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| STARTO Idol Richard Keita Kusama Taken Into Custody in Shinjuku Incident |
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police confirmed on 4 October that Richard Keita Kusama, 29, a member of idol unit Aぇ! group under STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, had been arrested in Shinjuku on suspicion of public indecency.
According to investigators, the incident allegedly took place at around 5:30 a.m. near the entrance of a building in Shinjuku.
Richard Keita Kusama is said to have exposed his lower body in the area while reportedly under the influence of alcohol.
A passer-by in his 30s spotted what happened and immediately contacted the police.
Officers arrived on the scene and arrested Kusama shortly afterwards.
Authorities have so far declined to confirm whether the singer has admitted to the allegation or denied involvement.
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Kusama has been active in Aぇ! group, a five-member Kansai-based unit within STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, appearing in music programmes, variety shows and even dramas.
His arrest, however, has already had an impact on the group’s activities.
On the evening of 4 October, streaming platform TVer issued a notice that the latest episode of Aぇ! group no Q＆Aぇ! (which aired on Fuji TV just the day before) had been pulled from distribution “due to circumstances”.
While the platform did not directly mention the arrest, the timing strongly suggests a connection.
Agency Response
When approached for comment, STARTO ENTERTAINMENT said only that they are “currently confirming the facts of the matter”.
No further statement has yet been made about Kusama’s future with the group or any disciplinary action.
The arrest has sparked widespread chatter online, with many fans expressing shock and disappointment.
Others are awaiting a more formal statement from the agency before drawing conclusions.
For now, Kusama remains under investigation as police continue to piece together the full details of the early morning incident.
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