TOKYO, May 20 (News On Japan) –
A person accused of stalking and assaulting actress Haruna Kojima testified in courtroom that he believed he may need an opportunity together with her if he confessed his emotions instantly.
Zhao Lei, a 42-year-old Chinese trade pupil, is on trial for ambushing Kojima in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward in October 2024. He allegedly grabbed her by the arm, inflicting her to fall, and is going through costs of assault.
In a courtroom listening to on May nineteenth, Zhao mentioned, “I loved her and wanted to see her every day. When I saw her, I got excited and grabbed her arm, thinking I would confess my feelings.”
Regarding a earlier warning to keep away from Kojima, Zhao added, “I thought it was a misunderstanding. I believed that if I told her directly that I liked her, she might give me a chance.” His remarks revealed the self-centered motive behind the incident.
Haruna Kojima is a widely known determine in Japanese leisure, acknowledged each for her years as a central member of the idol group AKB48 and for her subsequent profession as a mannequin, actress, and entrepreneur. Born in Saitama Prefecture in 1988, Kojima rose to nationwide prominence within the mid-2000s when she joined AKB48 throughout its early years. Her signature calm demeanor and stylish magnificence shortly made her a fan favourite, and he or she turned a central determine within the group’s performances, selection exhibits, and music movies. Kojima performed a pivotal function in shaping the group’s picture throughout its speedy ascent to mainstream success, typically standing out for her poise and fashion-forward look in distinction to the extra energetic or quirky personas of different members.
Following her commencement from AKB48 in 2017, Kojima efficiently transitioned right into a solo profession that mixed trend, media appearances, and enterprise ventures. She turned an everyday presence in main trend magazines equivalent to MAQUIA, Sweet, and VoCE, and gained a robust following amongst ladies for her refined fashion. Recognizing her affect, Kojima launched her personal trend model, Her lip to, which has attracted consideration not just for its female designs but additionally for Kojima’s direct involvement in design and advertising. She has used her platform to attach extra personally together with her viewers by way of social media and on-line content material, showcasing a extra mature and unbiased identification than the one cultivated throughout her idol years.
Kojima’s post-idol profession has been marked by a constant effort to redefine herself exterior the boundaries of idol tradition, embracing a contemporary lady’s picture that blends magnificence, independence, and entrepreneurship. Her continued reputation displays the uncommon potential to evolve together with her viewers and preserve relevance in Japan’s ever-changing leisure panorama. At the identical time, her fame has additionally made her a goal of undesirable consideration, such because the stalking incident in 2024 that introduced her again into the headlines below troubling circumstances. While deeply unsettling, the incident served as a reminder of the lingering challenges celebrities face in sustaining private security and privateness in an period the place fan boundaries aren’t at all times revered. Nonetheless, Kojima stays an admired determine, emblematic of the brand new era of Japanese ladies balancing fame with self-driven ambition.
Source: FNN