Key Takeaways
- Shuto Inomata denied assaulting a woman in her twenties, claiming his hand accidentally struck her during an argument inside a parked car in Tokyo.
- Police arrested the 25-year-old timelesz singer after the woman alleged he repeatedly punched her in the face, leaving her with minor injuries and a bloody nose.
- STARTO ENTERTAINMENT apologized to the woman and suspended Inomata, who joined timelesz through the Netflix-aired timelesz project in February 2025.
Shuto Inomata, one of the newest members of Japanese boyband timelesz, has been taken into police custody after he was arrested on suspicion of assault.
The 25-year-old has been accused of punching a woman in her twenties in the face, according to The Japan Times. The alleged assault took place on Friday (September 18), inside a car parked at a convenience store lot in Tatsumi, Koto Ward. The woman is believed to have suffered minor injuries.
Investigators with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Personal Safety Countermeasures Division say Inomata was alone in the vehicle with the woman at the time. She was allegedly struck in the face several times and left with a bloody nose.
The woman then ran into the convenience store for help, alleging that her boyfriend had struck her. A customer then called police.
Inomata has denied the claims. He reportedly told investigators his hand accidentally connected with the woman while the two were arguing. Police have pushed back on that version of events, saying the woman was hit in the face multiple times rather than once by accident.
STARTO ENTERTAINMENT addressed the arrest on its official website, saying it takes the matter with the utmost seriousness and apologized to the woman. The agency said Inomata will be suspended from activities for the time being.
Inomata started out as an underground idol before winning a spot in timelesz in February 2025 through the Netflix-aired timelesz project audition series.
