<figure id="attachment_467893" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-467893" style="width: 1470px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="74feba1a"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/05/6729697cb13dde0c96122987b3aa073b.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467893" class="wp-caption-text">Hatsuki at the time of his employment in Hiroshima</figcaption></figure>
<h2> I think someone other than Hatsuki is in trouble&#8230;&#8221;</h2>
 On May 15, the first trial was held at the Hiroshima District Court for Ryutaro Hatsuki, 26, a former player for the Hiroshima professional baseball team, who was accused of violating the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act by using the designated drug etomidate, commonly known as &#8220;zombie tobacco.
 Before the court opened at 11:00 a.m., about 500 people lined up to get tickets to observe the trial. Hatsuki admitted to the charges against him and was sentenced to one year in confinement with a three-year suspended sentence.
 Not only media representatives but also Carp fans were there. Hatsuki is a cute and popular player. I was honestly very shocked by this incident. There were many fans who wanted to see him in time&#8221; (a woman in line for a hearing ticket).
 Hatsuki was wearing black hair and a mask. After the trial, he was escorted by his lawyers and left the courthouse in a car that picked him up. A local TV station official said, &#8220;This is her first offense.
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 She is a first-time offender and has already had her contract terminated by the baseball team. He had already received social sanctions, so it was somewhat predictable that he would be given a suspended sentence.
 What was shocking, however, was the answer to the defendant&#8217;s question. Regarding his motive for smoking &#8220;zombie cigarettes,&#8221; as they are commonly called, Hatsuki said, &#8220;There were Hiroshima Carp players around me who smoked. I was naive enough to think that I would be okay, too,&#8221; he explained. He continued, &#8220;I should have made the right decision. I deeply regret that I should have faced up to the family.
 The team immediately discussed how to respond to the situation. Kiyoaki Suzuki, 72, general manager of the baseball team, told the press , &#8220;We will conduct another investigation. When the defendant Hatsuki was arrested in January of this year, no players self-reported their use, and he indicated that he would interview them again, but he lowered his tone about the results of the re-examination, saying, &#8220;We may not announce the results &#8230;&#8230;.
 A reporter for a national newspaper covering the case said.
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 Immediately after his arrest, the names of senior infielder A, young infielder B, and others, in addition to Hatsuki, surfaced in the line of investigation. There were rumors among the reporters in charge of the case and the Koi watchdog that &#8216;there might be others besides Hatsuki in trouble, &#8230;&#8230;&#8217; and the topic was the talk of the town during the camp. The two were close friends of Hatsuki, both on and off the field, and were once strong players with whom Hatsuki had worked in private.
 Of course, the Hiroshima Prefectural Police proceeded with their investigation, but without finding any hard evidence, they concluded that there had been no actual use in January at least, and they ruled that the players other than Hatsuki were innocent. The team was especially relieved because A and B were highly trusted by manager Takahiro Arai (49) and former owner Matsuda (75).
 On the other hand, Hatsuki asked his teammates, &#8220;Why only me?　A and B were doing it before me. This is a sacrifice. &#8230;&#8230; In other words, he claims that &#8220;zombie cigarettes&#8221; were prevalent throughout the team, rather than being an individual problem for defendant Hatsuki.
 For example, there may have been players who were regularly using &#8220;zombie cigarettes&#8221; before May &#8217;25, when &#8220;zombie cigarettes&#8221; became subject to regulation. It is highly likely that they have already talked to police officials and others about the situation within the team at that time, and even personal names have been leaked. Depending on the team&#8217;s response, more &#8220;bombshells&#8221; may follow.
 A source close to the baseball team analyzed the situation, saying, &#8220;The old system of the team is the cause of this &#8216;bombshell statement.
 The team has tremendous popularity and influence in Hiroshima, and the local press is cooperating with them. The baseball team, in order to keep the current turmoil quiet, was trying to draw the curtain by claiming that it was a personal problem for the defendant Hatsuki. However, now that the criminal trial has brought out statements implying the spread of the disease to the team, this is no longer the time to be saying such things. It seems that the baseball team was not expecting the statement of the defendant Hazuki, and they are quite upset. It is no longer possible to settle the matter quietly.
 If the entire baseball team does not work together to drain out the pus, a second or third Hatsuki defendant may be born.

 Kyodo News

 Former Hiroshima professional baseball player Ryutaro Hatsuki, 26, was charged with violating the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act by using the designated drug etomidate, also known as "zombie tobacco," at his first trial on May 15 at Hiroshima District Court.

Why only me&#8230;&#8221; Former Hiroshima defendant Ryutaro Hatsuki&#8217;s &#8220;bombshell statement&#8221; and the &#8220;two players&#8221; whose names were mentioned in the investigation

Why only me…” Former Hiroshima defendant Ryutaro Hatsuki’s “bombshell statement” and the “two players” whose names were mentioned in the investigation

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