Shunichiro Sato, a 26-year-old former Japan men’s national volleyball team middle blocker, admitted possessing dried cannabis under the Narcotics Control Act.[1] On 31 July 2026 the Tokyo District Court sentenced him to one year of imprisonment, suspended for three years; prosecutors had sought one year.[1][2][3]
Arrest and sentence
The indictment said Sato possessed 0.831 grams of dried cannabis at a pachinko parlor in Itabashi, Tokyo, on the evening of 27 May.[1][2] The national team was then camped in Kita, Tokyo; Sato visited the parlor with teammates in his free time, left his bag there, and the cannabis was found inside.[1][2] Metropolitan Police arrested him the next day.[1][2]
Prosecutors said he began using cannabis around his first or second university year, kept using it, and bought frequently from an online dealer before his May arrest.[1][2] At his first hearing he apologized for acting lightly as a national representative.[1]
Apology and aftermath
Sato is from Sendai and played for Nagoya in the 2025-26 SV League season at 2.05 metres tall.[1][2] After the arrest his national team registration was erased and his club terminated his contract; he was set to join a professional team in India in October.[1][2]
After the verdict he cleared his Instagram and posted an apology, saying he took the outcome seriously, would obey the law, and would not repeat the offence.[2] In September he announced volleyball clinics where he would coach children and older students directly.[3]
