Japanese Mother Files Damages Suit Against YouTuber Shinjuku 109 KENZO Over Son's Death

The mother of a man who died in Japan last year filed a damages lawsuit against YouTuber Shinjuku 109 KENZO (Miki Ikeda, 28) on Thursday, demanding approximately ¥230 million in damages. Ikeda uploaded a video in June last year arguing that Nakano's son was a scammer, and he is believed to have killed himself the following month. On Wednesday, Kyoto prefectural police arrested Ikeda on suspicion of defaming Nakano's son.

Saeko Nakano, 73, filed the lawsuit with Kyoto District Court on Thursday, demanding a total of about ¥230 million in damages from the 28-year-old YouTuber Shinjuku 109 KENZO, whose real name is Miki Ikeda, and two others. According to the complaint, Nakano's son, Takuma, who died at the age of 36, was involved in a dispute with the other two defendants over the sale of a company he had managed. At one defendant's request, Ikeda uploaded a video in June last year arguing that Nakano's son was a "massive merger and acquisition scammer." He is believed to have killed himself the following month. Prior to his death, the targeted executive had consulted with police regarding the video. He passed away the month after the video was published, prompting his grieving mother to file a formal criminal complaint. Ikeda's YouTube channel has 1.03 million subscribers and more than 700 videos purportedly aimed at eradicating scams. On Wednesday, Kyoto prefectural police arrested Ikeda on suspicion of defaming Nakano's son, as well as Akagi and Yasuda for alleged attempted extortion. Upon his arrest, Ikeda withheld cooperation, telling investigators, "I will speak after I talk to my lawyer." At a news conference in Kyoto on Thursday, Nakano said: "I was truly frustrated at how people judged my son's personality based solely on the video and subjected him to defamation. I want the defendants to pay for their crimes."