On October 7, Shinji Saito, 41, of the comedy trio Jungle Pocket was sent to prosecution by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department for sexually assaulting a woman in her 20’s on a shuttle bus.
According to investigators, he is suspected of sexually assaulting a woman in her 20’s on a production van stopped in Shinjuku, Tokyo. At the time, there were only two people in the car, and the Police Department, after being consulted by the victim, asked her about the situation.
Upon investigation, Saito admitted to the charges and stated that he regretted causing trouble to her and her family due to his thoughtless act. The woman said that she would never forgive him.
Saito announced on September 20 on his office’s website that he was suspending his activities due to health reasons.
A person who knows him said that before the incident became public, he heard that Saito was fired from his office and would retire from showbiz.
His wife, Saori Seto’s Instagram also show a change. The last post suggesting Saito’s presence was on August 4. Since then, she has been emphasizing that she is alone, or with her only son, aged four, in posts such as “With my son” and “Dessert time with my son.”