“I’ll Never Drink Again. I’ll Never Drive Again”: Elecashi Drummer Receives Suspended Sentence for Drunk-Driving Crash

“I kept drinking in secret from my family”

The trial of Yoshiyuki Tominaga (60), drummer of the rock band “Elephant Kashimashi,” who was charged with violating the Road Traffic Act, was held at the Tokyo District Court on August 31.

“On October 4 last year, Defendant Tominaga drank alcohol in the parking lot of his home and then drove himself to work. At around 1 p.m., he was involved in an accident on a road in Ariake, Koto Ward, when he collided with a two-wheeled vehicle traveling in front of him. A dashcam also recorded him hitting a guardrail and a sign immediately before the accident. An alcohol test detected 0.84 grams of alcohol per liter of breath, indicating that he was considerably intoxicated.” (A judicial affairs reporter for a national newspaper)

Although the collision was not reported by the media, “Elephants Co., Ltd.” announced the incident itself on its official website:

“An incident occurred in which Yoshiyuki Tominaga was arrested for violating the Road Traffic Act after causing a collision while driving under the influence of alcohol.”

The company continued:

“Taking this matter very seriously, and also in accordance with his wishes, we will hold the scheduled ‘Ore to, Tomodachi’ performance at Shimokitazawa SHELTER on Wednesday, October 8, but Tominaga will refrain from appearing at the performance.”

Tominaga subsequently went on hiatus from his activities, but on this day, he appeared in court and spoke about what happened on the day of the accident.

Tominaga appeared in court wearing a gray suit and black tie. He stood at the witness stand with a solemn expression. When asked by the judge about his occupation, he answered, “I’m a drummer in a band,” and acknowledged the charges, saying, “There is no mistake.”

His common-law wife, who appeared as a character witness, revealed:

“He likes alcohol and has had health problems because of it. The results of his medical examination a month earlier were also not good, and his doctor had told him to stop drinking. With stress and personal emotional burdens piling up, he continued drinking in secret from his family.”

She said that she now accompanies him to his clinic appointments and stated that she would support him.

Next, Tominaga was questioned by his attorney. When asked how he felt about the situation now, he apologized, saying, “I feel terribly sorry for causing trouble to the victim, the people involved, my family, and so many others.” He added, “My appearances were called off, and [my period of suspension] has continued until now,” and said that a settlement had been reached with the victim.

To ensure that he would never cause another accident, he repeatedly expressed his remorse:

“I promise that I will never drink alcohol again, and I will never drive a car again.”

“I think I drank because I was being self-indulgent.”

However, the prosecution put forward a series of tough questions. Tominaga reportedly avoided drinking inside his home because his family would worry about him, and instead began drinking in the parking lot after returning home. The prosecution questioned whether he had developed a drinking habit and repeatedly asked him about his alcohol consumption. Below is the question-and-answer exchange.

Prosecutor: “Did you feel that you were drunk (on the day of the accident)?”

Tominaga: “Not that I was aware of.”

Prosecutor: “Didn’t you think it would be dangerous (to drive)?”

Tominaga: “I think I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

Prosecutor: “You were heading to your workplace, correct?”

Tominaga: “I wasn’t thinking about that at the time.”

Prosecutor: “Had you ever driven under the influence of alcohol before?”

Tominaga: “I believe it was the first time.”

Prosecutor: “Why did you drink alcohol (when you were going to work)?”

Tominaga: “There was a concert coming up soon, and I think I drank because I was being self-indulgent.”

The judge then began asking questions. When Tominaga was asked, “What do you mean when you say you drank because the concert was coming up?”, he replied:

“There were a lot of things I had to memorize, and I felt that I needed to practice.”

When asked whether he hoped to resume his activities, he answered, “Yes.” When asked, “Won’t you want to drink alcohol when you’re working?”, he responded:

“I want to move forward with my activities without having anything to do with alcohol, dealing with things on my own. I will devote myself to my work. I want to make an effort while keeping my family in mind.”

The verdict was also handed down that same day, with Tominaga receiving five months’ imprisonment, suspended for three years. Tominaga, who expressed remorse and vowed to make a fresh start, may find that giving up alcohol and returning to the stage once again is his greatest form of atonement.