Interview with Hitoshi Josaki, Former Host How a man who “completely dried up” in the entertainment industry was able to make it big in TV shopping

I have always believed that I should never lie or be dishonest, which is something I have been doing since I was a host. Even on QVC (a TV shopping channel that broadcasts 24 hours a day, 365 days a year), where I have appeared since my debut as a TV personality, I have always tried to introduce products that I truly believe are good with enthusiasm. I think I am where I am today because various manufacturers have recognized that attitude.

TV personality Sakihito Shiro (45) looks back on his career to date.

Born to parents who ran the popular Chinese restaurant Marutsuru in Itabashi, Tokyo, Josaki ran away from home after graduating from high school and became a host at the age of 20. He became the number one host at “Club Ai,” a famous host club in Kabukicho, and his monthly income at the time was said to be in excess of 30 million yen.

His family owned a Chinese restaurant famous for its fried rice, and even now there is a line of customers waiting in line every day. But I really didn’t want to follow in their footsteps (laughs). I visited “Club Ai” wearing the suit I made for my coming-of-age ceremony, and from the first day I was made to serve customers, so I became a host.

After I became a host, I went to work four hours before the store opened every day and handed out tons of business cards. It was a time when there were no social networking services like there are now, so I had no choice but to make steady efforts to acquire customers. Gradually, the number of customers who wanted to work with me increased, and eventually I was able to become number one, and I remained in the top class of Kabukicho for about eight years until my late 20s.

In 2005, Josaki made her debut as a celebrity, using her background as the former number one host in Kabukicho as a selling point, and her natural ability to talk quickly made her a successful actress. Not only was he a regular on variety shows, but he also appeared in numerous dramas and movies as an actor. However, around 2011, an incident led to his complete drying up from the entertainment world.

He said, “A drama that I was scheduled to appear in was suddenly cancelled. The reason was that the lead actor in the drama was an actor from a major agency, and my character was similar to his. I had to leave my schedule open for two months for that drama, and I refused all TV appearances during that time. My name is also on the script. The president and managing director of the office went to the TV station to protest, but the result was not overturned. …… After that, I was not invited to appear on TV at all.”

The period of disadvantage lasted for about five years. His income plummeted. He moved out of the luxury apartment he had been living in and moved to a 58,000 yen apartment in Shinkoiwa, Tokyo.

It was a 25-minute walk from the station, and my girlfriend and I lived in a damp room on the first floor. It’s a strange thing, the more you lower your standard of living, the more your luck goes down. I spent all day hanging out with her, and I didn’t make any money at all. Even if you are trying to look good, don’t lower your standard of living. You have to grit your teeth and do your best even when you are in a difficult situation. ……

What supported the man who was at the bottom of his life and led him to revival was TV shopping, in which he had appeared since his debut as a TV personality. During the period he was on hiatus, Josaki studied hard and acquired various qualifications and licenses to gain a deeper understanding of the products he was introducing.

She is a Diet Instructor, Super Food Meister, Yakuzen Instructor, Millet Meister, Soy Food Meister, and Scuba Diving Advance ……. I obtained all of these in order to properly communicate the products in my own words. I shut myself away for a period of dry spells and studied all the time.”

His enthusiasm was conveyed to viewers, and Josaki eventually became a top buyer in the TV shopping world. She once sold 250 million yen in a single day.

That’s my highest sale,” he said. I achieved this with a diet food product that contains no additives whatsoever. The manufacturer of that product was so grateful that they treated me to five days of entertainment in Korea, where their factory is located (laughs).

In the past three years, I have never failed to achieve the sales rate set for each product. I believe I have been able to achieve this because I introduce products that I have studied and found to be good. Actually, when I appear on QVC, I don’t even have a script. I just receive an explanation of the product and confirm the progress. I think up all the words for my introductions myself.

Last April, he went independent from Sun Music, to which he had belonged for many years. In his private life, he also announced his marriage to TV personality Chikae Kashima (32).

I am truly grateful to Sun Music for supporting my activities. I left Sun Music amicably, without any trouble at all. The reason I went independent was because I wanted to deal directly with the manufacturers, not through my manager. Thankfully, I have received many offers to work with me on product development.

My wife is very strict with me. If I do anything even slightly tacky, she says, “That’s not the Jin Josaki I like. I think I like the fact that she thinks of me like that and says so clearly (laughs). (Laughs.) Because of her, I am able to live my life without lying, and I feel that my work is going well because of it.

She never lies and introduces products that she herself is satisfied with. This belief is conveyed through the screen, which is why Josaki was able to recover from the bottom and continues to be active as a popular buyer.