A “single can of beer” can lead to irreparable damage… A popular commercial director fell into the unintended “danger” of drunk driving.

Drunken accident in a Porsche on a rainy night
At 8:00 a.m. on February 27, Shinji Hamasaki, 49, a commercial director and film director, appeared in a gray top and bottom sweatshirt from the Tamagawa Police Station of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department to be sent to the police station for investigation. When he saw the press waiting for him in front of the station, he looked down and got into the convoy.
He was released at 9:00 p.m. that night, and when he emerged from the Tamagawa station again, the suspect Hamasaki had changed into a white T-shirt and black jacket. He bowed to the investigators and walked out the front door, this time looking straight at the press,
I apologize for the trouble I have caused you all by my indiscretion. I am very sorry.
He bowed deeply.
Hamasaki was arrested on suspicion of violating the Road Traffic Law (driving under the influence of alcohol) on March 26.
Late at night on the 25th, on a street in Todoroki, Setagaya Ward, the Porsche driven by Hamasaki slipped, hit a cab in the opposite lane, and crashed into a wall of a house. An officer responding to a report from a witness checked the suspect’s breath at the scene and found alcohol in excess of the legal limit, so the suspect was arrested. The suspect admitted the charge and stated, “I drank one can of beer.
Fortunately, no one was injured, but it was raining at the scene at the time of the accident.
The suspect Hamasaki directed the films “Bang Bang Bang Vampire” (’25), starring Ryo Yoshizawa, 32, and “I Died Once” (’20), starring Suzu Hirose, 27. He is also a very successful commercial director and his track record is quite impressive.
The most famous commercials are the au commercials starring Shota Matsuda (40), Kenta Kiritani (46), and Gaku Hamada (37), as well as the popular “Santaro” series, which has produced over 100 commercials since 2003, with leading actors appearing as guests. In addition, he also worked on a series of other series such as “Haiji” by Try Tutor, “Hinononiton” by Hino Motors, and “Laundry Lover’s Club” by Kao Attack.
He has also won numerous awards in the advertising world, including the ACC Grand Prix and the ACC Best Director Award. He had a reputation for being a good communicator and a cheerful person who enlivens the work site. He once said in an interview on the web that he comes up with more and more bizarre ideas as he talks with the staff about various things.
Possibly Dangerous Driving
Munenori Kumagai of the Traffic Accident Investigation and Analysis Office, a former traffic investigator, warns of the dangers of driving with even one sip of alcohol in your system.
Drunk driving is defined as having more than 0.15 ml of alcohol detected per 1 l of breath. In contrast, drunk driving is when you are sober and unable to walk straight, regardless of how much alcohol is detected.
As for how much alcohol it takes to become intoxicated, it is difficult to say, because it varies greatly from person to person, just like the fact that some people turn red when they drink even a drop of alcohol, while others can drink like a monkey. There is a formula, but it is too wide a range to rely on. Therefore, a single can of beer is never enough to be safe.
There are some cases in which a person is caught by the test even if he or she does not consume alcoholic beverages.
In my experience, there was a case in which a whiskey bourbon was detected in the test,” he said. I think I ate a fair amount of it. ……
Also, even mouthwash may show up on the test if you have just used it. However, if you gargle with water, it won’t show up, and we always make them gargle before doing the test, so it is never really caught.
If you have an accident, your alcohol level will vary a lot depending on whether or not you are under the influence of alcohol. If it turns out that the accident was caused by alcohol, then there is a possibility that dangerous driving will be applied,” Kumagai said.
On March 1, it was announced that Mr. Hamasaki had been removed from the jury of the “TYO Student Movie Award,” for which he had served as a judge.
Although it is not known whether or not Hamasaki took the alleged drink lightly, “just a little bit,” there seems to be no doubt that it had major consequences.
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PHOTO: Shinji Hasuo