Yuki Goto: The Depths of the “Copper Wire Incident” Report that Took a Fall from the Stars
Former FRIDAY editor-in-chief looks back on what happened with Yuki Goto [Part 1
Yuki Goto published ” Outlaw Philosophy (Rules): How to Struggle through Life without R ails. The editor in charge of the book is the ninth FRIDAY editor-in-chief (now working for another publishing company); why did the editor-in-chief, who widely reported Yuki Goto’s arrest 15 years ago, bring a book on “outlaw” to the world? The editor in charge of FRIDAY’s editorial department recounts the mysterious connection between the editorial department and Yuki Goto.
Fifteen years ago, in 2007, I was the chief editor of FRIDAY. I have seen many scandalous photographs, and I will never forget “that cut,” the one I took of Yuki Goto, for the rest of my life.
I would like to briefly explain my “connection” with Yuki Goto, who used to be popular as “EE JUMP. He was scouted by the entertainment industry at the age of 13 and rose to stardom. However, when he turned 15, FRIDAY reported that he had been going to cabaret clubs in between his entertainment activities. In fact, it was this article that led him to leave the entertainment world.
FRIDAY was like a hand-out to Yuki Goto, a problematic celebrity in the entertainment industry who had caused several “incidents” before then. For Yuki Goto, FRIDAY must have represented the mass media, which he hated.
Years have passed since then. Five years after Yuki Goto retired from the entertainment world. I was appointed editor-in-chief of FRIDAY. Yuki Goto, on the other hand, was hanging out with his friends in his hometown and going wild. Bad rumors about Yuki Goto had spread to the editorial department at the time, and the interview staff was chasing after him.
On the night of October 11, 2007, my cell phone suddenly rang.
Yuki Goto has noticed our stakeout and is chasing us by car. My friends are also getting angry, and it’s not good!”
Yuki Goto had been marked by the police after he quit show business and repeatedly stole with his bad friends. The staff had been interviewing him to get a closer look at him, but they found out about it. At that moment, I instinctively felt. If we make a mistake, this trouble will be fatal.
‘Whatever it takes, get out of there!’
I yelled, and that was the only instruction I could give.
I was eating outside and took a cab back to the editorial office.
Stay safe!”
When I returned to the editorial office, the news crew had already returned. I was so relieved to see their safe faces. The best thing was that I could confirm their safety. If the magazine had contributed to the violence, the public would have been very hard on us.
Immediately after the staff report, the photographer brought the pictures. I was shocked to see the picture. There was a tattoo of a carp on Yuki Goto’s left neck. The picture was so clear that the carp looked as if it were alive. The former idol had been involved in a crime and had a tattoo that seemed to symbolize an outlaw.
What a fall, what a fall!
I took my hat off to the professionalism of the staff who came back from the dead to take such a powerful photo.
Then, FRIDAY magazine published a photo of Yuki Goto’s carp tattoo just before his arrest. One week before its release, Yuki Goto surrendered to the police. I remember that the magazine was almost sold out.
I continued to work as editor-in-chief of the magazine, and now I am working for another company and continuing to work as an editor.
I was concerned about Yuki Goto even after his arrest. My life as an editor also had its ups and downs. My life as an editor has had its ups and downs, and my life of trouble has continued, but at times I have remembered the trouble with Yuki Goto and the photo of the tattoo of the carp.
It is a strange thing that fate has brought me to be in charge of Yuki Goto’s book this time. And now I have the “prison notebook” that he gave me.
(Continued in Part 2)
Writer： Kazuchika Dehi PHOTO： Shinji Hamasaki
