Nijiro Murakami Reportedly Removed from All Programs and Projects

Japanese actor Nijiro Murakami, widely recognized for his role as Shuntaro Chishiya in Netflix’s Alice in Borderland, is reportedly facing a major crisis in his career.

Just as the actor had begun slowly returning to work after a previous break for health reasons, new reports claim that his future in the entertainment industry has become increasingly uncertain. According to Japanese media, Murakami is allegedly under investigation in connection with serious physical violence involving his former partner.

The reports claim that the alleged incident happened while the two were living together. Murakami is accused of having physically assaulted his former girlfriend, with injuries reportedly serious enough to require more than a month of medical treatment. Some reports also claim that the actor admitted during the investigation that he had caused the injuries. However, no final legal decision has been announced publicly.

Following these allegations, several broadcasters and partners reportedly reacted quickly. TV Tokyo is said to have postponed the broadcast of the J-drama Strange: Itō Junji no Yoru mo Nemurenu Kimyō na Hanashi, which was originally scheduled to air on July 3. For now, no new broadcast date has been confirmed, and Murakami’s name has reportedly been removed from the channel’s official schedule.

His radio program, Mosaku Radio: Nijiro Murakami, has also reportedly been discontinued. According to the program’s official information, the final broadcast took place on June 25. New registrations and automatic payments are no longer being accepted, while the production team apologized to listeners for the sudden and unexpected decision.

The consequences have also extended beyond television and radio. The esports organization UNLIMIT, where Murakami had been involved as brand director, has reportedly ended its collaboration with him. The organization explained that after considering the seriousness of the reported matter, it decided not to renew his contract.

Nijiro Murakami was born in 1997 and comes from an artistic family. He is the son of actor Jun Murakami and singer UA. He began his acting career in 2014 with the film Still the Water, directed by Naomi Kawase, which was presented at the Cannes Film Festival. His performance brought him attention early in his career and helped establish him as one of Japan’s promising young actors.

He later gained international recognition through Alice in Borderland, where his portrayal of Chishiya became one of the most memorable parts of the Netflix series. Calm, mysterious and intelligent, the character quickly became a fan favorite and introduced Murakami to audiences around the world.

In 2023, the actor put his career on hold due to physical and mental health issues. At the time, he stepped away from promotional activities for Tokyo Revengers 2 and also left the stage production Evangelion Beyond. After a period of rest, he gradually returned to acting in 2025.

His most recent known project is the film Lost and Found, a Singapore-Japan co-production in which he stars alongside Shawn Thia and Anna Yamada.

At the moment, Nijiro Murakami’s professional future remains unclear. While many fans are shocked and disappointed by the reports, others are waiting for official confirmation and further details before drawing conclusions.

For now, the situation remains sensitive, and the entertainment industry appears to be distancing itself from the actor while the case continues to unfold.