Suspect Kensuke Nakamoto is transported from Shibuya Police Station on March 5.
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Tokyo police have arrested a chief director at public broadcaster NHK on suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman.
Kensuke Nakamoto, 50, of Meguro Ward, was taken into custody by Shibuya Police Station on charges of sexual assault. He has partially denied the allegations, saying, "It is not true that I forced her."
According to investigators, the incident occurred around 2:15 PM on March 4 in Shibuya Ward. Nakamoto allegedly approached an unknown woman in her 20s on the street, threatened her by claiming he was carrying a dangerous object. He then led her into a nearby building where he assaulted her on a stairwell landing out of public view before fleeing the scene by bicycle.
The woman reported the assault at a nearby police box, and security footage helped investigators identify Nakamoto as a suspect. Police say they have also received reports of similar incidents from other women and are looking into possible links to the suspect.
NHK Apologizes
Following the arrest of Nakamoto, NHK held a press conference on March 6. The conference was attended by executive board member Hanako Yasuho and Ryosuke Matsumoto, head of the NHK Sports Center where Nakamoto worked.
Opening the conference, Yasuho stated, "The arrest of one of our employees is extremely serious and deeply regrettable. We sincerely apologize to the person who was harmed and to all our viewers. We will promptly confirm the facts and respond with strict and appropriate measures."
Career at NHK
Nakamoto works at NHK's Sports Information Program Department, where he produces sports content. After the alleged assault at around 2:15 PM on March 4, which was his day off, he reportedly came into the office and continued editing work.
The suspect joined NHK in 2000 and spent most of his career in sports broadcasting. He had been involved in work related to the 2026 Winter Olympics and was reportedly still working on those duties as recently as March 4, the day before his arrest.
At the press conference, Yasuho described his actions as "an unacceptable act that violates the victim's human rights." Matsumoto stated, "We feel a deep sense of responsibility and sincerely apologize to the victim for the serious incident caused by one of our directors."
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Author: The Sankei Shimbun
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