Tatsuya Yamaguchi, a former member of all-male pop idol group Tokio, has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, it was learned Tuesday.
Yamaguchi, 48, is suspected of driving a motorcycle under the influence of alcohol, investigative sources said. He was arrested in Tokyo's Nerima Ward after colliding with a car waiting at a traffic light around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. He was on his way to a friend's house and admitted that he was responsible for the accident under the influence. A driver in the car who called the police and Yamaguchi were not injured in the incident.
The police arrested Yamaguchi after he failed a breathalyzer test.
Tokio made its music debut in 1994 as a five-member group, but the number dropped to four after the group's talent agency Johnny & Associates terminated Yamaguchi's contract for forcibly kissing a female high school student, whom he met through work, at his home in April 2018.
The prosecutors did not indict him, however, as, according to other sources, the girl was believed to have withdrawn her victim report.
In July this year, another member of the group, Tomoya Nagase, announced he would leave the group next March to pursue his own endeavors.
