Japan international and future Mainz 05 signing Kaishu Sano has been arrested along with two other men in connection to a sexual assault on a 30-year old woman at a hotel in Tokyo on Wednesday morning.
23-year-old Kaishu, who earned his first cap for Japan last November, and two men in their 20s are accused of collaborating in a sexual assault in Tokyo’s Bunkyo Ward between 2 am and 4:30 am on Sunday. Tokyo police have not disclosed how the three responded to the allegations.
The woman, in her 30s, contacted law enforcement immediately after the alleged assault. Officers located the three men near the hotel and arrested them late Sunday after voluntary questioning, according to police and investigative sources.
The three men reportedly had dinner with the woman and her friend on Saturday evening before heading to the hotel together. The woman’s friend left before the incident, sources said.
This arrest comes after Bundesliga side Mainz announced on July 3 that they had signed Kaishu to a four-year contract until 2028. Kaishu previously played for J.League 1 giants Kashima Antlers.
In a post on Twitter, Mainz expressed “surprise” at the reports of Kaishu’s arrest but refrained from further comment due to a lack of information. The player was scheduled to join the club for training next Sunday, the team added.
Kashima released a statement expressing “great concern” as Kaishu’s former club. “Due to the nature of the case, the club does not have the details and will continue to monitor the situation closely,” the statement read, as quoted from Kyodo.
Kaishu has four caps for Japan and was part of the Samurai Blue squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.