Japanese livestreamer Ainosuke (愛之助) has been banned indefinitely from Niconico, one of Japan’s longest-running live-streaming platforms, after his account received what he called an “extremely unfortunate notice” of suspension. Ainosuke announced the ban himself on X on September 30, 2026, capping off a months-long controversy that began with a stunt at one of central Tokyo’s most revered landmarks.
The trouble started on August 19, when Ainosuke livestreamed himself climbing onto the stone monument at Masakado Tsuka, a sacred mound in the Otemachi business district said to mark the burial site of the 10th-century warrior Taira no Masakado. The site is treated with deep reverence by locals and nearby businesses, and the stunt prompted its caretakers to file a complaint with police. According to J-CAST News, Ainosuke is being investigated, without arrest, on suspicion of desecrating a place of worship and public indecency.
The backlash was swift. Ainosuke’s streamer collective, Kickers, expelled him over the incident, and the live-streaming platform Kick banned his account in what was reported as a “999-year” suspension, effectively permanent. Ainosuke then moved his broadcasts to Niconico, where in a late-August stream he loudly confirmed the allegations against him, telling viewers, “I finally got hit with public indecency!”
Now Niconico has followed suit, issuing an indefinite suspension across all of Ainosuke’s accounts on the platform. With his access to both Kick and Niconico cut off, it remains unclear where, or whether, he plans to keep streaming.
Who is Ainosuke?
Ainosuke (愛之助) is a Japanese livestreamer who built a following through attention-grabbing stunts and was previously a member of the streamer collective Kickers before his expulsion. He drew heavy scrutiny this year over his August 19 broadcast at Masakado Tsuka, which has since led to bans from two major streaming platforms and an ongoing police investigation.
Author’s Comment
Climbing on Masakado Tsuka for clicks? Honey, that mound has outlasted bigger egos than his for a thousand years. I don’t know if it’s curses or just common sense, but treating a sacred grave like a jungle gym to farm a reaction is exactly the kind of stunt Japan’s streaming scene keeps serving up because the algorithm rewards it every time. Two platforms have now shown him the door, and I’m honestly more curious what he says to the shrine than what he says to his fans. Everyone loves a trainwreck right up until it gets legally inconvenient, then suddenly the whole industry is very, very busy looking elsewhere.
