Yoshimoto Kogyo’s Controversial Matsumoto Hitoshi Announcement Sparks Backlash
“At present, within our company, we are conducting fact-finding through interviews involving the parties, with the assistance of compliance advisors and external lawyers, following their guidance.”
On January 24, Yoshimoto Kogyo announced on its official website that it had issued a statement regarding the Downtown Matsumoto Hitoshi women’s scandal.
“Our Response Strategy to Weekly Magazine Reports and Similar Issues”
The company announced the following statement on its official website in response to the Downtown Hitoshi Matsumoto scandal.
“Recently, we became aware of articles indicating that multiple women who participated in gatherings associated with talents affiliated with our company, despite being private activities, experienced psychological distress. We acknowledge that this is a matter that requires sincere attention and response on our part.”
This was the first time the company expressed words of remorse.
Furthermore, during the Governance Committee meeting held on the 23rd, it was pointed out that, “After thorough fact-checking, it is necessary for the company to fulfill its responsibility to explain in some form.” The initial company comment stating “There are absolutely no such facts” caused misunderstanding in the public and seemed unclear, leading to confusion.
