Man arrested over sexual assault of intoxicated woman at hotel

Poor girl. Many preliminary details for a JT crime story covering means, motive and opportunity.

Presumably was there so much alcohol consumption in the drinking party that she didn’t resist the abduction, much less anyone else noticed he put her in a car and drove her to another location ?

At least the good friend would be sober enough to call police about an hour later when she probably notice Mr. Rapeyasuhiro wasn’t around either.

Seems they just had to sit and wait til he returned her to her hotel as can’t imagine police were actively canvassing area hotels those 6 missing hours.

Hopefully, there will be a followup story here reflecting the amassed surveillance camera footage from all locations corroborating the story.

I really hope she presses charges and this gutless scum get a good stint in the clink!

The first two comments on this post really bother me.

1) Not all the facts have been revealed.

2) The accused has not been convicted in court or given an opportunity to defend himself.

Despite that, both comments are calling for harsh punishment. I would argue those comments should be criminal too.

In modern legal systems, people are innocent until proven guilty. Yet their comments come from a “guilty because accused perspective” and as a son of lawyer and a brother of a cop, I have a problem work that!

Let’s not jump to conclusions!

Agree with your points 1 & 2 @Chris 7:56pm: “not all facts revealed” and not yet “convicted” but “despite that”, seems you’ve become bothered for no real reason.

The first post only asks a question about the events as portrayed leading to the alleged event, speculates about the friend’s possible point of view when notifying police, and questions what police were doing for 6 hours about the reported missing person. 

If you consider the second poster’s hope for incarceration as “harsh punishment”, then you leave us curious as what exactly would You consider appropriate for a conviction for sexual assault?

@snowymountainhell if the accused is found guilty in a fair trial then yes of course he should face jail time. The extent of that time really depends on the factors of the case. I have so little info to make any judgement.

I personally feel the press should not be allowed to report on criminal cases until the outcome is set because the masses jump to conclusions without the facts. People lives have been ruined over false accusations.

Chris Today 07:56 pm JST

1) Not all the facts have been revealed.

2) The accused has not been convicted in court or given an opportunity to defend himself.

So what? That doesn't preclude having an opinion based on what we know.

Despite that, both comments are calling for harsh punishment. I would argue those comments should be criminal too.

Oh, so you advocate for censorship? Cancel Culture!

In modern legal systems, people are innocent until proven guilty. Yet their comments come from a “guilty because accused perspective” and as a son of lawyer and a brother of a cop, I have a problem work that Let’s not jump to conclusions!

If your son is a lawyer then I have no doubt he would tell you that peoples' personal opinions of guilt or innocence of cases they read about in the press have absolutely no bearing whatsoever on the actual outcome of the case.

And hey oh, my brother is also a cop. What a coincidence. Congrats to us both.

ChrisToday 10:19 pm JST

I personally feel the press should not be allowed to report on criminal cases until the outcome is set because the masses jump to conclusions without the facts. People lives have been ruined over false accusations.

I personally feel that it should be illegal for men to automatically accuse every woman who reports sexual assault of making false accusations.

Let's look at the facts:

And older man picked up a young drunk woman he did not know, then took her to a hotel and raped her. When he got caught, he pretended he was only "helping" her.

Yeah, he's guilty and I sincerely hope he will get jail time. But since this is Japan, and Japan is hopelessly misogynistic, it's more likely he will get a couple years of probation.

At least we can rest well knowing that this accusation will probably ruin his marraige and get him fired. That truly warms my heart.

Police said Yamashita has denied the charge and quoted him as saying he only put the woman in his car to “take care of her.”

And there is the likelihood the man and women engaged in consensual conduct, and the women then became embarrassed because her colleagues found out so she cried wolf.

These stories are always upsetting @Chris 10:19pm. Some posters here have concerns for the victims, others have concerns if the accused with receive due process. It’s the Japanese media and judicial system that still have significant issues on how they continue to deal both.

One thing that I got out of this story was Yamashita said he " only put the women in his car to take care of her". What he said was the truth but in a negative way, he did not lie, he take care of her but in his way. Any normal person would think if he was to only take care of her the intention would be not to take her to a love motel but take her back to her hotel safely without assaulting her. This guy has a play on words, he knew exactly what his INTENT was!

Police said Yamashita has denied the charge and quoted him as saying he only put the woman in his car to “take care of her.”

@girl_in_tokyo thank you! Your comments just made all my points about the unfairness of accused with the backing of media and social media vs. the defense.

