Silence Surrounds Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi’s New Song “Let’s Raise Our Fists Together.”

On the 7th, Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi updated his Instagram, revealing that he visited Nagoya for promotion:

“I came to Nagoya for promotion! I appeared on radio and TV!”

He followed this with a photo of himself crossing his arms in front of the Chubu Electric Power MIRAI TOWER in the background. He then continued to announce live performances on September 5th and 6th at Aichi Sky Expo.

“Everyone, come over!! Let’s raise our fists together and sing from the bottom of our hearts!!”

He called out to his followers. 

It was expected that the announcement of a live performance by the “charismatic” Takashi Nagabuchi himself would stir up enthusiastic, if not fanatical, fans. However, the situation is surprisingly quiet. In fact, on social media, there are quite harsh comments such as “He talks big for someone who hasn’t done much” and “Where did the manly Nagabuchi go?”

The reason Nagabuchi has become openly criticized is due to the allegations made by Shiho Wakabayashi.

“In November 2023, on a live stream on X (formerly Twitter), Shiho Wakabayashi suddenly confessed that a prominent musician, X, had sexually assaulted her in 1998. Naturally, speculation about X’s identity began online, with clues like ‘prominent musician and actor’ and ‘co-starred with Wakabayashi in a drama,’ quickly leading to Takashi Nagabuchi’s name surfacing. Wakabayashi later publicly identified X as Nagabuchi. This sparked a heated debate online between supporters and critics, causing a significant uproar.” (Sports newspaper reporter) 

The public was keen to see how Nagabuchi would respond, and during his appearance on a net program on February 3rd, he stated:

“Even now, there are people who die from slander, and it’s like they’re suppressing the truth by stirring up only the facts as if they’re trampling on people’s hearts… It’s a stronger violence than that. It’s frustrating, but tears came to my eyes.”

“The mass media is so despicable that it feels like it’s diving into people’s hearts, making them want to die. That’s the truth.”

He spoke like this. This caused a whirlwind of opinions, with critics saying things like “excuses that don’t make sense” and questioning whether “sexual misconduct isn’t despicable.” Supporters backed Nagabuchi’s criticism of the media. However, some calm fans suggested he “speak the truth in his own words” and “apologize sincerely.” A senior official at a longstanding entertainment agency revealed this.

“If it’s not true, he should refute it properly, and if it is true, he should apologize sincerely. This is expected of Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi, who claims to be a ‘man,’ but unfortunately, it seems he hasn’t reached his fans. On April 11th, on his official YouTube channel,

 

‘Why didn’t I say that if I thought so at that time, decades ago? When it comes to criminal cases, shouldn’t I be arrested?’

 

He made statements that caused controversy, discussing being ‘banned from TV and radio’ and receiving ‘slander on the internet,’ repeatedly making remarks that don’t seem like those of the ‘manly Nagabuchi.'”

 

Previously, voices of support that were once heard are now absent, and fans are mostly maintaining silence.

 

In fact, there’s a definite trend of fans drifting away. Music industry insiders also express disappointment, saying:

 

“Many of the staff who work with him at his live shows were originally big fans. They were drawn to his old-school, athletic, almost military-like personality and that ‘passion’ of his. They admired him deeply, but now that his true nature has been revealed, all of us, including myself, are feeling let down.” 

The senior official from the entertainment agency continues:

“Many fans were disappointed on April 11th by his complaints, thinking ‘Is he really like this?’ If he could sincerely apologize and say ‘Sorry, I was wrong,’ forgiving fans might still support him generously.”

If he can’t apologize in the manner fans expect from a ‘man,’ I fear his chances of restoring charisma are slim.

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