Sponsors Displeased with Matsumoto Hitoshi’s Women’s Selection Instructions, Impacting Yoshimoto Comedians’ Associations

The Weekly Bunshun is launching a wave of attacks on “Downtown” star Matsumoto Hitoshi.

The female trouble broke out at the end of last year. Matsumoto had his junior comedians gather women for a drinking party. According to the participating women, they were encouraged to engage in sexual relations with Matsumoto, calling it a game.

Yoshimoto Kogyo, to which Matsumoto belongs, immediately denied the article in its entirety. The company attempted to suppress any further inquiries by threatening legal action, but this had the opposite effect.

Bunshun began firing two or three arrows at Matsumoto at the beginning of the year, pushing him into a corner. Matsumoto suddenly announced that he was suspending his entertainment activities in X.

“I’m going to fight this because it has no basis in fact.”

However, if the case were to go to trial, it would take years for the verdict to be finalized, so some people view this as a de facto retirement.

The effects of the uproar are not limited to Matsumoto, but also extend to Yoshimoto Kogyo.

The real names of comedians mentioned as having attended to women for Matsumoto are Speedwagon Kazuhiro Ozawa, Kenji Tamura, and Punk Boo Boo Jun Kurose.

“If Mr. Ozawa is from Horipro Com, the others are affiliated with Yoshimoto. If Weekly Bunshun’s claims about a system of offering women (to Matsumoto) are true, the companies that tacitly understood and allowed it may also be held accountable.” (Sports newspaper reporter)

In the issue released on the 18th, Bunshun featured a leaked “women’s selection instructions” addressed to Matsumoto’s junior comedian, Y, who is in charge of procuring women. 

The article states, “The handwriting is very similar to the handwriting that Matsumoto wrote in the past.”

“The authenticity of the instructions will likely become a point of contention in the legal proceedings. Bunshun has formed a ‘Matsumoto Hitoshi Special Coverage Team’ and deployed reporters nationwide. The evidence that has emerged is being published after consultation with the company’s legal department and advisory lawyers.” (Same sports newspaper reporter)

The instructions included Matsumoto’s requests for black hair, Tsutaya staff, McDonald’s, Starbucks, high school or middle school teachers, lawyers, public relations women, and married women without children, among others. It is mentioned that JAL and ANA airline staff were acceptable, but not staff from low-cost carriers (LCC).

At this point, we do not know if these instructions are genuine. However, the companies whose names are mentioned in the report will not be able to ignore it in silence.

“They were viewing their female employees as sexual targets. From the company’s perspective, it’s natural to find that unforgivable. The companies mentioned may distance themselves from Yoshimoto comedians in their commercials or as image characters. That instruction document has that much destructive power.” (Comedy industry insider)

The TV personality Anmika touched on this issue in an episode of “Sunday Japon” (TBS) broadcast on March 21.

“Women are not objects to be paid for.”

And that’s her firm stance. Furthermore,

“Some people say you can just say no, but there are societies and environments where saying no is not easy. So, it’s important for everyone to empathize and work together to create an environment where people can say no. That’s crucial.”

She stated.

With last year’s Johnny’s Entertainment issue, it became evident that the power to control the life and death of talents lies with the sponsor companies paying advertising fees to the media. No matter how popular a talent is, it’s not easy for them to appear in public if sponsors say no.

A person from a TV station said

“What’s happening with Matsumoto right now is exactly that. It might be okay if it stays limited to Matsumoto alone. However, if more organized stories or articles that compromise the dignity of women come out in the future, it could be broadly interpreted and have a ripple effect throughout the entire comedy industry.”

He pointed out.

Matsumoto responded to the Bunshun report,

“I have never forced people to have sexual relations with me.”

However, the impression is that the real issue has already shifted away from that. How much has the surrounding environment tried to accommodate the “king” of the comedy world? A swift investigation into the truth is urgently needed.