“timelesz”: “WEST.” Disbands Following Shuto Inomata’s Assault Case… “STARTO” Rocked by the News

What Is Happening at “STARTO” Right Now?

“When the audition project ‘timelesz project’ began in ’24, critical opinions emerged within STARTO ENTERTAINMENT (hereinafter referred to as STARTO) suggesting, ‘If they debut without going through the traditional junior system, won’t they lack the awareness of being a “Johnny’s idol”?’In light of this incident, voices are now saying, ‘We told you so’” (a STARTO source).

A shockwave is rippling through the idol empire that has long dominated the Japanese entertainment industry.

On September 19, Shuto Inomata (25), a member of the idol group “timelesz,” was arrested on suspicion of assault. As is well known, five days later, on September 24, it was announced that “WEST.”, a senior group, would be disbanding.

“Inomata was arrested on September 18 for allegedly striking a female acquaintance inside a car parked in the lot of a convenience store in Koto Ward, Tokyo. The victim is a woman one year his senior who claims she was in a relationship with Inomata.Initially, his detention was prolonged because she kept changing her mind about whether or not to file a police report, but ultimately, an out-of-court settlement was reached, and Inomata was released on September 25,” said a reporter from the crime desk of a national newspaper.

On the day of his arrest, STARTO promptly announced that Inomata would be suspending his activities. His exclusive contract was also terminated effective September 30.

On August 9, Daiki Shigeoka (34) and Takahiro Hamada (37) of “WEST.” jointly announced their marriages. Then, on the 30th of the same month, Ryusei Fujii (33) and Nozomi Kotaki (30) announced their departure from the group.While some viewed the dual marriages of Shigeoka and Hamada as the trigger for the group’s disbandment, a record label executive shook his head.

“It’s said that discussions regarding a disbandment had already been underway as of last year. The catalyst was Terufumi Kiriyama’s (37) marriage announcement in January 2025. At that time, Kiriyama closed the comment section on his social media accounts and was spotted enjoying his honeymoon without disguising himself, leading to the members facing intense backlash from fans.

At that point, a rift had already formed between Fujii and Kotaki—who wanted to prioritize the group’s activities—and the remaining five members, who also wanted to value their private lives. From last year through this year, agency staff gathered the members and tried to persuade them that ‘they shouldn’t disband,’ but the seven members were never able to see eye to eye.”

The October 2 issue of *FRIDAY* (October 16 edition) and the paid version, *FRIDAY GOLD*, feature a detailed report on the reinstatement of the former “Empress,” Julie Keiko Fujishima (60). The issue also includes a written response from STARTO Co., Ltd. to this magazine’s inquiries.

From the October 16, 2026 issue of *FRIDAY*