The Takarazuka Revue’s “fountainhead” press conference destroyed the Hanshin Tigers’ Japan championship….

He said, “There is a little bit of power harassment, but it’s not as bad as it used to be.”

He added, “There are still some organizations that are very strict about manners and decorum,

“Some organizations are still very strict about manners and etiquette, and there is still a lot of competitive pressure,” he said. Others, such as Takarazuka, remain independent and completely protect their own world.

He also described them as “independent” and “completely protecting their own world. He added, “Japan today is in the process of replacing itself.

Japan is in a period of transition. A new type of entertainment world is being created.

A new type of entertainment world is being created. The culture and corporate culture that have been handed down since the Showa period are no longer applicable.

Takarazuka, however, is resisting to the end. The bereaved families and the media have called for a re-investigation, but there is no sign of any new action being taken. It is as if they are praying that the furor will die down with the passage of time.

If one were to venture to look for a “crying spot,” it would have to be the parent company, Hankyu Hanshin Holdings (HD).

The parent company’s business is the Hanshin Tigers, which has won Japan’s No. 1 professional baseball championship. Although the team has been so successful that it has had a major positive effect on the economy of the Kansai region, the Takarazuka issue has cast a dark shadow over the region.

In Hankyu Hanshin HD’s consolidated financial results for the first half of September 2023, sales in the stage business, centering on the Takarazuka Revue, increased 1.3 billion yen from the same period of the previous year to 17.8 billion yen. The company had been showing a steady recovery after the COVID-19 crisis, but in September, a member of the company was found dead.

A member of the troupe was found dead in September. This will have an impact on performance revenues and merchandise sales. Above all, in this era of compliance, if the company takes a careless approach, it will have a negative impact on the company’s image. The Tigers had just won the championship and the excitement was building up, but they ruined it.

Hankyu Hanshin Holdings usually holds its annual shareholders’ meeting in June. The company’s shareholders are famously passionate, and when the Hanshin Tigers were “weak,” there was a flurry of criticism of the manager and suggestions for reinforcements. This year, however, the company’s “Okada Hanshin” team was doing well, so there was no wind in its sails, but who knows what will happen next year?

Next year, the Takarazuka issue is more likely to be on the chopping block than the Hanshin issue. If a large number of shareholders raise their voices, the company will not be able to ignore it. If the Takarazuka side wants to draw the curtain back on the investigation with that report, they will have no choice but to put pressure on the parent company, won’t they? (Writer for an economic magazine)

Even though the Tigers had just won the championship in Japan, the Takarazuka issue is likely to wreak havoc on the team.