There Are Additional Allegations Beyond the Two Charges Prosecuted
Masaya Enotomo (46), who was arrested and indicted on charges of sexual assault, and a notice posted in front of his restaurant stating "Temporarily closed due to personal reasons" / Photo by Twitter capture
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] The owner-chef of a high-end Japanese restaurant featured in the Michelin Guide was arrested by the police on charges of drugging female customers with spiked drinks and sexually assaulting them.
According to local Japanese media including Asahi Shimbun on the 9th, Masaya Enomoto (46), the owner-chef of the Japanese restaurant "Enomoto" located in Naniwa Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, was indicted and detained on charges of quasi-rape.
According to investigation officials, Enomoto gave a female customer a drink mixed with sleeping pills in December last year, sexually assaulting her while she was unable to resist. In February, he committed sexual assault again on another female customer using the same method.
The police are investigating additional offenses after receiving reports from victims who claimed, "I lost consciousness after drinking at Enomoto's restaurant and slept until morning with no memory of what happened. My clothes were disheveled."
One report stated that despite having a wife, he told female customers, "I am divorced and raising my child alone."
Additionally, an acquaintance of Enomoto said, "He is taciturn and polite when working. However, I have heard that he often gets customers drunk by continuously giving them alcohol."
Enomoto's restaurant is a popular establishment that earned one star in the latest edition of the Michelin Guide, with course meals priced at 25,000 yen (approximately 240,000 KRW) per person.
Meanwhile, the media reported that a notice stating "Closed temporarily due to personal reasons" has been posted in front of Enomoto's restaurant since the night of the 6th.
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