According to Josei Jishin and FLASH, comedian Hidekazu Nagai is currently involved in a civil trial over an incident in the Philippines.

In late May, Nagai visited the Philippines with a friend. They picked up two local women and took them back to a hotel, but Nagai's partner was only 17 years old. The next morning, Nagai found himself in custody of the police after the girl's parents reported the incident. Nagai ended up posting 11 million yen for bail and settling the matter out of court.

However, suspicion later arose that the incident may have been part of an extortion scheme targeting Japanese men, and that the girl, the parents, and the police were all accomplices. This possibility has led to the start of a civil trial.

Earlier this month, Nagai moved to New York to study English and standup comedy for a year. He asserted that the move had nothing to do with the incident, and he is ready to return to Japan if he needs to appear in court.