On June 26, Taichi Kokubun (51) of the disbanded TOKIO held a press conference in Tokyo with his attorney, Masaru Komoda. The last time Kokubu appeared in public was on June 20, when NTV accused him of having multiple compliance problems in the past and asked him to appear in front of the media in order to explain the reason for the breakup of the popular TV variety show “The! DASH! DASH! He appeared at the press conference wearing glasses, a suit, and a gaunt expression on his face. At the press conference , Taichi Kokubun bowed his head. Attorney Komoda revealed that he was unable to apologize directly to Nittele and explained the purpose of the press conference: “Today, with the help of the media, I would like to express my apologies to the people I have caused trouble for and to express my feelings about my own situation. I am here to apologize to everyone in the media for the trouble I have caused you and to express my own feelings. He stood up, bowed his head for about seven seconds, and then said, “I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me, Taichi Kokubun, to have this opportunity today. First of all, I would like to express my sincere apologies to those whom I have hurt by my actions, even though it is late and I am very sorry that it is in this form and not directly to them. I am truly sorry,” he apologized. He bowed his head again. He continued, “To everyone involved in the production of Nippon Television’s “Tetsuwan! DASH!” I would like to extend my sincere apologies to everyone involved in the production of this program for the inconvenience caused by my sudden departure from the program that has been running for 30 years. Furthermore, we have been forced to make a decision without being able to explain the situation to our sponsors, other TV stations, and other media outlets, and we have not been able to offer a proper apology to them. I am deeply sorry,” he apologized to those involved. Choking on his words, he added, “And to my fans. I am truly sorry that it has taken me so long to explain myself and my feelings, and that I have caused you so much worry,” he said, expressing his feelings toward his fans. Regarding the cause of the uproar, he analyzed, “I came to realize that the cause of this situation during those days was my lack of awareness of the situation and position I was in. Regarding the series of upheavals, he revealed, “My heart did not follow me. DASH! DASH!” which had continued for 30 years, his own suspension, and the dissolution of TOKIO…” Tears welled up as he referred to the members. He then went on to mention the members and burst into tears: “The company that the three of us had worked so hard to build together closed its doors, and TOKIO-BA closed. We lost everything in a matter of days,” he said tearfully. I have no desire to be at odds with NTV, which has been a great help to us over the years,” he added, “We have continued discussions with Mr. Komoda and NTV in order to get answers, learn the facts, and properly confront the case and the people involved, but none of our requests have been fulfilled. However, none of our requests have been fulfilled, and we have come to this point. I am stuck and left behind in the world. I have chosen to file a petition for human rights relief in order to move this situation forward as much as possible. On June 20, Nittele will release a new episode of “The! DASH! DASH! Hiroyuki Fukuda, president of the station, held a press conference, but did not disclose the details of the problematic behavior, citing privacy protection. On October 23, Kokubu filed a human rights complaint with the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, claiming that Nittele’s handling of the situation was flawed. According to the petition, Kokubu was not informed by Nittele of the specific facts on which the disciplinary action was based, and thus was unable to provide an explanation to the public, which seriously affected him, including being dropped from other programs and having his contract terminated by sponsors. At the press conference, lawyer Komoda wanted to apologize to Nittele and all concerned, but complained that “the current situation is that Nittele has not accepted us at all. Nittele vehemently objected to Kokubu’s press conference, saying, “This is truly regrettable and we strongly protest. President Fukuda revealed at the regular president’s press conference in October that he was “very perplexed,” and insisted that the station’s response was “considered appropriate as verified by the Governance Evaluation Committee. According to the bureau, Kokubu offered an apology in August, but the bureau turned it down, saying it was premature.
