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University of Tokyo professor admits to ¥1.83 million in soapland bribes

A prominent professor at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Medicine has admitted in court to accepting roughly 1.83 million yen in bribes

Tokyo Reporter2026-10-06 08:14查看原文 ↗

TOKYO (TR) – A prominent professor at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Medicine has admitted in court to accepting roughly 1.83 million yen in bribes, which included lavish trips to soapland bathhouses and high-end hostess clubs, reports weekly tabloid Friday (Oct. 16).

During his first hearing at the Tokyo District Court on September 25, 63-year-old Shinichi Sato — dubbed by domestic media as the “Begging Professor” — pleaded guilty to receiving illicit entertainment on 28 separate occasions between March 2023 and August 2024.

“Compensation for lectures”

In exchange for the sleazy perks, Sato facilitated the establishment of a “Social Cooperation Program” at the prestigious university to research the efficacy of cannabis-derived ingredients for skin diseases.

The bribes were funded by Koichi Hikichi, 53, the former representative director of the Japan Cosmetic Association, who has already been convicted of bribery in connection to the scandal.

Initially, Sato adamantly denied the allegations, insisting the nights out were merely “compensation for lectures.” However, standing before the judge in a suit, he reversed his stance, stating there was “no mistake” in the indictment.

With the trial concluding the same day, prosecutors are seeking a two-year prison term and a confiscation surcharge of 1.83 million yen. Sato’s defense team is pleading for a suspended sentence, with a final verdict scheduled to be handed down on October 22.

A key factor in the upcoming sentencing is whether Sato actively extorted the entertainment. In court, Sato denied coercing the bribes, claiming Hikichi willingly paid because he wanted to exploit the prestigious “Todai brand.”

This defense sparked fury from Hikichi, who was observing from the public gallery.

“I thought, ‘What a liar,'” Hikichi told reporters after the trial. “Sato had the authority to open or close the program. He would fly into a rage and threaten to scrap the project over trivial things, flashing his authority. I was terrified. When he invited me to eat, I couldn’t refuse.”

Pole dancer’s cleavage

According to Hikichi, Sato specifically demanded private rooms at ultra-exclusive restaurants typically reserved for corporate executives. “When it came time to pay, he would just say ‘thank you,’ leaving me no choice but to cover the bill,” he said.

To illustrate the professor’s excess, Hikichi revealed a photograph to reporters taken during a mid-December 2023 year-end trip to a hot spring resort in Atami. The image allegedly shows a greasy, grinning Sato stuffing tips into a pole dancer’s cleavage.

“He was highly satisfied having girls in underwear perform private dances,” Hikichi said. The Atami trip, which cost over 1 million yen for a group of about 15 people, was not even included in the 28 indicted bribery counts. “There are many other instances of entertainment that just weren’t recognized [by investigators],” Hikichi added.

“Medical school culture”

The logistics of the bribery were allegedly handled by Sato’s subordinate, 47-year-old former project associate professor Ayumi Yoshizaki, who has also been convicted in the scheme.

During his own trial in April, Yoshizaki admitted to directly demanding the entertainment from Hikichi, chalking the extortion up to “medical school culture.”

Yoshizaki testified that he was too terrified of Sato’s power to defy him. “If I said something to anger Professor Sato and he disliked me, I would have no place left in the Todai dermatology department,” he said.

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东京（TR）——据日本周刊小报周五（10月16日）报道，东京大学医学研究生院一位著名教授在法庭上承认收受了约183万日元的贿赂，其中包括前往肥皂澡堂和高档陪酒俱乐部的豪华旅行。

9月25日，63岁的佐藤真一（被日本媒体称为“乞讨教授”）在东京地方法院的首次庭审中承认，他在2023年3月至2024年8月期间，共28次接受非法娱乐。

“讲课报酬”

作为交换，佐藤促成了这所著名大学设立“社会合作计划”，以研究大麻衍生成分对皮肤病的疗效。

这些贿赂款项由 53 岁的日本化妆品协会前代表理事幸一（音译）提供，他此前已因与该丑闻相关的受贿罪被定罪。

起初，佐藤坚决否认这些指控，坚称这些夜生活仅仅是“对讲课的补偿”。然而，在诉讼中站在法官面前时，他改变了立场，声称起诉书中“没有任何错误”。

庭审于当日结束，检方寻求判处佐藤两年有期徒刑，并没收其财产183万日元。佐藤的辩护团队则请求缓刑，最终判决将于10月22日宣判。

即将到来的量刑的关键因素在于佐藤是否主动勒索娱乐公司。在法庭上，佐藤否认胁迫行贿，声称日向是自愿支付的，因为他想利用“东大”这个声名显赫的品牌。

这一辩护激怒了在旁听席上旁听的日吉。

“我当时想，‘真是个骗子！’”审判结束后，Hikichi告诉记者。“佐藤有权决定项目的启动或终止。他会因为一些鸡毛蒜皮的小事勃然大怒，威胁要取消整个项目，以此炫耀自己的权力。我当时吓坏了。他邀请我吃饭的时候，我根本无法拒绝。”

钢管舞女郎的乳沟

据Hikichi称，佐藤特别要求在通常只接待企业高管的顶级餐厅预订包间。“到了结账的时候，他只会说‘谢谢’，让我别无选择，只能付账。”Hikichi说道。