Yamazaki Records Women’s Street Videos, Capturing Matsumoto’s Pickup Techniques

On January 8, Matsumoto Hitoshi announced his hiatus through Yoshimoto Kogyo. After the announcement, Matsumoto updated his X (formerly Twitter) page,

“I’m going to fight it because it has no basis in fact,” “I’m going to appear on the Wide na Show,” including that.

He is scheduled to appear on Wide na Show (Fuji TV) on December 14 to talk about the allegations himself.

What will happen to Kazutaka Ozawa of Speed Wagon, who is reported to have served as a so-called attendant in the alleged sex scandal of Hitoshi Matsumoto reported by “Weekly Bunshun” on December 27 of last year? All eyes are on him.

 

Since the alleged direct contact by Bunshun after December 22nd last year, there have been no updates on Ozawa’s social media accounts. His talent agency, Horiprocom, commented, “We will not make any statements.” On December 30th, he appeared on the radio show Appare Yattemasu! Saturday (MBS Radio) and was asked by Kato Koji of Gokuraku Tonbo, “Ozawa-san, what’s the current situation? There have been various reports.“

He replied, “I’m sorry, I can’t say anything.”

Later, on January 5, Shukan Josei PRIME reported the contents of the victim’s LINE thanking Matsumoto and Ozawa, and Matsumoto attached the image to his X and tweeted, ” It finally came out.” and Ozawa did not respond at all.

When Matsumoto was a bachelor, this magazine witnessed him on numerous blind dates with women and taking them back to their hotels. It was, after all, the junior comedians who were attending to the women and taking them to Matsumoto’s place.

The following is a look back at Matsumoto’s one-night stand with several women in 1995, based on a reporter’s interview record.

 

Kunimasa Yamazaki films women with a video camera 

This magazine witnessed Matsumoto’s pick-up, blind date, and take-home scenes many times that year, and Kunimasa Yamazaki (who changed his name to Kunimasa Tsukitei in 2013) was present at most of those scenes.

Kunimasa was in charge of calling out to Matsumoto when he would pick up girls in downtown areas. At one point, he used this method to pick up girls. At Shinjuku and other stations, Kunimasa would film women coming out of the ticket gates with a video camera in hand, and when Matsumoto found a girl of his type, he would show the video to Matsumoto, who was waiting in his car.

In the meantime, another comedian calls out to the girl and makes her stand by. When Matsumoto gives the go-ahead, Kunimasa calls the girl and brings her to the car.

This magazine’s team has also witnessed a similar situation. At that time, the girl got into Matsumoto’s car and drove away.

Another method was to talk to women who came to an open recording of “Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!!” (Nippon Television Network).

At the time, the 18-year-old vocational school student who spent the night with Matsumoto spoke to our magazine, saying the following in a direct interview.

“After the recording was over, a man wearing what seemed to be an AD (Assistant Director) with an earpiece handed me a piece of paper and said, ‘This is Matsumoto-san’s phone number. He says he wants you to call him.’ I called him immediately, and Matsumoto-san said, ‘Let’s meet later.’ So, I got into a car outside the venue. Yamazaki-san was in the driver’s seat, Matsumoto-san was in the passenger seat, and I sat in the back. I had no idea where we were driving, and before I knew it, we had arrived at an apartment.”

It was a different apartment from the one Matsumoto had just rented in March 1995. However, on that day, the car did not go near the condominium. Kunimasa circled the area several times and peeked at the car parked on the street. Finally, the car went into the built-in garage.

When Kunimasa was the only one outside again, he walked around the area and kept an eye out for cars and people passing by. At times, he even called out to them. Passersby who were accosted would naturally give him a scowling look.

After a few hours of patrolling the neighborhood like that, Kunimasa rushes into the apartment building, perhaps having received a call from Matsumoto. Then the shutters open and Kunimasa is in the driver’s seat and Matsumoto is in the passenger seat. The woman seems to be in the back seat as well. The car stopped at Shinjuku station and only the woman got out.

Another woman who had spent the night with Matsumoto at the apartment said,

“As the time for the last train approached, Mr. Matsumoto suddenly became soppy and said, ‘You still have time for the last train,’ and handed me 2,000 yen and dropped me off at Shibuya Station.”

The magazine also interviewed several other women at the time, one of whom said:

“At that time, there was a rumor among fans that if you attended the recording of ‘Gaki Tsukai,’ you could have a relationship with Matsumoto-san. On that day, I dressed up in a fantastic outfit and went to the front row. I believe there were quite a few girls who applied for the audience with the same purpose as mine.”

And that’s what she said.

Matsumoto was single at the time, and his popularity was at its peak. As far as this magazine has been able to determine, none of the women we interviewed regarded these incidents as sexual assault. However, the method of using junior staff members to capture women had been a practice that Matsumoto had continued since that time.

Sometimes Koji Imada served as a chauffeur during the interviews conducted by this magazine at that time. On December 29 of last year, Imada referred to Matsumoto’s problem on “Wide Na Show Year-End Golden Live Broadcast SP” (Fuji Television Network).

 

He said, “I don’t think the Matsumoto-san and Ozawa-kun I know would say very much, and I have never heard of a comment like the one written in the article from Matsumoto-san. I have been on many blind dates with him. I have never seen or heard him make such comments in person.”

With these words, he indirectly denied the contents of the Bunshun article.

“Certainly, in 1995, Matsumoto was rather popular to the extent that women approached him. He might not have been suspected of sexual assault like this time. Therefore, Imada might have made such statements for that reason.” (Executive from a well-established entertainment agency)

“I’m going to fight.” As if to follow Matsumoto, who posted the following on X, Ozawa’s agency, HORIPRO.com, released the following comment on the 9th.

“To all of you, we apologize for causing concern. Speed Wagon’s Kazutaka Ozawa will continue his activities as usual. This is because there is nothing for Ozawa to be ashamed of in his actions. There is absolutely no truth to the reported facts in some weekly magazines, especially about setting up drinking parties with the specific purpose of engaging in sexual activities.”

Matsumoto is making a statement to the effect that he will reveal the truth in the judicial arena. Will there be a long battle ahead for Matsumoto and Ozawa?