Interesting input, Chris.

I’d just say that my brother is in finance and my sister is in healthcare but that doesn’t qualify me to comment with authority on those areas. My father was in a similar field to me but not related enough for me to comment with any authority on it.

Anyway, interesting input.

JimizoMay 6  11:56 pm JST

Interesting input, Chris. 

I’d just say that my brother is in finance and my sister is in healthcare but that doesn’t qualify me to comment with authority on those areas. My father was in a similar field to me but not related enough for me to comment with any authority on it.

Sounds like Chris had a healthy relationship with his family.

Ah, wading into treacherous waters... A woman overestimates her ability to navigate the more poisonous judgement impairing effect of Ethanol ingestion and leaves her friends in favor of the company of an older man but is capable of exiting the vehicle in a love hotel garage, walking to the elevator and to the room with NO knowledge of where she is, at which time the man 'takes advantage of her'. Perhaps. She is then returned, safely, to her friends to discover that she is now the center of a police investigation. Oops, what to do? Had she simply quietly returned to her hotel, laid down, rued her bad judgement, slept, and gotten up with no one else aware of her unwise behavior, would she herself then have called the police and advised the world of HER mistake? NOW WAIT! Before those completely inexperienced in the toxic effects of alcohol go off into the manic joy of moral outrage, the man was probably drunk also and suffering from similarly impaired neural function and behaved in a way uncharacteristic of his normally coherent, non mentally impaired behavior. Was he violent? Did he 'force' her or did she quietly submit without protest to his advances? We don't know. "In her 20's" is not a child. Again, before the accusations of 'excusing rape' reflexively and mindlessly spring forth, and the automatic assumption of virginal innocence in the character of the woman and psychopathic predatorinalness in the man, give some thought to the fallibility of Humans in general. Perhaps they BOTH made a mistake? And that mistake was compounded by the involvement of the police and the knowledge of that mistake by the woman's friends? Perhaps the mistake for both was trusting alcohol to guide their behavior? Nothing in what we know is good but presumption without evidence is the worst of all...

Innocent until found guilty please.

There is not even mention about the girl saying what happened to her.

Since the man is denying charge, what any reasonable person could conclude so far ? Nothing.

Every such article should end with my first line in a democracy.

Media is wrecking so many lives.

"Innocent until found guilty please"

At Least it does happen more in Japan, compared to that ruling country; where one can get a lead projectile in the back of the head, or back for a broken taillight, etc., or running away from a flatfoot. "wrecking so many lives."

@girl_in_toyko

I personally feel that it should be illegal for men to automatically accuse every woman who reports sexual assault of making false accusations.

I appreciate what you're trying to say, but please consider, that if you got your wish, it would be a truly awful thing. The direct result of your wish would be that any woman could accuse any man at any time of sexual assault, without evidence; and it would be illegal for the man to say "I didn't do it, she's lying".

That's not a version of our justice system that I'm comfortable with. Due process, and innocent until proven, are the ways to go.

I think the friends of the woman need to reflect carefully about their actions, leaving her intoxicated under the care of someone she did not knew before is not something anybody with common sense would be doing.

painkiller May 6 10:46 pm JST

And there is the likelihood the man and women engaged in consensual conduct, and the women then became embarrassed because her colleagues found out so she cried wolf.

Oh yes, that's perfectly plausible. A young woman, out with friends in a bar, spotted an oyaji across the room and instantly fell in lust with his flabby body and wrinkled face. Despite his cigarette-stained fingers and sake breath, she just HAD to have him, so she seduced him!

Yeah, that scenario is so common I doubt any women at all are telling the truth when they say some gross stinky old man raped them, eh?

flabby body and wrinkled face

A 50 year old equals flabby body and wrinkled face? Yep, equally plausible.

Oh yes, that's perfectly plausible. A young woman, out with friends in a bar, spotted an oyaji across the room and instantly fell in lust with his flabby body and wrinkled face. Despite his cigarette-stained fingers and sake breath, she just HAD to have him, so she seduced him

...Stinky old man

Sounds a lot like ageism and stereotyping.

Do you know the man?

MatToday 07:32 am JST

I appreciate what you're trying to say, but please consider, that if you got your wish, it would be a truly awful thing. The direct result of your wish would be that any woman could accuse any man at any time of sexual assault, without evidence; and it would be illegal for the man to say "I didn't do it, she's lying".

That's not a version of our justice system that I'm comfortable with. Due process, and innocent until proven, are the ways to go.

