STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, the talent agency representing idol group timelesz, announced on October 1 that it has terminated its contract with member Shuto Inomata (猪俣周杜), 25, effective September 30. In its statement, the agency said it was “deeply and sincerely sorry” for the trouble the matter had caused.
The decision comes about a week after Inomata was released from police custody on September 25. He had been arrested on suspicion of punching a female acquaintance in the face and injuring her, according to Japanese media reports. STARTO ENTERTAINMENT’s announcement did not go into further detail about the circumstances of the arrest or the internal process behind the decision to cut ties with him.
News of the contract termination quickly became one of the most-discussed entertainment topics in Japan on October 1, with an online poll run by a major news portal showing most respondents unsure how to feel about what comes next for the group, rather than expressing clear support or criticism.
The move leaves timelesz’s remaining members facing questions about the group’s lineup and future schedule, though no announcement on that front has been made as of this report.
Who is Shuto Inomata?
Shuto Inomata is a member of timelesz, a seven-member idol group under STARTO ENTERTAINMENT (the agency formerly known as Johnny & Associates) that relaunched in 2023 as a renewed incarnation of the long-running group Sexy Zone. Before this incident, Inomata was one of the group’s younger members, appearing regularly alongside his bandmates in television and stage projects. His profile had been rising along with the group’s since the timelesz rebrand.
Author’s Comment
Well, that escalated fast. One week out of police custody and the contract’s already shredded — STARTO isn’t exactly known for moving at this speed. After years of getting dragged for looking the other way on talent misconduct, I get why they wanted to look decisive this time, and fine, good, do that. But let’s not pretend this is purely about accountability. Six other guys are now stuck carrying a group name with an asterisk on it, and Japanese fans online are already arguing about whether timelesz even survives this as a seven-turned-six act. Nobody in that office is sleeping well tonight, and honestly, neither is whoever has to write the next press release.
