42-year-old Chinese student arrested for assaulting and stalking Japanese celebrity

Tokyo police on Monday issued an arrest warrant for Zhao Lei, a 42-year-old Chinese student, for assaulting a Japanese celebrity and violating the anti-stalking law.

The person violently grabbed and then pushed idol and actress Kojima Haruna after a rally for the release of her photo album late last month in Shibuya.

Zhao is also suspected of ambushing him several times this summer. He explained to investigators that the star’s entourage did not allow him to meet her even though he adored her.

The police had already received a report in August about a radical Kojima fan who had been standing out too much since April.

Kojima Haruna was part of the famous Japanese idol group AKB48 from 2005 to 2017 and has starred in many dramas. She now owns a clothing brand.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]