I don't think you've been on this site for long if you really think I was serious and not being hyperbolic as a response to a ridiculous comment.

That said, accusing women of lying about rape is a knee-jerk reaction almost all men seem to have, and it stems from deep-seated misogyny.

On the surface, this woman seems to be the "perfect" victim. She was in a vulnerable position, and was attacked and drug away by an older, stronger man who was a total stranger. But in the comments we still see men desperately trying to make up a version of reality where she is lying. That's misogyny.

And frankly, women shouldn't have to tolerate that. Yet here we are.

I suggest that instead of berating me for using sarcasm in response to rape apology, that you say something to the rape apologists instead.

The standard you walk past is the standard you accept.

Jonathan PrinToday 03:58 am JST

Innocent until found guilty please.

There is not even mention about the girl saying what happened to her.

Since the man is denying charge, what any reasonable person could conclude so far ? Nothing.

Every such article should end with my first line in a democracy.

Media is wrecking so many lives.

The media only reports the facts. There is no mention in the article about presumptions of guilt or innocence, so what you are really upset about is the comments people are making below the article.

While journalists legally have to take care not to make presumptions of innocence or guilt, individual people are not held to that standard. We don't have to be, because we don't have the power to influence the outcome of the court case. In other words, we can voice our opinions freely.

And funny that you berate the people who are saying the man is guilty, while utterly ignoring the people making accusations towards the woman in saying she is lying. Why aren't you standing up for her? Why aren't you worried that her reputation will be drug though the dirt? Why aren't you worried that all the people saying she is lying will influence the outcome of the case unfairly?

Why jump to the defense of the accused rapist, but allow accusations that the victim is lying?

Care to make a correction?

JimizoToday 09:25 am JST

Sounds a lot like ageism and stereotyping.

Do you know the man?

Oh, apologies. I wouldn't want to STEREOTYPE, now would I?

Just like you wouldn't want all women to be stereotyped as liars, amirite? Where is your post berating the people calling the woman a liar without any evidence?

Care to make a correction? Hmmm? I'll be waiting.

@girl_in_tokyo

Where is your post berating the people calling the woman a liar without any evidence?

There are no such posts in this thread.

You're not helping your case here.

Some posts are critical of decisions made that led to the event, but there's not a single post here calling the woman a liar.

No-one has made any comment about the appearance of the woman either, but you made sure to paint a picture of the man. I wonder why?

To be clear: Rape is bad. Also bad: judging all men by the standards of some criminals. If you do that, how can you complain when some men judge women by the actions of a few.

The accused rapist took the time to drive the woman to the hotel where she is staying with her friends.

Just think about that!

Does that sound like the actions of someone who just committed a crime!?

There has to be a lot more to this story than what is in this article.

@Girl in Tokyo

I will fight for any woman, ugly or silly, that would be molested.

Reading the article, haven't you noticed the man's name is all over the place.

By now he must have lost his job, his friends, perhaps his family...while not judged since he is denying the charge.

Again, you behave like a femintegrist, not a feminist like I am.

I hope all light is provided to that case but media has already made a mistake in my opinion just because friends called police because another was gone for a few hours...

If judged guilty, apply a heavy sentence that I would wish harsher in Japan for rape.

But judging does not mean black or white in all cases at all...

Example could be (very common) : the two are drunk and get to go with basic instincts.

Japanese news outlet never uses the word "rape", only "sexual assault'. How can you not love Japan? They're so big-hearted.

In modern legal systems, people are innocent until proven guilty.

You do realize, wait it's seems you don't, with this comment here, you are talking about Japan.

girl in Tokyo...The media only reports the facts.

I just spit my beer all over the keyboard! How can anyone be so naïve to actually state this openly?

I get your thoughts are jaded by your own experiences, which you have shared here with everyone, numerous times, but just because something happened, does not make all those accused guilty!

YubaruToday 04:27 pm JST

I just spit my beer all over the keyboard! How can anyone be so naïve to actually state this openly?

Take off your tinfoil hat. All I mean is that the media uses phrases such as "alleged" and doesn't use words such as "guilty." Unlike private citizens voicing opinions privately, the media have to worry about being sued.

I get your thoughts are jaded by your own experiences, which you have shared here with everyone, numerous times, but just because something happened, does not make all those accused guilty!

Again, if this is really what you men believe, then why don't you make similar comments to the men who always accuse women of lying about rape?

