Takuto Teranishi of the Japanese idol group timelesz publicly addressed the controversy surrounding fellow member Shuto Inomata’s arrest and subsequent release on September 29, marking his first public comments since the incident came to light.
Teranishi spoke to reporters in Tokyo while appearing at a strategy and TV commercial announcement event for Kikkoman’s “Yorisoi Almond” product. “I’m sorry for the worry and trouble this has caused,” he said, according to Sports Hochi. The report did not detail the circumstances that led to Inomata’s arrest, only confirming that he was later released.
Asked about the group’s next steps, Teranishi said timelesz would share updates with fans once decisions had been made, but did not offer a specific timeline. Oricon, which also covered the event, noted it was Teranishi’s first public appearance since news of Inomata’s arrest broke.
The story has drawn heavy attention online, with an informal Yahoo! News reader poll on the group’s future in Japan collecting over 7,300 responses. A majority of respondents, 52.2%, said they wanted to continue supporting the group’s activities, while smaller shares said they were unsure or focused on what the group does next.
Who are Takuto Teranishi and Shuto Inomata?
Timelesz is a Japanese idol group managed by Starto Entertainment (formerly known as Johnny’s), rebranded from Sexy Zone in 2023 after adding new members through a nationwide audition. Takuto Teranishi (寺西拓人) is one of the group’s original members and has taken on a leadership-facing role in public appearances. Shuto Inomata (猪俣周杜) joined timelesz through the 2023 audition process and has since been active in the group’s music and variety projects.
No further details about the case or any potential impact on Inomata’s group activities have been announced.
Author’s Comment
Nothing quite like a Johnny’s-turned-Starto group learning in real time that idol contracts don’t come with an eject button for bad headlines. Teranishi standing up at an almond commercial event to apologize for a groupmate’s arrest is peak J-entertainment crisis management: vague, dignified, and giving away almost nothing. I’ll say this much for Japanese fandom culture, though — over half the poll respondents said they’re sticking around, which tells you these things blow over here faster than tabloids would like. I’ll believe there’s real news once agency and cops actually explain what happened.
