Unprecedented Scandal!? Suspect Shuto Inomata Accused of Striking an Acquaintance Several Times—Past Warning Signs Emerge
“My boyfriend hit me”
Shortly after 9 a.m. on September 20, as torrential rain fell due to an approaching typhoon, a police transport vehicle emerged from the Wangan Police Station of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, with members of the press waiting outside. A faint figure could be seen in the back seat: 25-year-old Shuto Inomata, a member of “timelesz.” Seen through the wire mesh, he was wearing a mask and looking down, appearing almost like a completely different person from the performer who normally stands in the spotlight on glamorous stages.
On September 19, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department arrested Inomata on suspicion of causing injury to a 26-year-old female acquaintance.
“At around 10:30 p.m. on September 18, he allegedly struck the woman, who was riding with him, multiple times in the face with his hand inside a car parked in the parking lot of a convenience store in Tatsumi, Koto Ward, Tokyo, causing her injuries. At the time, only Inomata and the woman were reportedly inside the vehicle.
The woman was bleeding from her nose. After being assaulted, she got out of the car and fled into the convenience store, where she sought help, saying, ‘My boyfriend hit me.’ The incident came to light when a customer who was there called 110, reporting, ‘A woman is bleeding. She says she wants the police called.’
In response to questioning, Inomata reportedly stated, ‘We got into an argument and I panicked. I may have accidentally hit her,’ and is denying the allegations.” (National newspaper crime reporter)
STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, Inomata’s management agency, issued a statement on its official website on the 19th, announcing that Inomata would be placed on disciplinary suspension for the time being and would suspend his activities.
“Once the authorities’ disposition has been finalized, we will formally determine and announce Inomata’s disciplinary action. We sincerely apologize for causing significant trouble and concern to our fans and everyone involved.”
“I’m starting to feel like I want to leave soon”
Inomata was one of the five new members selected through “timelesz project” (commonly known as “Taipro”), a new-member audition announced on May 1, 2024, and held through February of the following year. The project was launched after Kento Nakajima’s departure left “Sexy Zone” with three members, prompting the group to change its name to timeleszand pursue even greater growth. The audition process was released as a series on Netflix and generated a huge response. However, not all of that reaction was necessarily positive.
“Until then, talents who debuted under the former Johnny & Associates system generally did so after spending many years working their way up as Juniors, so openly recruiting new members through an audition was unprecedented. Some fans pushed back against bringing in outsiders with no experience as Juniors and making them members of a group with more than 10 years of history.
Of the five new members, Takuto Teranishi (31) and Yoshitaka Hara (30) had already been active since the former Johnny & Associates era. However, that wasn’t the case for Masaki Hashimoto (26), Taiki Shinozuka (24), and Inomata. They were mocked as amateurs or ordinary people, and faced considerable hostility. Inomata has received similar criticism following this incident. Considering that even romantic-scoop reports involving STARTO talents can draw criticism, the fact that he has now been arrested in an incident involving a woman is obviously going to attract even more scrutiny.” (Entertainment writer)
Within the group, Inomata was affectionately regarded as the natural airhead character, while “Taipro” also showed his hardworking side. Looking back, however, there appear to have been some troubling episodes as well.
“Last June, it was revealed on a variety show he appeared on with Hashimoto and Shinozuka that there was a LINE group where Hara, who was their senior in the entertainment industry, would give various pieces of advice to the three members, who had relatively little experience in the industry. During the show, Inomata bluntly said, ‘I’m starting to feel like I want to leave soon.’ The MC immediately joked, ‘Don’t leave! Your senior is teaching you all sorts of things!’ and the moment ended with everyone laughing. He probably meant it as a joke, but now that he has been involved in an incident like this, those remarks are likely to stir up controversy again.”
There have been several scandals involving former Johnny & Associates talents that resulted in police involvement, dating back to the agency’s former era. However, an incident involving an alleged injury is unprecedented. Inomata is currently under a provisional suspension, but depending on the prosecutors’ decision, he could potentially face more severe disciplinary action. Attention is now focused on the direction of the investigation.
PHOTO： Shinji Hasuo