“Why Did You Bring That Up?” Nijiro Murakami: Agency’s “Misstep” in Comment Revealing Girlfriend’s “Problematic Behavior”

A sensitive issue between lovers

It has been revealed that popular young actor Nijiro Murakami (29) was referred to prosecutors by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of assaulting his former girlfriend. According to investigative sources, he is suspected of grabbing the hair of a woman he was dating at the time and slamming her head against a window, as well as punching her in the face, on a total of four occasions between March and May 2024 at his home in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo.

The woman sustained serious injuries requiring more than a month to heal. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department had been investigating the case after receiving a report from the victim earlier this year. During a voluntary interview, Murakami

“There is no doubt that I caused her injuries,”

.

Upon hearing the news, Murakami posted an update on Instagram on June 28, stating

“I am deeply sorry for causing great concern and inconvenience to those involved and to all my fans,”

.

“For the sake of everyone who cares about me, I hope to be able to speak about what happened at that time in my own words in the near future,”

she continued.

Before Murakami issued his own statement, his agency explained to some media outlets that he had been involved in a dispute with a woman regarding their relationship.

“It is said that his words and actions became excessive when he tried to stop the woman’s problematic behavior,”

They presented the view that because the woman engaged in “problematic behavior,” Murakami resorted to “excessive words and actions” in an attempt to stop her.

In response, a sports newspaper entertainment reporter commented:

“Even though Mr. Murakami and his agency discussed the matter, why did they bring up ‘that’ point? I think it was a bad move to issue a statement that implied the woman also had some responsibility. Since this is a highly sensitive issue between lovers, but they cited it as the reason for the assault, Mr. Murakami is now being required to explain the circumstances that led to this situation,”

If the statement was released without the woman’s consent,

“it could lead to the trouble flaring up again later,” (the same sports newspaper reporter)

he adds.

It was announced in March 2023 that Murakami would be taking a break due to physical and mental health issues. Since he resumed activities in 2025, this suggests the incident occurred during his hiatus. A source at a TV news program stated

“The woman involved is said to be a member of the general public. It’s quite rare to see serious injuries requiring more than a month to heal. We don’t know what Mr. Murakami’s mental state was like during his leave of absence, nor is it clear why an incident from two years ago has come to light this year,”

said a source from a TV network’s news program.

Concerned about “riding on his parents’ coattails”

Murakami’s father is actor Jun Murakami, and his mother is singer UA. As an actor, he won the Best Supporting Actor Award at the 45th Japan Academy Film Awards for his role in the 2021 film *Blood of the Lonely Wolf: LEVEL 2*.He has also appeared in many high-profile productions, such as the 2021 NHK morning drama *Kamkam Everybody* and the Netflix series *Alice in Borderland*. An executive at an entertainment agency familiar with Murakami told this website,

“He was concerned about being seen as just ‘riding on his parents’ coattails,’ but his natural acting was well-received. On set, he wasn’t the type to stand out in a negative way; he was considerate of those around him and adapted to the atmosphere of the moment. Given that he undoubtedly had talent as an actor, it’s truly a shame,”

the executive said.

Following his referral for prosecution, the TV Tokyo anthology drama *Strange: Junji Ito’s Sleepless, Bizarre Tales*, scheduled to air on July 4, has been postponed from both broadcast and streaming. Regardless of the reason, violence against women should never be tolerated.

The entertainment industry is a cruel world where “there are plenty of replacements.” For the time being, Murakami’s name is unlikely to come up in casting meetings.

His future as a “gamer”—a role he has been focusing on alongside his acting career—is also uncertain.

Murakami streams games under the name “senju” and was appointed CBO of the esports team “UNLIMIT” last June. In response to the incident, UNLIMIT posted on X:

“We take this matter very seriously, and until his agency completes its investigation into the facts, we will activities as UNLIMIT’s CBO will be temporarily suspended,”

on X.

“For Murakami, his activities as a gamer served as a sort of ‘stabilizer.’ He was also launching a fashion brand, and just as things were about to take off… this unexpected scandal came to light. I think he himself is the most shocked of all,”

said a person familiar with Murakami.

Consequently, this website contacted Murakami’s agency to inquire about their intent in hinting at the woman’s “problematic behavior” in their statement, as well as whether there would be a penalty for postponing the drama’s broadcast, but received no response by the deadline.

This controversy leaves only unresolved questions. It is hoped that Murakami will hold a press conference with a Q&A session rather than issuing a one-sided statement, but will that actually happen?