On June 5, 2026, it was announced that Shibukawa Nanba has requested to leave the Kadokawa Sakura Knights ahead of the publishing of a magazine article exposing an affair that Shibukawa had over the past few years.
In an apology video, it was revealed that Shibukawa had been in a relationship with a woman starting in October 2022 that continued until recently, even after he married fellow mahjong pro Hayakawa Rinka in March 2023. Though the exact contents of the article have not been revealed, Shibukawa states that LINE messages may also be included.
As a result of his shortcomings, he expressed deep regret for what he did and apologized to all his fans and those involved. And although it did bring great pain to his wife and deeply broke her trust in him, she will not be filing for divorce, but she will be “seeing how he will make amends in the future”.
Shibukawa also stated that he will be suspending all professional mahjong activities for the time being.
In the team’s official statement, manager Morii Takumi said that they will be considering and discussing next steps as the June 10 deadline to confirm contract intentions approaches.
Shibukawa Nanba got his start in M-League as part of the commentary team, getting his first chance in the booth on March 2020. In July 2022, he was drafted by the Kadokawa Sakura Knights. And after winning the 2023 edition of M-Tournament, he helped take his team to the finals in the very next season, where they finished in 3rd place.
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