“Drunk Every Night”: Corporate Badminton Player Commits Indecent Act Against Woman in Her 20s on the Street… The Consequences of “Drunken Misconduct”

He followed the woman for as much as 600 meters…

Around 9:30 a.m. on June 12, a young man appeared at the front of the line of suspects being transferred from the Tachikawa Police Station of the Metropolitan Police Department. He likely didn’t want his face photographed.While the other suspects walked normally, he was the only one walking with his head down the entire time. His pace was slow, and the man walking behind him looked slightly puzzled. The sight of the young man walking so slowly made him appear to be deeply shocked by his own irreversible actions—.

On June 10, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department arrested Ryo Fujisawa (25), a player for the “JR East Morioka” corporate badminton team from Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, on suspicion of non-consensual indecent assault.

“Suspect Fujisawa is suspected of hugging and kissing a woman in her 20s whom he did not know on a street in Tachikawa, Tokyo, on the night of February 13.

On that day, Fujisawa was in Tachikawa for a match. Around 11:30 p.m., as the woman was walking home alone, Fujisawa reportedly approached her and said, ‘Let’s go for a drink.’ The woman refused, but he would not listen and followed her for about 20 minutes over a distance of 600 meters.

Security camera footage reportedly captured Fujisawa harassing the woman, hugging her, and kissing her four times. The incident came to light the following day when the woman reported it to the police, and an investigation was launched.

During questioning, Suspect Fujisawa denied the allegations, stating, “I don’t remember,” but also reportedly said, “I was getting drunk every night while I was staying in Tokyo, so I can’t say for certain that I didn’t do it.” The woman also stated that she “smelled alcohol” on Suspect Fujisawa.

At the time of the incident, the “S/J League III 2025 Season” badminton tournament was being held in Tachikawa City. What kind of tournament is this?

Was this a case of “getting drunk every night”?

“This is Division III of the S/J League—Japan’s top corporate badminton league, which traces its roots back to the Japan League. While the top-tier S/J League features 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams, and Division II has 8 men’s and 8 women’s teams, Division III this year saw 44 men’s and 6 women’s teams competing for a single chance each year to earn promotion.

The men’s Division III is further divided into Division I (16 teams) and Division II (28 teams). ‘JR East Morioka’ was promoted to Division I in the ’23 season and was in a position to aim for promotion to Division II. Unfortunately, they finished in 9th place this year,” (Sports Writer)

The tournament was held from the 13th to the 15th, which means the suspect, Fujisawa, committed the crime on the evening of the first day.

“On the 13th, when the incident occurred, the preliminary round was underway, and since Suspect Fujisawa’s team was in third place, it was already certain they would not advance to the championship match.However, with promotion/relegation matches against Division II teams scheduled for the 14th and 15th, it surely wasn’t a time for them to let their guard down. That said, since Suspect Fujisawa reportedly ‘got drunk every night,’ it’s possible he wasn’t even playing in the matches to begin with…

Many fans say they like Division III games because the stands are so close to the field. Even though it’s Division III, the participating players are all people who have competed in high school and college—there are plenty of players with experience in the Intercollegiate Championships and the National High School Championships—so they say the games are quite entertaining to watch.

“Suspect Fujisawa was also a player who had been active in his local area since high school, but if this scandal ends up having a major impact on his athletic career, he’ll surely be left with regrets,” (ibid.)

The JR East branch office reportedly stated , “We are currently investigating the matter and therefore refrain from commenting.”

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