[Exclusive] Betrayal by an “Ally of Sexual Assault Victims”… Former Attorney Manabu Kishimoto Arrested; Indictment Reveals How He Embezzled Settlement Funds
“Additional charges” totaling over 13 million yen
News of the former lawyer’s arrest by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is sending shockwaves through society.
On June 17, Manabu Kishimoto (52), a former lawyer from Ebina City, Kanagawa Prefecture, was arrested on suspicion of embezzlement in the course of business.
“According to sources close to the investigation, Kishimoto is suspected of having been retained by a female victim of a voyeurism incident to negotiate a settlement with the perpetrator. He is alleged to have failed to pass on the 300,000 yen settlement payment he received in March ’23 to the victim, instead using the funds to repay his own mortgage and for other personal expenses.The case came to light after the woman, suspicious that the settlement money had not been transferred and that she could not contact him, consulted the police.
Suspect Kishimoto was widely known as an “expert in supporting victims of sexual crimes such as groping and voyeurism,” having appeared in multiple media outlets in the past and published a legal guidebook for women titled *Otome Rokuhō* (co-authored with Sakura Kamitani; KADOKAWA).“He even served on a committee regarding crime victims at the First Tokyo Bar Association, and it appears the victim in this case learned of his background online and, trusting him completely, entrusted him with the settlement negotiations,” said a reporter from the social affairs section of a national newspaper.
However, suspect Kishimoto’s crimes did not end there.
In fact, it appears he had repeatedly embezzled (failed to deliver) settlement funds in cases like this one on numerous occasions. As a result, on May 23, ’25, Kishimoto received the most severe disciplinary action—expulsion—from the First Tokyo Bar Association, to which he belonged.
A press release issued by the bar association on its official website that same day outlined the reasons for the disciplinary action as follows:
Over the course of approximately one year starting in April ’22, he handled settlement negotiations for 11 clients—in which he successfully reached settlements but failed to deliver the settlement funds to them. The total amount of settlement funds paid by the perpetrators amounted to 13.16 million yen. He failed to hand over any of these funds to his clients.Separately, he was in arrears on Bar Association dues and other fees totaling 423,500 yen. Furthermore, his conduct—including making inappropriate posts on social media and failing to even report a change of his law office’s address—departed from the ethical standards expected of a lawyer.
Numerous Excuses to Delay Payment of Settlement Funds
So, how did he manage to deceive multiple victims and continue embezzling their money? FRIDAY Digital obtained the complaint and case records from a civil lawsuit unrelated to this arrest. These documents detailed his modus operandi and the numerous excuses he used.
The lawsuit was filed by Plaintiff A, a woman who had suffered sexual assault in the past and was deeply traumatized. Around December 2021, Ms. A entrusted suspect Kishimoto with settlement negotiations for the case.
On April 1, 2022, a settlement of 4 million yen was reached with the perpetrator’s side. Suspect Kishimoto had received the full amount of 4 million yen from the perpetrator’s attorney by the following day at the latest, and it was supposed to be promptly transferred to Ms. A’s bank account.
However, even after 10 months had passed since the funds were received, Ms. A had not been paid a single yen. After repeatedly urging him to make the transfer, Suspect Kishimoto continued to send a series of messages offering “excuses.”
“We will now proceed with the termination procedures for the Japan Federation of Bar Associations’ assistance program, and we will contact you as soon as a decision on termination is made.” (From the complaint. All text within 〈〉 below is from the same source.)
“I believe the review for closure is taking longer because the amount involved is large.”
Initially, he used the public assistance program as a shield, explaining that the review was taking time. However, as several months passed, his excuses gradually shifted toward shifting the blame.
“It has come to light that, due to an error on our part, the Japan Federation of Bar Associations’ termination report has not been submitted.” (June ’22)
〈It appears we did not receive the notification via fax〉 (August ’22)
Then, starting in August ’22, they began repeatedly citing their own “poor health” as the reason.
“I am currently experiencing ongoing physical and mental health issues, and it is very difficult for me to move around (Editor’s note: as written in the original). I hope to complete the remittance procedures by next week.” (August ’22)
〈I am truly sorry that I have been unable to respond due to my ongoing poor health. Regarding the remittance, I will definitely arrange it by the end of this week, or by next week at the latest〉 (November ’22)
The Office Closure and the End of the “Escape Drama”
Starting in November 2022, suspect Kishimoto began ignoring communications from Mr. A.He also failed to submit a written response to the dispute mediation (Editor’s Note: A mechanism in which, when a dispute arises between a client and a “professional” such as a lawyer, tax accountant, judicial scrivener, or administrative scrivener, a committee established within the professional association intervenes to seek a resolution through discussion) that Mr. A initiated with the Bar Association after retaining a different attorney, and he did not appear on the scheduled date.
Having given up on direct negotiations, Mr. A filed a civil lawsuit on February 2, ’23. During the subsequent court service of process, it was discovered that the “Mise-baya General Law Office” in Shimbashi, Minato Ward—where Kishimoto was based—had closed as of March 31, ’23.
Although service of the complaint was finally completed in May ’23 following an address investigation by Mr. A’s side, Suspect Kishimoto did not appear at the first hearing on June 19, ’23.
In Japanese civil courts, if a defendant fails to file a prior written response and is absent from the hearing, the plaintiff’s claims are automatically upheld.In this case as well, on July 3, 2023—just two weeks after the first hearing—a judgment was handed down ordering Suspect Kishimoto to pay 4 million yen plus late payment damages at an annual rate of 3%.
In a statement released following this arrest, Nobuhiro Oka, President of the First Tokyo Bar Association, said:
“To nip the seeds of misconduct in the bud at an early stage, we will expand the functions of our citizen consultation desk, continue our efforts to eradicate misconduct, and take strict measures. We will strive to further enhance legal ethics among our members, and our association is committed to doing everything in its power to ensure the public’s trust in attorneys.”
stated his position.
Did the lawyer betray the trust of victims of sexual crimes who were trying to move forward with their lives, and did the embezzled settlement money vanish into a mortgage? While there is an urgent need to fully uncover the facts through the investigation, it will likely take a long time for the double trauma suffered by the victims to heal.