TOKYO (TR) – Reika Kuroki, a 38-year-old businesswoman and former social media influencer, admitted to evading approximately 157 million yen in corporate taxes at the Tokyo District Court earlier this month.
During the proceedings, Kuroki, who works under the family name Miyazaki, the biggest shock had nothing to do with taxes, rather it was her claim that she initially lied to authorities because a tax investigator sexually harassed her, reports News Post Seven (May 24).
Kuroki was once known to her online followers as a “charismatic working mom with 2.5 billion yen in annual sales.” However, she cut a stark contrast to her formerly flashy persona in her court appearance on May 14. Stripped of her glamor, she entered the courtroom wearing a subdued black pantsuit, glasses and a medical mask.
Public interest in the trial was high, with crowds lining up for a lottery to secure one of just 40 gallery seats. The court operated under strict security, barring all electronic devices from the room.
Under questioning from her defense team, Kuroki admitted to dodging taxes over a three-year period leading up to 2024 by booking fictitious outsourcing fees.
“There is no mistake. I am deeply sorry,” Kuroki told the court. She claimed her company’s first-year sales skyrocketed beyond expectations, leaving her unable to pay her corporate tax bill.
Lacked tax knowledge
Pleading ignorance, she stated that as a former housewife, she lacked legal and tax knowledge. She testified that she turned to an acquaintance, identified as “Defendant A,” a former securities firm employee who allegedly orchestrated the evasion scheme. Kuroki insisted the evaded funds were pumped back into the business, not her personal accounts.
Despite her courtroom contrition, Kuroki had initially denied the allegations and continuously lied to investigators from the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau. When her defense asked why she attempted a cover-up, Kuroki broke down in tears and dropped a bombshell accusation.
She claimed that during a raid on her home — which occurred shortly after she had undergone surgery for mastitis and was still reeling from anesthesia — a male tax agent relentlessly sexually harassed her.
“A man suddenly started asking me over and over, ‘How does it feel to breastfeed?’ and ‘What posture do you use to breastfeed?'” Kuroki testified through tears.
“No truth to the claims”
Kuroki claimed she protested the harassment, but the bureau’s shifting explanations destroyed her trust in the investigation. When prosecutors pressed her on whether sexual harassment justifies lying to authorities about massive tax fraud, Kuroki fired back, “In my mind, yes. I have no intention of telling the truth to someone who harassed me.”
The Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau flatly denied the defendant’s courtroom allegations.
“We have confirmed this as part of our investigation, but there is no truth to the claims of sexual harassment,” a bureau spokesperson stated, adding that no internal probe is planned.
A freelance writer observing the trial noted that while Kuroki’s outrage over her dignity as a mother appeared genuine, the harassment claim could easily be viewed as a calculated shield to garner sympathy and distract from her attempt to conceal the tax fraud.
While the courtroom drama captivated the gallery, the whereabouts of the evaded 157 million yen remain a mystery. Subsequent hearings are expected to address swirling rumors that Kuroki squandered the missing millions on luxury brands and a Ferrari.
