The Arrest
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has arrested a 23-year-old man on suspicion of robbing a woman at knifepoint and then sexually assaulting her in a hotel in Kabukicho, the Shinjuku nightlife district. Officers from the Shinjuku police station made the arrest, and the department announced it on October 9, 2026.
Japanese outlets identify the suspect as Danish Muhammad, a Pakistani national. The Sankei Shimbun gives his address as Midori Ward in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and lists his occupation as unknown. TBS describes him as a self-described part-time worker.
He was arrested on suspicion of robbery and non-consensual sexual intercourse (fudōi seikō), the offense created when Japan rewrote its sex-crime laws in 2023.
He denies the allegations. In questioning he told police, "I didn't do anything like that," according to the Sankei and Nippon Television. TBS and TV Asahi's ANN report that he also said, "I don't even carry a knife, and I didn't take any money."
What Police Allege
According to the Sankei, the incident happened between about 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. on September 2, in a hotel in Kabukicho.
Police say the victim, a woman in her 20s, was doing street sex work. In Japanese this is called tachinbo, from the word for standing on a street corner. The Sankei, citing the Shinjuku station, reports that the man approached her and the two went into the hotel. Police believe that after they had sex, he threatened her with a blade, took ¥57,000 (about $380) in cash and then sexually assaulted her.
Police say he said "Kill you" in English while holding the blade to her. Several outlets report that he then used a translation app to tell her, "I have friends" and "Don't tell anyone about this." Police also say he used the app to ask for her home address.
A Possible Second Case
This may not be the only case. The Sankei reports that the Shinjuku station received another complaint of a similar incident in the same area in early October. TBS says similar incidents have been confirmed in Kabukicho this month, and Nippon Television says there have been other reports in Shinjuku Ward. Police are investigating whether the suspect is connected. None of the outlets say any further charges have been filed.
The Legal Gap Around the Victim
The case shows how exposed street sex workers are in Japan. Under the baishun bōshi-hō, the Anti-Prostitution Act of 1956, selling and buying sex are both prohibited, but neither one carries a criminal penalty. The penalty falls on the seller's public solicitation and on waiting for customers. Because of that, a woman working the street may feel she is breaking the law herself by going to the police.
In this case, police treated the woman as a crime victim and charged the alleged customer with robbery and sexual assault.
The arrest also comes as the rules around street prostitution are changing. On September 17, a Ministry of Justice study group finished a report saying that buyers' conduct, such as approaching sellers on the street or through social media, should be punishable. The ministry is now drafting an amendment bill. This site has also reported that patrols around Okubo Park in Kabukicho have pushed the street trade into nearby hotel doorways and side streets.
None of the reports on this arrest said how police identified the suspect or how long after the incident the victim reported it.
What Comes Next
In Japan, a suspect can be held for up to 23 days after arrest before prosecutors must decide whether to indict. The suspect has not been charged by prosecutors, and he is presumed innocent.
People in Japan who have experienced sexual violence can call the national #8891 hotline. It connects callers to a one-stop support center in their prefecture, free of charge.
Sources: The Sankei Shimbun (October 9, 2026), via Yahoo! News Japan, for the Shinjuku station's handling of the case, the charges, the suspect's age, nationality, address and occupation as stated, the September 2 time window, the victim's age and street sex work, the sequence inside the hotel, the ¥57,000 figure, the denial quote and the early-October similar complaint; TBS NEWS DIG / JNN (October 9, 2026) for the robbery and non-consensual sexual intercourse charges, his self-description as a part-time worker, the "Kill you" threat, the translation-app messages and address questions, the denial about the knife and money, and similar cases in Kabukicho this month; Nippon Television / NNN (October 9, 2026) for the translation-app threats, the denial and other reports in Shinjuku Ward; ABEMA TIMES / ANN (October 9, 2026) for the same allegations and denial. The suspect's name is given as the Japanese outlets rendered it in katakana; this site has not added any names. The Ministry of Justice study group background is from this site's September 17, 2026 report. Dollar figure converted at about ¥150 to the dollar. Glossary: baishun bōshi-hō = Anti-Prostitution Act; fudōi seikō = non-consensual sexual intercourse, the 2023 replacement for the old forcible-intercourse offense; tachinbo = street sex work or a street sex worker.