Former Hawks Player Gets 16-Year Prison Sentence for Sexually Assaulting 10 Women

Sentenced to 16 years in prison

“I have committed crimes many times, but I have a goal of becoming a better person. I am confident that I have achieved every goal I have ever set for myself, so I never want to commit another crime.”

Perhaps driven by the confidence he gained from making it to the professional level in baseball, defendant Hayato Mishima, 44, expressed his determination to rehabilitate himself during the trial.

On October 22, the Yokohama District Court handed down its verdict in the case of former Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks player Mishima (formerly known as Donoue during his time with the Hawks), who was charged with non-consensual sexual intercourse and other offenses involving 10 women. Presiding Judge Takuo Sato stated that there were no circumstances warranting sympathy in the motives or circumstances behind any of the offenses, and sentenced him to 16 years in prison, against a prosecution demand of 18 years.

Mishima was charged with nine offenses, including non-consensual sexual intercourse, attempted non-consensual sexual intercourse, intimidation, and assault, involving 10 women in their teens and twenties, identified as Victims A through J in the order they were indicted.

During the trial, he partially denied the charges involving Victims A and I and pleaded not guilty to the charges involving Victim J. However, the court did not accept most of his claims in its ruling that day.

Victim A, who was 18 at the time, was attacked in April 2025. One night, as she was walking home, Mishima suddenly approached her from behind, covered her mouth, and threatened, “If you make a sound, I’ll kill you.” He then punched her in the stomach, groped her chest over her clothing, and fled.

Mishima gave the following account of his encounter with Victim A:

“I was stopped at an intersection when I noticed a woman walking from the right staring intensely at me, and our eyes met. She continued looking at me without turning away, so I wondered why she was staring. I felt like saying something to her, so I made a U-turn and followed her in my car.”

He admitted to following A and punching her in the stomach, but insisted that “I never said, ‘If you make a sound, I’ll kill you,’ nor did I commit any lewd act such as touching her chest.”

The case in which he pleaded not guilty

Meanwhile, Victim A recalled seeing a large vehicle making a U-turn while she was on her way home, but said she had no memory of seeing the person inside. She testified that as she continued walking home, she heard footsteps approaching from behind. A man dressed entirely in black, with his face concealed by a hood and mask, suddenly appeared, prompting her to scream.

Victim I, who was 20 at the time, was also attacked in April.

While riding her bicycle home, I nearly collided with a scooter driven by Mishima. After noticing that the scooter had made a U-turn and was following her, I got off her bicycle, turned off its light, and tried to make her way home while hiding in parking lots. However, Mishima, who had been lying in wait, eventually caught up with her.

Mishima allegedly put his arm around I’s shoulders while threatening, “Do you want to get stabbed?” He then held her chin and attempted to put his finger inside her mouth. When I resisted, he struck her once on the right cheek with the back of his hand and punched her once in the stomach before fleeing.

According to Mishima, “She nearly collided with me, but showed no remorse or apology. I felt she was being defiant, so I followed her.” He also claimed that “Even when I asked her, ‘Do you realize what you did wrong?’ all she said was, ‘What? What did I do?’” He admitted to hitting her face and stomach but denied threatening her with the words, “Do you want to get stabbed?”

Victim J, who was 22 at the time, was attacked in May. While taking a walk inside a public facility, J was approached by Mishima, who asked, “Can I pass through here?”

When she replied, “Yes, you can,” Mishima continued speaking to her, saying, “I know you, don’t I?” He then allegedly tried to lure her toward a nearby park, saying, “I have an acquaintance at the park.”

Sensing danger, J attempted to walk away quickly, but Mishima suddenly grabbed her left arm. When she screamed, he released her, allowing her to flee and call emergency services at 110.

Mishima admitted speaking to J but denied grabbing her arm, maintaining that he was not guilty of assault in this case.

Presiding Judge Sato explained the court’s findings regarding the offenses involving the three women.

Regarding Victim A, the judge stated that A’s testimony is credible overall and that her account of having her chest touched has remained consistent. He concluded that it is reasonable to believe that the defendant left the scene after achieving his lewd objective of touching A’s chest. The court therefore found that the defendant committed assault, intimidation, and an indecent act by covering A’s mouth with his hand.

Regarding Victim J, the judge noted that J immediately called 110 after the incident and reported that her arm had been grabbed, suggesting that there were circumstances supporting her account. The court consequently concluded that an act of assault occurred in the incident involving J, rejecting Mishima’s claims in this case as well.

However, regarding Victim I, the judge pointed out that immediately after the incident, she had only reported that she had been hit.

The judge reasoned that “I may have panicked out of fear after suddenly being pursued by a motorcycle. Although there is no reason to believe that I deliberately lied, reasonable doubt remains as to whether the defendant definitely said, ‘Do you want to get stabbed?’”

Of the assault and intimidation charges involving Victim I, the court therefore found only the assault charge to be established as fact.

“I want to become a man who can support crime victims”

In explaining the verdict, Presiding Judge Sato noted that Mishima had previously been convicted twice: in 2005 for indecent assault resulting in injury, and in 2013 for indecent assault.

The judge firmly stated, “Given that he has repeatedly committed similar offenses without learning from his past mistakes or rehabilitating himself, it is difficult to believe that he had any sense of guilt at the time of these crimes.”

Appearing in court that day in a navy suit and white shirt, without a tie, Mishima did little more than nod slightly several times as Judge Sato explained the reasons behind the verdict.

Victim impact statements read aloud during earlier hearings revealed how drastically the women’s lives had changed after the incidents. They said things such as “I still cannot walk past the place where it happened,” “I can no longer walk alone at night,” and “I have become afraid whenever a man approaches me.” Some victims and their families even moved away to avoid being reminded of the incidents. During witness testimony, some victims became tearful, occasionally forcing the court to take a recess.

Although Mishima offered apologies to his victims, he repeatedly cited an entirely unrelated reason for his crimes, claiming that “I began viewing women as enemies because of the violence I suffered from my ex-wife.”

At times, he struggled to speak and wiped his eyes with his right arm, even breaking down in tears as he described his own suffering.

“When I’m alone and look at my arm, I can still see some of the scars my wife left behind. Every time I see them, I remember what happened.”

In his final statement, Mishima apologized to the victims and promised to undergo treatment through a program supervised by medical specialists. He declared, “I want to become a man who can support crime victims.”

However, even then, he revealed his lingering resentment toward his ex-wife, saying, “(After being released) I’ll have to earn a living myself, so I’ll go back to my previous job, which my former partner used to call bottom-of-the-barrel work.”

Unless he appeals the ruling, Mishima will now begin serving his sentence. Over the course of his 16-year prison term, will he be able to overcome his hostility toward women and finally achieve the goal he spoke so confidently about: becoming a better person?