Former Japanese volleyball star sentenced to suspended year for cannabis possession

A Tokyo District Court panel sentenced former Japan men’s national volleyball player Shunichiro Sato to a one-year jail term, suspended for three years, after convicting him of illegal cannabis possession. The conviction stemmed from 0.831 grams of dried cannabis found in a bag Sato left at a pachinko parlor on May 27, where he was with teammates during a training camp break. Judge Hironobu Ono highlighted that Sato’s drug habit started in university and that he sourced cannabis from dealers via smartphone applications, occasionally using it with his romantic partner.

The judge cited Sato’s clean criminal history as a mitigating factor and delivered a suspended sentence, urging him to reflect on his actions and avoid future contact with drugs or dealers. Following the arrest, Sato was dropped from the national squad and his club, Wolfdogs Nagoya, terminated his contract. He hails from Miyagi Prefecture and had played for Wolfdogs Nagoya in the 2025-26 SV.League season.