Maki Yoko’s Sudden Apology Sparks Greater Disturbance than Former Plus/Minus Host Iwahashi

Recently, former host of “Plus/Minus,” Yoshimasa Iwahashi, who has been causing quite a stir lately, updated his YouTube channel on February 27th.

“I deeply regret prioritizing myself over the fans, who should have been my top priority. I sincerely apologize,” he said.

Iwahashi had posted allegations of workplace harassment against the president of a production company closely associated with Masatoshi Hamada of “Downtown,” but it was removed at the request of Yoshimoto Kogyo. Additionally, he posted about being shot with an airsoft gun by Yoko Maki and Hey! Say! JUMP’s Yuto Nakajima, leading to the termination of his contract.

“Yoshimoto Kogyo terminated Iwahashi without confirming the facts or making any public statements. His partner, Takashi Kanemitsu, chose to remain with Yoshimoto instead of sticking with Iwahashi, his partner of over 20 years, and pursuing a career as a solo comedian. It’s a disappointing outcome, but once things spread on social media to this extent, there’s not much that can be done,” said a sports journalist.

 

However, there is someone whose entertainment career is even more precarious than Iwahashi, who was fired by Yoshimoto. That person is none other than Mayuko, who was explicitly named by Iwahashi.

“Mako’s use of social media poses an even greater risk than Iwahashi’s. She is currently affiliated with a small production company called ‘Soyokaze Corporation,’ but her management contract is with a major agency called ‘Repro Entertainment.’ However, her social media accounts appear to be left unchecked.

During a live stream, she raised her voice aggressively during the broadcast of the show ‘Darekato Nakai,’ in which she appeared, saying “Don’t watch it!!” And then, she made discriminatory posts targeting Iwahashi, among other inflammatory behavior. As Mayuko is an actress, if she messes up, there is a possibility of incurring penalties for breach of contract in dramas, movies, and other projects. The level of risk for comedians and actors is quite different,” said an entertainment industry insider.

Iwahashi revealed that he met Makki at Miyakawa Daisuke’s home, but Makki stated, 

“I have never met Iwahashi.”

Maki, however, deleted the photo of the two shots with Miyagawa from her social networking service. The world has now been made aware of it.

“I was just sorting through the photos,” she explained.

However, ironically, Maki’s live streaming is becoming more of an unwanted digital tattoo than the on-air presence of “Dareka to Nakai.” 

Immediately, Hollywood Zakoshisho posted a video titled “The Overly Exaggerated Yoko Maki” on YouTube, which garnered 690,000 views in four days, causing a massive buzz. It has explosively spread to other social media platforms, and Makki’s controversial behavior has widely circulated.

 Makki’s image damage as an actress exceeds that of Iwahashi. In the future, the impact on her work, such as dramas and movies, may be unavoidable.