Kyoto – The mother of a man who died in Japan last year filed a damages lawsuit against a YouTuber on Thursday, claiming that the defendant’s video led to her son’s suicide. Saeko Nakano, 73, filed the lawsuit with Kyoto District Court, demanding a total of about ¥230 million in damages from the 28-year-old YouTuber, Shinjuku 109 KENZO, whose real name is Miki Ikeda, and two others. According to the complaint, Nakano’s son, Takuma, who died at the age of 36, was involved in a dispute with the other two defendants, Makoto Akagi, 46, and Yuki Yasuda, 35, over the sale of a company he had managed.
At Akagi’s request, Ikeda uploaded a video in June last year arguing that Nakano’s son was “a massive merger and acquisition scammer.” He is believed to have killed himself the following month. Ikeda’s YouTube channel has 1.03 million subscribers and more than 700 videos purportedly aimed at eradicating scams. On Wednesday, Kyoto prefectural police arrested Ikeda on suspicion of defaming Nakano’s son, as well as Akagi and Yasuda for alleged attempted extortion.
At a news conference in the city of Kyoto on Thursday, Nakano said: “I was truly frustrated at how people judged my son’s personality based solely on the video and subjected him to defamation. I want the defendants to pay for their crimes.” If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency in Japan, please call 119 for immediate assistance.
The TELL Lifeline is available for those who need free and anonymous counseling at 0800-300-8355. For those in other countries, visit International Suicide Hotlines for a detailed list of resources and assistance.
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