Nakata Cause’s Criticism Shifts Atmosphere at Yoshimoto: Oozaki Appointment a Failure

Comedian Nakata Cause, known for his eccentricity, has caused a stir in the comedy world with his candid remarks. 

In response to a direct interview by “Friday” magazine, Kaus bluntly stated his opinion on the sexual coercion allegations against Matsumoto Hitoshi of “Downtown.”

“Matsumoto is out. If he touched clients or amateurs, then he’s out.” 

Kaus said decisively. He didn’t hold back when discussing Oosaki Hiroshi, the former chairman known as the mentor of Downtown.

“The biggest mistake in my 57-year career as a Yoshimoto comedian was appointing Oosaki as the president,” he criticized.

Kaus, who occupies a unique position within Yoshimoto, speaking out about the scandal has had a surprisingly significant impact.

“Kaus was dubbed the mastermind during the family turmoil at Yoshimoto in 2007, and since then, he’s been perceived as the shadow fixer. As evident from the article, Cause is one of the few who can voice opinions on Yoshimoto’s presidential appointments. His condemnation of the ‘Matsumoto-Oosaki line’ has sent shockwaves among Yoshimoto comedians,” said an insider from the comedy industry.

Given Kaus’s cunning nature, many are interpreting this exchange deeply.

Among gossip-loving comedians, there’s speculation that Yoshimoto distanced itself from Matsumoto after being hit by a gossip magazine’s expose, possibly at Kaus’s discretion. 

“Replacing Kaus’s words with Yoshimoto’s perspective might change the tone of comedians who have previously defended Matsumoto,” said a sports newspaper journalist.

Despite various speculations surrounding the “Kaus dialogue,” some believe there isn’t a deep conspiracy behind it.

Kaus emphasized “what it means to be a comedian” in the article. He sounded the alarm against the misconceptions of NSC-trained comedians led by Matsumoto, urging them not to get involved with clients.

He also referenced the topic of “Yoshimoto isolation,” asserting that comedians should primarily focus on their stage performance, and there’s no future in being a television comedian.

“This is something Cause has been saying for a long time. Yoshimoto is completely different in Tokyo and Osaka. Osaka comedians have a strong comedy fundamentalist aspect from their grassroots. As Yoshimoto has become a giant corporation, Cause probably wanted to appeal for a return to the roots of comedy,” said the aforementioned comedy insider.

Such Cause-admired Tokyo comedians include Shohei from “Shimofuri Myojo.”

During the radio program Shimofuri Myojo’s All Night Nippon (Nippon Broadcasting) broadcast on March 29th, Shohei and Seiya shared an episode when they went to greet Cause in his dressing room.

“The other day, when the two of us went to greet our mentor, Cause-sensei, he said something amazing to us. Something no other comedian has ever said to us.”

He cut to the chase

 “Looking at me, Cause leaned in a bit and said, ‘Hey! The man with the DNA of Cause Nakata!'”

 

Shohei revealed the unexpected successor nomination.

 

Laughing out loud, Shohei congratulated him, saying, “Congratulations! That’s awesome~”

Shohei seems to really adore Kaus.

“Both Shohei and Seiya primarily work in Tokyo, but when it comes to comedy, they are serious and polite. Shohei, in particular, embodies the essence of being a comedian, even carrying a huge debt from gambling, truly living the life of a comedian (laughs). It’s safe to say that they are comedians who fit Kaus’s taste,” says a comedy writer.

 

With the tremors from Yoshimoto still ongoing, a word from Cause might become a turning point in the whole Matsumoto incident.