A controversy is swirling around BTS leader RM following allegations that he smoked in restricted areas during the group’s recent stop in Japan.
According to a report published on the 23rd by the Japanese weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun, the rapper was spotted at a bar in Tokyo’s busy Shibuya district with a group of acquaintances while in town for the band’s Tokyo Dome concerts.
The outlet claims RM smoked multiple times in designated non-smoking zones, including on public streets and inside building corridors where “no smoking” signs were clearly posted.
【写真多数】BTSのリーダー・RMは渋谷の居酒屋＆バーをハシゴして路上喫煙《警備員が明かす「ポイ捨てした吸い殻を…」》https://t.co/hZf5y0xBKL#週刊文春
— 週刊文春 (@shukan_bunshun) April 22, 2026
The report further alleges that RM discarded cigarette butts on the ground instead of using an ashtray. Witnesses cited by the magazine claim that a security guard approached the group to ask them to stop, but RM reportedly continued smoking regardless.
In a detail that has particularly frustrated fans and critics alike, a staff member was allegedly seen kneeling down to pick up the litter left behind by the artist and his companions.
Shukan Bunshun released several photographs alongside the report to substantiate the claims, which quickly went viral and sparked a heated debate across social media. While some fans are waiting for more context, many others have expressed disappointment over the apparent disregard for local laws and the burden placed on the staff.
As of now, RM’s agency, Big Hit Music, and its parent company, HYBE, have remained silent and have yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident. This situation comes in the midst of the “BTS Arirang World Tour,” which launched earlier this month in South Korea and is scheduled to head to Tampa, Florida, following the conclusion of their Japanese dates.
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