TOKYO (TR) – The Tokyo District Court on Wednesday handed a suspended prison sentence to former social media influencer Reika Kuroki for evading more than 150 million yen in taxes.
Kuroki, 38, who operates online under the name Reika Miyazaki, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison, suspended for four years. Her company was also ordered to pay a 40-million-yen fine.
However, the ruling is being viewed as soft by those on social media, reports evening tabloid Tokyo Sports (July 16).
“Japan’s No. 1 Influencer”
Kuroki, who married former Exile member Keiji Kuroki in 2021, previously dubbed herself “Japan’s No. 1 Influencer.” She cultivated a massive following on social media by constantly flaunting an extravagant “celeb” lifestyle, posting photos of luxury cars and high-end designer bags.
However, investigators revealed that this glamorous online persona was subsidized by illicit means, with the evaded tax money allegedly being funneled into her luxury purchases.
According to the indictment, Kuroki approached an acquaintance—who has since been arrested for aiding in the crime—asking if there was a way to reduce her tax burden. Through a shell company introduced by a second accomplice, Kuroki falsified records to claim fictitious outsourcing expenses, successfully hiding about 157 million yen in corporate and consumption taxes from authorities.
During her trial, Kuroki fully admitted to the allegations, telling the court, “There is no mistake.”
In handing down the ruling, the presiding judge condemned her actions, stating that her motives were “selfish and her responsibility is heavy.”
Online backlash
The suspended sentence sparked immediate backlash on social media, with netizens criticizing the justice system as being “too soft” for such a malicious scheme. In Japan, tax evasion exceeding the 100-million-yen mark is widely considered the threshold for an unsuspended prison term.
Addressing the public outrage, lawyer Masaki Kito explained that Kuroki only narrowly escaped a stint behind bars.
“If she hadn’t paid the evaded taxes, she would have certainly faced actual prison time,” Kito noted, pointing out that the court ruling mentioned she had filed an amended tax return. “With heavy delinquency penalties added, she likely paid more than double the original unpaid amount. It was a borderline case for a suspended sentence.”
