On 1 October 2026, STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, one of Japan’s biggest male idol agencies, announced that it has ended its contract with timelesz member Shuto Inomata.

The termination took effect on 30 September and follows Inomata’s arrest on 19 September on suspicion of assaulting a woman he knew inside a parked car in Tokyo. He was later released without a decision on charges, and the investigation is still ongoing. STARTO has said its decision rests on a serious breach of his contract, not on any criminal outcome. It also stated that the other members had no knowledge of or involvement in what happened.

I’ve waited to write about this on purpose. I didn’t want to add to the speculation, and I wanted to wait until there was something concrete to respond to…

Now there is.

As one of the newer members of timelesz, Shuto won his place through timelesz project -AUDITION- after a path through the underground idol scene. Many fans (myself included) cheered for him, and many of us have followed the group not only through their music but also through their follow-up reality series, timelesz Project ~REAL~.

Disappointment and love for this group can exist side by side, and so can anger and sadness. And as a fan myself, I can honestly say that none of these feelings are wrong.

But most of my thoughts are with the victim. It is painful to realize that someone you love is capable of causing pain, it’s a bitter pill to swallow and I hope she gets the help (and privacy) she needs to recover. 

I’m also thinking of the seven members who remain. They apologized publicly, and they have carried a great deal of this.  Whatever the legal process decides, I’m not willing to explain away or soften an allegation of violence against anyone. STARTO acted decisively, and I think that was the right call. A group’s popularity shouldn’t buy anyone a softer landing.

At the same time, I don’t want to reduce anyone to the worst moment of their life. I hope Inomata eventually gets the help and accountability he needs.

It’s hard to say what’s next for timelesz, but they have removed all content including Inomata from their profiles, music, videos… everything. They did say during their press conference that all music released (by the group as a unit of eight) will be re-recorded. 

Whatever happens they deserve our patience while they navigate this unexpected path. 

There will be more soon so… 

Stay Tuned!