Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Born in Japan · Nationality Japanese — Culture / media / celebrities
Documented profile covering 6 controversies, including “Attack on Friday magazine offices with eleven associates” and “Mini-motorbike crash while intoxicated, causing severe head injuries”.
Profile No. 0310 · Updated on 12 October 2026
§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology
2021-07
The day after the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony, Kitano delivered extremely harsh criticism on television of the ceremony and its cost. He said, among other things, that the money should be "given back" and that he felt ashamed, adding that the event would show the world "how stupid Japan was".
Last verified: 22 August 2026
2021-09
Protagonist is the victim — these proceedings are not counted in their formal charges or convictions.
As Kitano left TBS studios in September 2021, a man attacked the car carrying him with a pickaxe. Police arrested the suspect and also seized a knife. Kitano and the other occupants were uninjured.
Last verified: 22 August 2026
2014–2019
After years of separation and rumours linked to another relationship, Kitano and his wife Mikiko divorced in 2019. Reports claimed that he had transferred almost all of an enormous fortune to her. Kitano himself publicly joked that he had almost nothing left, while his former wife's lawyer denied the sensational figures and several reported descriptions.
Last verified: 22 August 2026
2018
Kitano's departure from Office Kitano triggered a bitter public dispute. Members of the Takeshi-gun accused President Masayuki Mori of acquiring shares without sufficient consultation, receiving excessive remuneration and allowing the company to deteriorate. Mori disputed several allegations before acknowledging a breakdown of trust and negotiating a resolution.
Last verified: 22 August 2026
1994-08
On the night of 2 August 1994, Kitano crashed a mini-motorbike in Tokyo and suffered serious head and facial injuries. Police detected approximately 0.9 mg of alcohol per millilitre of blood, and the contemporary press treated the accident as a case of riding under the influence of alcohol.
Last verified: 22 August 2026
1986-12 – 1987
In December 1986, following aggressive reporting methods targeting a woman with whom he was in a relationship, Takeshi Kitano went to Friday magazine's offices with eleven members of the Takeshi-gun. Several people were injured in the confrontation. Kitano was arrested and subsequently sentenced to six months' imprisonment, suspended for two years.
Last verified: 22 August 2026
No documented link with another published profile for now.
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