Man Held for Alleged Assault on Japanese Celebrity Haruna Kojima

   Tokyo, Oct. 29 (Jiji Press)--A 42-year-old man, believed to be a student from Taiwan, has been arrested by Tokyo police for allegedly assaulting Japanese female celebrity Haruna Kojima, it was learned Tuesday.
   The man arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department is suspected of hugging and pushing Kojima onto the street around 9 p.m. Monday, after she attended the day's event held at a facility in the Japanese capital's Shibuya Ward to mark the release of her photo book. Kojima, 36, was uninjured.
   In police questioning, the man admitted hugging her while saying that he had no intention to harm her. Members of Kojima's staff apprehended the man and called the police, and officers from the MPD's Shibuya Police Station took him into custody.
   According to the police, the man did not attend the event. The police station is investigating the incident, including the suspect's motive.
   Investigative sources said that a person related to Kojima informed the MPD in early August about a fan engaging in problematic behavior at events featuring her. The person described the fan as a student from Taiwan who is unable to speak Japanese. This fan is believed to be the arrested man.

(2024/10/29-15:52)