Fans “thank” Takarazuka’s director for his criticism in the press…? Takarazuka’s “Special Circumstances” Accelerate Reforms “Even as the Public’s Discontent is Exposed

《It was all on TV, and now all of a sudden the events happening around me are being told on TV. What I see there is not the real thing around me, but only an upper fiction adapted by the media.

On November 19, Keiko Ueda, the current director of the Takarazuka Revue, posted a lengthy comment on her Instagram along with an image with the words “press disaster.

On September 30, a female member of the troupe was found dead after collapsing on the grounds of her apartment building, and she criticized the troupe’s subsequent response and the series of media reports surrounding the press conference on the issue, which the Hyogo Prefectural Police believe was most likely a suicide.

According to a document released on April 14 after the theater troupe asked an outside lawyer to investigate, the woman had worked more than 118 hours of “overtime” in one month.

It is undeniable that there was a psychological load to the extent that it would not be surprising if it caused a mental disorder.

The report also states that “it is undeniable that there was a degree of psychological strain that could have caused mental disorders. On the other hand, the bereaved family pointed out that the woman had worked approximately 277 hours in the month immediately preceding her sudden death. Nevertheless, the Revue,

There was neither victim nor perpetrator.

and denies any “bullying” by upperclassmen. The company also stated that it could not confirm any power harassment. In response to the media that reported the incident critically, the current director sent out a message like the one at the beginning of this report. The latter part of the message cited the “Three Principles of the Press” and included a # (hashtag) at the end of the sentence,

The end of the message included such phrases as, “The Japanese press has fallen so far,” “The one who says it wins wins,” and “The right voices are not being heard. Some fans responded, “Well said!

You’ve said it well.

You are right.

At the same time, a certain OG made a comment on the installation. Around the same time, a certain OG spoke passionately on Instagram,

“It’s all Corona’s fault, don’t blame the upperclassmen.

The same time, a certain OG passionately stated on InstaLive, “It’s all Corona’s fault, don’t blame the upperclassmen.

I don’t think he realizes that this statement and the reaction of his fans are very much out of step with the general public consciousness.” It is similar to the relationship between the former Johnny’s and Kabuki and some enthusiastic fans. Regardless of the cause, Johnny’s, Kabuki, and Takarazuka, which have long led the entertainment world in Japan, are all undergoing major changes.

We, as providers of entertainment, should take this fact seriously, but we have yet to look outside the entertainment industry.

A certain theater critic expressed his indignation in the following words. The reason for this is as follows.

As soon as they understand the reality, fans will leave Takarazuka. The theater company and the office are most afraid of that. If they do not continue to win over the fans, this entertainment will disappear. That is why they had to speak out to the fans who blindly believe in them and tell them that what the outside world is reporting is wrong.

But I don’t think that is correct. If the outside information is different, then they must fulfill their accountability with convincing words, not a series of specious words.

However, it is also true that various “changes” are taking place in the Takarazuka Revue area.

For example, university co-ops nationwide have stopped purchasing group tickets for Takarazuka Revue starting next year, and NHK has just announced that it will distance itself from Takarazuka. NHK has also announced that it will no longer be participating in the “FNS Song Festival” (Fuji Television Network) this year, even though Takarazienne has appeared on the program almost every year.

At a press conference held on March 24, Hiroyuki Ishige, secretary general of the Japan Association for International Expositions, announced that the five Takarazuka Revue actors who had been appointed as ambassadors for the “Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025” would not be active for the time being. Furthermore, Zuka fans are beginning to voice their criticism of the aforementioned director’s transmission and their concerns about the future of the company.

Some are angry that ” insiders should refrain from doing anything unnecessary,” while others are dismayed that “things have calmed down a bit with the redoing of the hearing,” and others are sighing, “And the criticism that is directed against the entire media…….” Another commented, “One can’t help but feel the lack of social awareness on the part of Takarazuka’s executives and directors.”

In the Kabuki world, too, once the verdict on Ennosuke Ichikawa (real name Takahiko Kinooshino, 47) came out, the Kabuki world was abuzz with talk about when he might return to the stage. However, many fans of yesteryear said, ‘This is not the time to be talking about a comeback.

Some have also said that the issue of moral harassment, which is said to have been the cause of the incident, should be discussed thoroughly and reformed. It is ironic that Takarazuka has been exposed for the discrepancy between the inside of the company and the public, which may have served as a catalyst for accelerated reform.

On November 22, the Nishinomiya Labor Standards Inspection Office conducted an on-site inspection of the Takarazuka Revue, and according to a report in the Mainichi Shimbun on November 27, it was learned that the company had also been advised to correct the situation in September 2009. Will Takarazuka really be able to let the pus out of its own mouth?

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