The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2025
A finished Honda Accord commercial never aired: Shimizu Hiroya's cannabis arrest
Actor Shimizu Hiroya's cannabis arrest shelved a finished Honda Accord commercial and ended his NHK morning drama run — the ad was killed before the news broke.
Honda · NHK · Shimizu Hiroya · 2025-12-19
What happened
Shimizu Hiroya was one of Japan's rising young actors in the mid-2020s — a fixture of films and television, cast as a lead in the NHK morning drama Bakubake that was to air in late 2025. His filmography made him a natural pick for a premium car campaign: Honda had chosen him as the face of its luxury Accord model.
On September 3, 2025, Tokyo police arrested Shimizu for possessing cannabis at his home — about 0.4 grams, a violation of the Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act. NHK announced the same day that he would leave Bakubake before it aired. Sports reports revealed that he had already filmed a commercial for an automaker; with the arrest, the footage could not be broadcast, and industry watchers noted the compensation risk to the talent side.
On December 19, 2025, the Tokyo District Court sentenced him to one year in prison with a three-year suspension; prosecutors had pointed to his habitual use since around age 22. Days later, News Post Seven reported which campaign had been lost: Honda had planned to air the Accord commercial from autumn 2025, filming was complete, but Honda decided to halt production before his arrest. The finished film never ran.
Why it happened
- Honda stopped the Accord commercial before the arrest became public — the decision to protect the brand was made on suspicion, not on any judgment.
- Filming was already finished and the air date was set; the sunk cost of production bought Honda nothing once the talent became a legal risk.
- NHK's same-day removal from Bakubake set the pattern — a morning drama and a premium car campaign both vanished in the week of the arrest.
- A court later suspended his sentence, but a suspended sentence does not restore a shelved commercial; the asset was gone at the first headline.
The lesson
Honda killed a finished commercial before the arrest was public — suspicion alone ends a campaign. The filming budget was spent the moment the talent became a headline risk.
Aftermath
Shimizu Hiroya left NHK's morning drama Bakubake right after his September 3, 2025 arrest, before the series aired. Honda's finished Accord commercial never ran. On December 19, 2025, the Tokyo District Court sentenced him to one year in prison with a three-year suspension, citing his drug treatment during bail; prosecutors said his cannabis use went back to around age 22. News Post Seven confirmed Honda had halted the commercial before the arrest became public. The case became the reference for how far in advance a finished campaign can be written off.
Sources
- Sponichi — Shimizu Hiroya's already-filmed automaker commercial cannot air after cannabis arrest; compensation risk
- News Post Seven — Honda's luxury Accord commercial starring Shimizu Hiroya shelved before his arrest
- Sponichi — Shimizu Hiroya leaves NHK morning drama Bakubake after cannabis arrest
- Asahi Shimbun — Shimizu Hiroya sentenced to one year prison, three years suspended for cannabis possession
spotted an error? The club wants to know.
More like this
DAZN's ¥980 World Cup price hid a ¥26,340 annual contract — refunds followed
AKB48's first-ever contract termination cost Hanada Aoi her radio show in two days
TV Shin-Hiroshima billed four ramen shops as 'first in Hiroshima' — they weren't
Somewhere, someone solved the problem this company failed at. 2nd Opinion →
Comments · 0
Sign in to join the comments.