I will believe you believe this as soon as that starts to happen.

Jonathan PrinToday 03:08 pm JST

Example could be (very common) : the two are drunk and get to go with basic instincts.

Yeah, I'm quite sure young women fall all over themselves to sleep with oyaji.

Now I know that most men have far more confidence in their looks than is very often warranted, but let's be serious.

Jonathan PrinToday 03:05 pm JST

I will fight for any woman, ugly or silly, that would be molested.

I think the reason you feel you need to state this is to convince me of your feminist bona fides. You know what would convince me? If you actually knew the stats about false accusations and used them to point out the flaws in the arguments that men here continually make about women lying about rape.

Reading the article, haven't you noticed the man's name is all over the place.

By now he must have lost his job, his friends, perhaps his family...while not judged since he is denying the charge.

Yes, that is what happens when you rape someone. And considering that most sentences for rape are a slap on the hand, you're not going to find me feeling very sympathetic to the rapist.

>

ChrisToday 02:26 pm JST

The accused rapist took the time to drive the woman to the hotel where she is staying with her friends.

Just think about that!

Does that sound like the actions of someone who just committed a crime!?

There has to be a lot more to this story than what is in this article.

Would it surprise you that men also buy flowers for women they have raped? Seems to me you know very little about how abusers behave.

MatToday 01:49 pm JST

There are no such posts in this thread.

Some posts are critical of decisions made that led to the event, but there's not a single post here calling the woman a liar.

There are many men here voicing doubt that this woman was raped, despite the fact that false accusations are excedingly rare, and the police already had enough evidence to arrest him

No-one has made any comment about the appearance of the woman either, but you made sure to paint a picture of the man. I wonder why?

Because one of the points the men are making is that this woman wasn't raped and slept with an old man out of desire. I am not sure where the confidence of old men comes from, but far too many of you seem to think young women would chose you over some young guy with a six-pack.

To be clear: Rape is bad. Also bad: judging all men by the standards of some criminals. If you do that, how can you complain when some men judge women by the actions of a few.

Here is how I know you are not in the least sincere: you are accusing me of judging all men by the standards of some criminals, when all I have actually said is that the facts of THIS case, the one we are discussing, point to THIS man being guilty of rape. For some odd reason, whenever I comment on a particular post about a particular man in a particular case, you guys have to rush to tell me #notallmen. That says a lot.

Take off your tinfoil hat. All I mean is that the media uses phrases such as "alleged" and doesn't use words such as "guilty."

Nice try. You are the one who wrote "The media only reports the facts.", and now you BS your way through trying to justify your comments like a typical "Karen"

Again, if this is really what you men believe, then why don't you make similar comments to the men who always accuse women of lying about rape?

Nice try again "Karen", try to generalize about men, when you KNOW you find all men guilty of anything they are accused of, even without any evidence.

All are guilty, because they are reported in the media, evidence or not!

@girl in tokyo

There are many men here voicing doubt that this woman was raped, despite the fact that false accusations are excedingly rare, and the police already had enough evidence to arrest him

I thought you weren't making generalizations, but here you are talking about how false accusations are very rare.

Please point out what exactly this "evidence" is you speak of. Getting arrested is in no way an admission of guilt. Anyone can get arrested and held in custody for up to 3 weeks in Japan despite being innocent.

You say  you are accusing me of judging all men by the standards of some criminals, when all I have actually said is that the facts of THIS case, the one we are discussing, point to THIS man being guilty of rape

Not true. You just made a sweeping generalization above. You also wrote:

If you actually knew the stats about false accusations and used them to point out the flaws in the arguments that men here continually make about women lying about rape.

You bring up general statistics into this again which has nothing to do with THIS particular case which you claim you were arguing about.

But then you also say:

 I am not sure where the confidence of old men comes from, but far too many of you seem to think young women would chose you over some young guy with a six-pack.

Just what does "old men" have to do with this particular case? If you're going to talk about this particular case then stop making generalizations about men, their appearance or their age. For the record, I know several men who are in their 40s or 50s and are successful with women younger than them. Nothing at all to do with age or looks, but everything to do with charisma, life experience, and the ability to relate to women on a deeper level. I also know young women who prefer older men for just that reason, but also for their money. To each their own.

The point is, unless a proper investigation takes place in this case, we don't know much about what happened beyond this article. Maybe the woman liked the guy and they had consensual sex but her friends didn't know about it, or maybe not. Maybe he did assault her. We simply don't know and can't judge at this point.