strongInContent">, &#8220;During the massage, he directly touched my buttocks and licked my ears. Then he said, &#8216;Close your eyes,&#8217; and I shook my head from side to side, thinking that he was going to kiss me,&#8221;</span> she complained.</p>
<p> Mr. Yoshida denied this <span class="strongInContent">, saying, &#8220;It is possible that during the massage, my hand accidentally hit (Ms. C&#8217;s) underwear, but I did not touch her directly.</span> He also claims that he <span class="strongInContent">&#8220;</span><span class="strongInContent">thought [Ms. C] had fallen asleep during the massage because she was quiet, so I brought my face close to hers,&#8221;</span> but did not lick her ear.</p>
<p> At the time, Ms. C filed a damage report for this incident, and defendant Yoshida was sent for prosecution. During the interrogation at that time, he lied, saying that he <span class="strongInContent">had not massaged Ms. C.</span> He explained the reason for his lie, saying, &#8220;If I had told <span class="strongInContent">her</span> that I <span class="strongInContent">had massaged her</span>, she would have told me to close my eyes.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> He said, &#8220;I was afraid that if I said I gave her a massage, she would think I really committed an indecent act.</span></p>
<p> After the incident with Ms. C, Yoshida said his wife forbade him from teaching girls.</p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" The crime was &quot;daring, sneaky, and cunning.&quot;"></div>
<h3><span class="strongInContent">I believe he is innocent.&#8221;</span></h3>
<p> Regarding touching the victim&#8217;s body without her permission, even though it was to teach her how to massage and stretch, Yoshida reflected, <span class="strongInContent">&#8220;I had been in Europe (living) for a long time, so it was appropriate,&#8221;</span> and expressed her remorse, saying <span class="strongInContent">, &#8220;In the future, I will make sure to touch the victim only after getting her consent.</span></p>
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<p> At the argument held on December 9, the prosecution sought a sentence of <span class="strongInContent">&#8220;five years in prison&#8221; on</span><span class="strongInContent">the grounds that &#8220;the defendant committed the indecent act by taking advantage of the victim&#8217;s psychological state where she trusted him as a table tennis instructor and could not easily resist, which was a bold, despicable, and cunning act.</span></p>
<p> On the other hand, defense counsel stated, <span class="strongInContent">&#8220;The three women mistakenly believed that Kaiwei had committed an indecent act based on their preconceived notion that he had sexual intentions,&#8221; and &#8220;The case is different from other sexual crimes in that we have to determine whether the three women were intentionally hit based on their senses in a case the defendant denies.</span> In his final statement, he pleaded not guilty, saying, &#8220;The <span class="strongInContent">prosecutor has not proven the facts stated in the indictment</span>.</p>
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<p> In his final statement, he said <span class="strongInContent">, &#8220;I believe that I am not guilty.</span> I <span class="strongInContent">ask the judge to look into the case even more carefully and to bring about a positive result,&#8221;</span> said Yoshida.</p>
<p> Did Yoshida have sexual intentions or not? What decision will the judiciary make after hearing the words of the three victims in the trial so far?</p>

<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" Defendant Yoshida, pleading not guilty, expression on his face when he was sent to court"></div>
<figure id="attachment_433912" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-433912" style="width: 2773px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="5b1031d4"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/07/067e927d013888e810b47a499ff40806.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-433912" class="wp-caption-text">In August 2012, Yoshida was arrested and sent to prison for indecent behavior toward Ms. A.</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_433913" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-433913" style="width: 1253px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="9ea3cf96"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/07/5f532f1f7232fb1172266c3b45641864.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-433913" class="wp-caption-text"> At trial, he pleaded not guilty, saying it was &#8220;just a part of massage&#8221; (August &#8217;24).</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_433914" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-433914" style="width: 2296px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="b653ae76"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/07/b95398b6f2025c69a04bc779f8e234a6.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-433914" class="wp-caption-text"> Was the incident a &#8220;misunderstanding&#8221; by the victims? What will the verdict be at &#8230;&#8230;? (August &#8217;24)</figcaption></figure>


 Ryo Nakahira

 Shinji Hasuo (2nd to 4th photos)

 Sentencing is set for January 21 in the trial of a former Japanese table tennis representative who indecently assaulted students and parents at a table tennis school where he was a coach. We look back at the arguments made by both the victim and the defendant at the trial so far.

Can I put it in?&#8221;?　&#8221;Sentence sought&#8221; for former Japanese table tennis player who claimed obscenity was a &#8220;misunderstanding&#8221;.

Can I put it in?”?　”Sentence sought” for former Japanese table tennis player who claimed obscenity was a “misunderstanding”.

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Can I put it in?”? ”Sentence sought” for former Japanese table tennis player who claimed obscenity was a “misunderstanding”.

Access Ranking

Can I put it in?”?　”Sentence sought” for former Japanese table tennis player who claimed obscenity was a “misunderstanding”.