A 44-year-old man stood before a Japanese court this week accused of pressuring a woman he had just met into consuming dozens of shots of tequila — a drinking session prosecutors say ultimately led to her death.
On Monday, March 2, Itaya Hiroki appeared at the Nagoya District Court in connection with the 2023 death of a 25-year-old woman.
According to Japanese media reports, prosecutors allege that Hiroki met the woman on May 7, 2023, at a bar in Nagoya’s Naka Ward after asking a server to introduce them. Hiroki, described as a regular customer at the establishment, is accused of encouraging the woman to drink 32 shots of tequila within approximately 90 minutes of sitting together.
Prosecutors claim Hiroki intentionally got the woman intoxicated before taking her by taxi to a hotel, allegedly with the intention of having sex with her.
“It is true I encouraged her to drink, but I didn’t have any sexual intent,” Hiroki told the court, according to local reports.
Authorities allege that early in the evening, the woman nodded when asked if she could drink alcohol. Prosecutors argue that Hiroki used that response to continue ordering tequila shots. During the drinking session, he allegedly asked her, “You can still drink, right?” while urging her to continue consuming alcohol.
Court testimony further alleges that Hiroki made sexual advances during the encounter, including touching her breasts over her clothing. Prosecutors say the woman refused his invitation to go to a hotel.
Despite that refusal, the pair later traveled to a hotel in Naka Ward by taxi. According to court proceedings, Hiroki ultimately abandoned attempts to have sex after realizing that the woman was in serious physical distress due to alcohol consumption.
She was later found collapsed at the hotel and was transported for medical treatment. The woman died on June 21, 2023. Medical authorities determined the cause of death to be hypoxic encephalopathy resulting from acute alcohol poisoning — a condition caused by a severe lack of oxygen to the brain following extreme intoxication.
Hiroki has been charged with kidnapping for indecent purposes and indecent assault causing death. He has denied both allegations.
The prosecution’s case centers on whether Hiroki intentionally pushed the woman beyond her limits, creating a life-threatening situation in pursuit of sexual gratification. Defense arguments are expected to focus on consent to drink alcohol and Hiroki’s claim that he lacked sexual intent.
Bartender pours tequila , 2025.
Under Japanese law, kidnapping for indecent purposes can apply when a person transports or confines another individual with the aim of committing a sexual act. Prosecutors argue that taking the woman to a hotel while she was severely intoxicated meets that threshold.
The case has drawn significant attention in Japan, raising broader questions about drinking culture, consent, and accountability in situations involving extreme intoxication.
As the trial unfolds, the court will weigh whether encouragement to drink — in combination with alleged sexual advances and transportation to a hotel — constitutes criminal intent leading to death.
