Taichi Kokubun to sue Nittele for “human rights violations!　He says he was asked inductively about the harassing behavior and that his desire to apologize was trampled upon.

Taichi Kokubun, 51, a TV personality, disappeared from the public eye due to “harassment. Although the details of the act were not disclosed, many people must have felt that “something must have happened, although we don’t know what it was,” as the president of NTV held a press conference. The “problem post” that revealed Taichi Kokubun’s “power-harassing temperament” and a shot of a handsome man from 27 years ago. It is hard to believe at first hand, but what emerges from the story of his lawyer is Nittele’s sloppy handling and a process of “disregard for human rights” that goes beyond “cutting the lizard’s tail. ***

I don’t know what happened.

　Before the fiasco, the successful TV personality had six regular programs on TV and radio, but that number has finally dropped to zero. On October 2, Hiroshi Yoshitsugu, president of TV Tokyo, announced at a regular press conference that the variety show “Boys’ Gohan,” in which Kokubu had appeared, would end. The reason for this was stated by President Yoshitsugu as follows. We do not know what happened, but Mr. Kokubu has gone on an indefinite hiatus and we are no longer able to have him appear on the program. Even the top management of the Tokyo key stations whose programs Kokubu appeared on have not grasped the details of the “Kokubu fiasco. Even the top executives of the Tokyo key stations whose programs Kokubu appeared on say they do not have a grasp of the details of the “Kokubu fiasco,” and since he has yet to give a proper explanation, various speculations are flying.

I want to apologize properly.

　However, four months have passed since the suspension, and now the uproar has taken a turn that no one could have predicted. Kokubu has filed a “petition for human rights relief” with the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (Nichibenrenren), claiming that NTV has violated his right to privacy and other rights in the course of its response to the series of disturbances. Why is Kokubu, who is supposed to be the “perpetrator” in this case, filing a petition with the Nichibenren? First of all, Kokubu wants to apologize to everyone involved in this case, including Nittele and the sponsors, for the trouble he has caused. He has been holding on to this thought strongly. He wants to apologize again to the public and explain his actions to the outside world. Of course, Kokubu-san still deeply regrets the fact that he was accused of noncompliance and says he is truly sorry. That is why he has been eager to give an explanation since immediately after the disturbance, but unfortunately his feelings have been trampled upon. Even from the eyes of a legal expert, the circumstances and procedures leading up to Nittele’s press conference with the president, and the subsequent response, were so terrible. So, after discussing it with Ms. Kokubu, we decided to file a complaint with the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.”