Man arrested for allegedly assaulting entertainer Haruna Kojima on the street in Tokyo

TOKYO — A man in his 40s who allegedly pushed Japanese entertainer Haruna Kojima onto the street in the capital’s Shibuya district on Oct. 28 has been arrested on suspicion of assault, investigative sources said.

Kojima, a former member of the pop group AKB48, was not injured in the incident, which occurred near the Shibuya Scramble Crossing shortly after 9 p.m. on October 28.

The man, who was arrested on the spot by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) police station in Shibuya, is suspected of grabbing Kojima’s arm and pushing her down. He has reportedly admitted to the charges. Kojima had attended an event in the Shibuya district and was allegedly attacked as she left the venue.

According to investigative sources, an employee of Kojima’s office told MPD in early August that “a radical fan keeps showing up at every event.” The fan is said to be a foreign student from Taiwan. The MPD believes this is the same person who was arrested and continues to investigate the case.

(Japanese original by Ayumu Iwasaki, Tokyo City News Department)