Overview
- Hamasaki, 49, was arrested at the scene by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police’s Tamagawa station on Feb. 26 on suspicion of alcohol-impaired driving.
- He told investigators he had consumed one can of beer, and police say a breath test detected alcohol above the legal threshold.
- Around 11:40 p.m. on Feb. 25 in Setagaya’s Todoroki 6-chome, his Porsche crossed into the oncoming lane, contacted a taxi, then struck a guard pipe and a house exterior.
- Police noted it was raining and say the vehicle may have slipped, though the precise cause is still under investigation; no injuries were reported.
- Hamasaki is known for KDDI/au’s “Santaro” commercials and films including the 2020 release “Ichido Shinde Mita” and a 2025 feature, and the arrest comes as Japan scrutinizes drunk driving, with a separate 2024 fatal case now on appeal after a 20-year sentence.