The situation is a mixed bag.
The situation is becoming more and more confusing. “He says he doesn’t know which compliance violation was the reason for his resignation, but on the other hand, he has so many things on his mind. If specific details are revealed, it is he who will be troubled. ……] [Photo] Masahiro Matsuoka and Taichi Kokubun: What was discussed at a two-and-a-half-hour bar meeting in Nishi-Azabu. Taichi Kokubun, 51, was suspended for “noncompliance,” the actual nature of which has yet to be revealed. On October 23, four months after he was abruptly dropped from the program, it was revealed that he had filed a human rights complaint with the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA). Kunibata admits that he had acted in a way that violated compliancy in the past, and he says he deeply regrets his actions. However, there was no explanation from Nittele as to when and which actions led to the decision to immediately drop the program. In addition, he claims that since he was under strict orders to refrain from any words or actions that would lead to the identification of the people involved, he was unable to set up a place to apologize to them externally. In other words, Nittele’s response was inappropriate, and they decided to file the human rights relief claim. We are very concerned about the privacy of the people involved and other issues. We cannot help but feel that they are disregarding the privacy protection of the people involved, which is the area we place the greatest importance on,” and the situation has become extremely confusing. The sudden blowback from Kokubu is said to have shaken Nittele’s internal staff. A veteran Nittele employee tilted his head. There are voices from all over the station saying, ‘This is a story that has already ended, so why are they rehashing it now? Kokubu admits that he was at fault, so he is not going to rehash it now! DASH! (Nittele), and his agent must be well aware of that. If they were dissatisfied, why didn’t they deny or refute it first? Another mid-level Nittele station staffer said bitterly, “The most important thing for Nittele is to prevent the victims of harassment by Kokubu from being identified. Kokubu’s side says it wants to apologize to the parties involved, but such an action could lead to the identification of the victims, which could lead to secondary damage such as the development of PTSD or attacks from “TOKIO” fans. However, now that Kokubu has filed for human rights relief, the public will be critical, asking, “Why doesn’t Nittele give Kokubu a place to apologize? At the press conference when the petition for human rights relief was filed, Kokubu’s representative mentioned the issue of compensation for damages and penalties for dropping programs and commercials. The agent said, “(If there is a penalty), it will be a considerable amount of money. If it goes badly, I think he will have to sell his house.” However, entertainment reporter Chikako Komai denies the possibility of a huge penalty fee being charged. In the past, when Pierre Taki (58) and Erika Sawajiri (39) were arrested for drug use, they were charged the full cost of reshooting a film they were shooting. However, Kokubu did not commit a crime. And with the situation where it is not even clear what caused him to drop out of the film, it would be impossible to hold him accountable. Still, a thorny road lies ahead for Kokubu. I think it is almost impossible for him to return to terrestrial broadcasting. The sponsors will not allow Kokubu to return. Then, too, there is the question of whether he will be able to make a comeback on the Internet. Matsumoto Hitoshi (62) of “Downtown” will return on November 1 with his own Internet service, “Downtown Plus,” but this was made possible with the backup of Yoshimoto Kogyo, a huge entertainment agency. That is why Nittele, too, has been working on “Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Aahende! (Nittele), which is why Nittele is also cooperating by providing past footage of “Downtown’s Gaki no Tsukashiya Arahende! On the other hand, the only company attached to Kokubu is “TOKIO Inc. A major entertainment industry executive also commented, “In the first place, financial circumstances are not the reason for this, as Kokubu has ample reserves. The reason behind the counterattack is his family. In 2003, he married a woman three years younger than him, and they had a baby girl in 2004 and 2006, respectively. Immediately after his hiatus, he told his close acquaintances that he wanted to protect his children. The media was in front of their house every day, and the family could not even leave the house, so they hired security guards and stationed them around the house. Moreover, Nittele’s withholding of the contents of the compliant violation allowed the tail-wagging rumors to spread on their own. If this continues, it will even affect the children’s future – the main goal of Kokubun is to protect them. The most important thing is to protect the children. Even if you want to do YouTube, you can’t talk or sing by yourself. What will be the outcome of the battle with Nittele? From the November 14-21, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY
FRIDAY Digital