“There’s No Way She’s My Girlfriend”: Even After timelesz’s Shuto Inomata Is Released, Fans Are Still Curious About His “Relationship” With That Woman

“Were you dating that woman?”

Shuto Inomata (25) of the eight-member idol group “timelesz,” who had been arrested on assault charges, was released on September 25 from the Tokyo Wangan Police Station, where he had been detained. As more than 50 members of the press looked on,

“I am truly sorry for what has happened!”

he apologized. He bowed his head for about 20 seconds, got into the waiting car, and drove away.

Around 10:00 p.m. on September 18, Inomata struck a woman in the face multiple times inside a car parked in the lot of a convenience store in Koto Ward, Tokyo, following an argument. The woman reportedly suffered a nosebleed and bruises on her face. She ran into the convenience store seeking help, and a customer who was present called 110.Inomata was arrested at the scene.

About a week after the incident, a settlement was reached with the woman. Initially, during police questioning, Inomata stated

“We got into an argument, and I might have hit her by accident. I panicked,”

during police questioning, but he later admitted to the charges.

Upon his release, Inomata was asked by reporters,

“Were you dating the woman?”

Inomata showed no reaction, but the nature of their relationship is essential to understanding the truth behind the incident.

“My boyfriend hit me,”

This was reported as the woman’s testimony immediately after the incident. Some of his female fans reacted strongly. On social media,

“Were they really dating?”

“There’s no way she was his girlfriend”

such opinions began to surface.

The convenience store where the incident took place is located in a business district lined with warehouses. While office workers come and go during the day, the area is sparsely populated at night. Some fans even showed up at the store at the time the incident occurred to “question” the convenience store clerk. In response to an inquiry from this website, a producer of a TV news program stated

“Immediately after the incident, we were swamped by women who didn’t seem like local residents at all. The convenience store management was concerned it might interfere with their business, so they recently decided to leave the handling of the matter entirely to headquarters,”

.

The Possibility of a “Non-Disclosure Agreement”

What fans who stumbled upon the scene are wondering is: Was there really an incident? And who is the woman he was with? Some women’s magazines have reported that Inomata and the woman were seen chatting amiably in the eat-in area of a convenience store.

“A woman believed to be an Inomata fan who approached the convenience store was probing, asking, ‘How old was the woman? What did she look like? What was she wearing?’ Another woman reportedly tried to steer the conversation, saying, ‘They don’t look like they’re dating, do they?’ and ‘It’s weird, isn’t it?’ They’re probably feeling shocked by the incident and finding it hard to believe…” (Source: a source from a news program)

While many media outlets still refer to her as a “female acquaintance,” according to a social affairs reporter for a national newspaper,

“The woman is 26 years old, the same age as Mr. Inomata. According to police sources, they ‘view her as his romantic partner.’ However, they have not disclosed any details regarding her height or physical appearance,”

. The actual content of the argument remains completely unknown.

“That’s a sensitive matter, so it hasn’t even been shared within the police department. If information were to leak carelessly and lead to a campaign to identify the woman, it could result in secondary victimization. They were strictly investigating the case as one of ‘violence against a romantic partner,’” said a reporter for a national newspaper.

Generally, when settling a case out of court, the parties agree on an apology, financial compensation, and confidentiality clauses regarding certain details. A sports newspaper reporter covering the entertainment beat said,

“I think Mr. Inomata himself will eventually issue a statement, but it’s highly likely that details regarding the woman’s identity and the content of the argument are subject to a ‘non-disclosure agreement.’ Fans’ lingering doubts may not be resolved,”

he said.

Regarding this series of incidents, a woman claiming to be the “victim” and a video purporting to show the moment of the assault have been circulating on social media. Needless to say, these are false reports. We must be careful not to be misled.