If you drink, you should drink responsibly. That’s a lesson that one Japanese actor will likely be reflecting on after he made the fatal decision to over-imbibe after signing a beer commercial contract.
Actor Yoshizawa Ryo (30) has a long repertoire of dramas, movies, and – yes – commercials dating back to 2011. He may be best known for his appearances in Kamen Rider Fourze and his roles in Gintama, BLEACH, and Kingdom.
Police say that, on December 30th, the actor entered an apartment in his condominium building that wasn’t his. Police called to the scene found an apparently drunk Yoshizawa, who says he couldn’t remember entering the room. (Yoshizawa didn’t force his way in; the door was apparently unlocked.)
Yoshizawa’s agency, Amuse, issued a formal apology on his behalf and said the star had also apologized to his fellow resident. However, that hasn’t been the end of the fallout.
It seems Yoshizawa had an active contract with Asahi Beer to promote their Asahi Dry Crystal. That contract, however, is now null and void.
“The Yoshizawa Ryo incident isn’t a fact, as an alcohol company, of which we can approve,” the company said in a statement saying that it had severed its contract with the star.
Some on Japanese social media are calling the backlash to the incident too severe, saying the incident is a simple drunken mistake. Some even blamed the person in the other apartment (“Why was their door unlocked?”)
Others, however, note that Asahi Beer, as an alcohol company, likely had little choice. Security consultant Kyoshi Mika says Asahi was well within its rights to terminate Yoshizawa’s contract, given that he committed an illegal act – whether intentional or not. “If we let acts like this become normalized,” she argues, “it’s bound to happen again.”
Why this page doesn't look like crap
You may notice a few things about this page. First, it’s mostly content – not ads. Second, this article was written by a human, not a plagiaristic Turing machine.
Unseen Japan is a collective of independent authors. We work hard to keep our content free of intrusive ads and AI slop.Â
Help us keep it that way. Donate to the Unseen Japan Journalism Fund to support our work. Regular donors will receive Insider, our paid newsletter with weekly bonus content about Japan. Plus, your contribution will help us produce more content like this.
What to read next
July 5 Is the End of the World. Come Celebrate With Me on July 6
Is Japan going to sink to the bottom of the ocean on July 5th? Not likely. But what does a manga author’s prediction tell us about society?
Why a Marcille Cosplay at Osaka Expo Resulted in Death Threats
A Japanese cosplayer opened up recently about the slander and threats she received for appearing at Expo as the popular character.
Otaku Apocalypse: Good Smile Restricts US Purchases Amidst Trump Tariff Chaos
The retailer of manga and anime figures says it won’t allow pre-orders or send shipments to the US until things settle.
