Pianist Kyohei Sorita was found guilty of speeding on Oct 29, 2026, after driving 144 kph on a Tokyo expressway where the limit is 60 kph, and was sentenced to three months in prison, suspended for two years. Sorita, 32, appeared at the Tokyo District Court that afternoon in a navy suit and tie and apologized to the court.
Prosecutors had argued for an unsuspended prison term, citing recent comparable cases, while the defense asked for a suspended sentence. Before the ruling, Sorita gave a final statement to the court.
“I am deeply remorseful. It is true that I betrayed the expectations of the people and those involved who have supported me until now.”Kyohei Sorita, pianist, in his final statement to the Tokyo District Court
He also said, "I am very sorry for the trouble I caused to so many people," and bowed his head. He told the court he would spend the years ahead living in gratitude to everyone who had supported him, and listened quietly as the sentence was read.
What happened on the expressway
Sorita was charged under the Road Traffic Act with exceeding the speed limit on the Shuto Expressway, the network of toll roads that runs through central Tokyo. He was indicted while at liberty, rather than in custody.
The case drew wide attention on social media after news of the 144 kph run emerged. Sorita withdrew from a planned appearance at an NHK television event, the broadcaster's national school music competition, following the indictment.
Suspended terms in Japanese courts
Japanese courts routinely suspend short prison terms for first-time offenders who show remorse, placing them on probation instead. A three-month term suspended for two years means Sorita will avoid prison unless he commits another offense during that period.
The sentence is the latest legal trouble for public figures in Japan this week. On the same day, the Tokyo District Court ordered a Kofu city assembly member to pay damages for disclosing that award-winning novelist Ri Kotomi had changed her legal gender, and a former Japan national volleyball player, Shuichiro Sato, received a suspended guilty verdict for marijuana possession.