TOKYO (TR) – The trial for film director and company executive Hideo Sakaki, who stands accused of sexually assaulting two prospective actresses, continued at the Tokyo District Court on Tuesday, reports the Mainichi Shimbun (Dec. 23).
During the proceedings, the prosecution said that they are seeking a 10-year prison sentence for Sakaki on suspicion of quasi-rape. The prosecution described the crimes “despicable and heinous.”
At a hearing in August last year, Sakaki largely admitted to the facts of the case, but pleaded not guilty, stating that the two women were not in a state where they could not resist.
According to the indictment, Sakaki is alleged to have used his position as a film director to force a woman in her 20s to engage in sex with him in March 2015.
In a second case, he forced another woman in her 20s to engage in sex with him multiple times between July and September 2016.
Other actresses
Police said previously that multiple women have lodged complaints alleging sexual assault by Sakaki.
As well, weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun reported that Sakaki forced several actresses who appeared in his films into having sex with him.
Sakaki was the director of “Mitsugetsu,” a film about sexual abuse in a family. However, its release was canceled.
The verdict in the case is expected to be handed down on March 6, 2026.
