<figure id="attachment_348827" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-348827" style="width: 500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="29be2abf"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/12/169fb8b483db7e8cc8afb1f60f9a7dc8.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-348827" class="wp-caption-text">Kim Taku was also an esteemed and solitary figure</figcaption></figure>
<p> Sports Nippon reported on the 6th of this month that &#8220;Rockon Social Club (RSC)&#8221; will participate in the 74th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen on New Year&#8217;s Eve, the first time in 44 years that no members of SMILE-UP (formerly Johnny&#8217;s) will participate. RSC&#8221; is a band formed mainly by members of &#8220;Nantokogumi,&#8221; a four-piece band from the former Johnny&#8217;s office.</p>
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<p> Otokogumi was formed by Shoji Narita (55), Kazuya Takahashi (54), Kenichi Okamoto (54), and Koyo Maeda (55), and debuted with the single &#8220;Daybreak&#8221; in August 1988 from the former Johnny&#8217;s office. They participated in Kohaku two years in a row in &#8217;88 and &#8217;89, but suspended their activities as of June 30, &#8217;93. Narita was then arrested in September &#8217;09 for violating the Marijuana Control Law and sentenced to six months in prison, with a three-year suspended sentence (six-month prison term sought). Despite the twists and turns, on July 16, 2010, Otoko Togumi appeared on the TBS music special &#8220;Ongaku no Hi&#8221; (Day of Music). The group was effectively reunited and remained active until August of this year, touring the country and attracting 350,000 people.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> The issue of Mr. Janney&#8217;s sexual assault came into the spotlight this spring after a special program on the British national broadcaster BBC, but the group appeared on NHK&#8217;s music program &#8220;SONGS&#8221; in June of this year, when the issue had not yet developed into a major problem. At that stage, it was said that NHK had unofficially decided to allow Nandoko Gumi to participate in Kohaku. However, later, as the sexual assault issue became more serious, NHK stated in September that there was no possibility for the former Johnny&#8217;s to appear in Kohaku.</span></p>
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<p> (According to a music industry insider) &#8220;Since NHK had decided to thoroughly eliminate the former Johnny&#8217;s, it was difficult for them to allow Otoko Togumi to participate in the Kohaku. However, in September, &#8220;RSC&#8221; released &#8220;Kizudarake no Ousha,&#8221; a collaboration with singer/songwriter MISIA (45), who had already decided to participate in the Kohaku. The song was used as the theme song for NHK&#8217;s rugby broadcasts and was aired many times during this fall&#8217;s Rugby World Cup in France, so &#8220;RSC&#8217;s&#8221; appearance in Kohaku would be a big deal.</p>
<p> Furthermore, on the 5th of this month, the day before the SpoNichi article appeared, Okamoto announced that he had cancelled his agent contract with the former Johnny&#8217;s s office, which he had signed since &#8217;21, and would continue working for his own company for some time to come. However, he hinted that he would eventually re-sign with the newly established agent company, STARTO ENTERTAINMENT.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> It is believed that Okamoto&#8217;s departure from the former Johnny&#8217;s was NHK&#8217;s final condition for allowing Otoko Togumi to participate in the Kohaku. However, the internet was critical of Okamoto&#8217;s quick &#8220;response&#8221; and the way he &#8220;presented himself&#8221; as long as he was not a member of the group at the time.</span></p>

<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" He was &quot;untouchable&quot; at the office."></div>
<p>Okamoto, who had switched from an exclusive contract to an agent contract in &#8217;21 within the former Johnny&#8217;s, was originally ranked higher than Takuya Kimura (51) in his debut year among his talent. However, he was quite uninhibited from a young age and did not seem to have a sense of responsibility to take on the responsibility of carrying the office in the future.</p>
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<p><span class="strongInContent"> Okamoto&#8217;s acting ability had always been valued by Mr. Janney, and he was also favored by Janney&#8217;s sister, the late Mary Kitagawa. Therefore, even if he was reported to have had a female scandal, it did not become a problem at all.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Okamoto was reportedly in love with Misako Tanaka (64) in &#8217;94 and Yuriko Ishida (54) in &#8217;97, actresses with whom he co-starred in dramas at the time. However, Okamoto married a former model in 1992, and the following year, 1993, saw the birth of Keito Okamoto, a former member of &#8220;Hey!</span></p>
<p> (Entertainment reporter) In other words, if reports are correct, Tanaka and Ishida were having an affair. However, at the time, there was no censure of Okamoto from the office.</p>
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<p><span class="strongInContent"> Okamoto was an untouchable in the office at the time,&#8221; he said. His son Keito also had a number of scandals, including a woman scandal, but it is whispered that he was forgiven thanks to his father.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> He remarried a civilian woman in 2003 and announced the birth of two children in 2008. His deftness and uninhibited way of life have not changed.</span></p>
<p> The fact that they have been criticized for temporarily leaving Johnny&#8217;s must have been part of their preparation for the criticism they will receive. It may have been Okamoto&#8217;s first-class &#8220;toughness&#8221; to stand on the Kohaku stage again with the other Otoko Togumi members.</p>
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" Kenichi Okamoto, &quot;hand-in-hand date&quot; photo from 30 years ago"></div>

<figure id="attachment_348828" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-348828" style="width: 1778px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="fb954625"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/12/629a0b3eb0c1001142482c652cd45cef.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-348828" class="wp-caption-text"> Okamoto attends the rehearsal of Masahiko Kondo&#8217;s 35th anniversary event held in December &#8217;14. Behind him is Masahiro Matsuoka of &#8220;TOKIO&#8221; and in the foreground is Tetsuko Kuroyanagi. Mr. Merry was by his side.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_348829" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-348829" style="width: 4886px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="32145dbe"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/12/97f3d9ebb024ca2fb8eb003d2f5e5828.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-348829" class="wp-caption-text"> Kenichi Okamoto and Misako Tanaka on a &#8220;hand-in-hand amusement park date&#8221; photo (December 29, 1995 issue).</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_348830" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-348830" style="width: 2204px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="f86eb4bf"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/12/8b8e47388050e0642b723a1465e49758.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-348830" class="wp-caption-text"> The photo was taken in August 1994, when the two were co-starring in a TV drama, and a staff member was said to be nearby, but the two left their hands clasped without a care in the world.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_348831" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-348831" style="width: 2072px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="0c966364"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/12/6a205a24ee5565c6b0b9a70a18f6fd82.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-348831" class="wp-caption-text"> Okamoto was married at the time. Tanaka married &#8220;Take2&#8221; Kuniyuki Fukasawa a short time after this date, but there were rumors that he &#8220;gave up on Okamoto,&#8221; who was his wife.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_348832" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-348832" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="de4e2a71"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/12/6bd7dc276a4ccf6c33f62a0ae23188ae.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-348832" class="wp-caption-text"> Members of &#8220;RSC. From left to right: Hideki Aoyama, Shoji Narita, Kazuya Takahashi, Koyo Maeda, Yobito Teraoka (from official website)</figcaption></figure>


 Shu Nishihara (1st and 2nd)

 The RSC, led by the members of "Otoko Gumi," was selected to appear in the Kohaku, which had become "Johnny's Zero" in the past. Some have criticized Kenichi Okamoto's decision to terminate his contract with Johnny's for this reason, but it is said to be a decision that is typical of Okamoto.

Kenichi Okamoto’s unwavering determination in allowing Otoko Togumi to participate in the “old Johnny’s null Kohaku.

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