King Kong’s Akihiro Nishino Talks About His Special Relationship with His 10-Year Love and His Feelings Toward Hitoshi Matsumoto

“Hey, isn’t he that famous YouTuber?”

In mid-June afternoon, passing pedestrians couldn’t help but take a second glance at Akihiro Nishino (44) of “King Kong,” strolling casually through the streets of Tokyo. Dressed in training wear and drawing attention from onlookers, Nishino headed towards a personal gym. After sweating it out for about an hour, he met up with a woman with brown hair. The two began walking and chatting together.

“The person with Nishino was his girlfriend, A-san. As Nishino himself has revealed, they met at a cabaret club where she worked, and they started dating around ’11. They openly acknowledge this ’10-year love,’ and Nishino has mentioned it several times at events,” a sports entertainment reporter said.

Halfway, they stopped by a convenience store to grab hot snacks before heading to a bustling park filled with couples and families. One might think they were enjoying a picnic atmosphere, but this is where Nishino’s eccentric behavior began.

“In the park, Nishino started walking in circles around the 500-meter outer perimeter route while playing with his smartphone. Meanwhile, the woman with him was left waiting alone on a distant bench,” a student at the park observed.

Nishino’s walking lasted for about an hour. What exactly was he up to? Was he considering making things official with his “10-year love” girlfriend? Later on, we caught up with Nishino himself.

――The other day, you were circling the park while leaving your girlfriend behind.

“Really? (laughs) Oh, I always walk there. I run an online salon, and I was writing posts for the salon on my phone while walking.” 

――The woman who was waiting on the bench is your long-time girlfriend, A-san, right?

“Yes.”

――Three years ago, in your blog, you listed reasons why you couldn’t get married, such as not wanting to clutter your home with unnecessary things because you work there a lot. Has your mindset changed at all?

“No, it hasn’t changed. I still work a lot at home, and having more things around due to marriage would make it a bit messy.”

――Is your relationship with A-san akin to common-law marriage?

“Not really.”

――It’s quite remarkable to maintain a relationship for 13 years. You must have excellent compatibility.

“Maybe so.”

――What kind of person is A-san to you?

“She’s just my girlfriend.”

――What does A-san do for a living?

“She helps me with my personal affairs.”

――What have you been up to lately, Nishino-san? Are you making progress with your goal of a Broadway production of ‘Poupelle’?

“I might sound a bit full of myself if I say it, but things are progressing nicely. We had a performance for investors back in January, and we managed to raise funds. So, we can move on to the next step.”

――Do you have any thoughts of returning to being a comedian?

“I recently appeared on ‘Ametalk!’ (TV Asahi), and occasionally going back to the comedian scene is really fun. However, with projects like ‘Poupelle’ on my plate, it’s difficult to maintain a regular TV show.”

――What are your thoughts on the sexual misconduct allegations against Hitoshi Matsumoto?

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything about me drinking with Minato-ku girls, but I’ve never been to that kind of drinking party. So, I don’t really understand the mood. Personally, I’d like to see Matsumoto-san (on TV) again.”

 

During the interview, a taxi that was supposed to pick him up left midway, prompting Nishino to ask the FRIDAY reporter, “Please take me to Shibuya!” Despite grumbling in the car about being criticized as stingy, he graciously continued to answer questions.

It’s likely thanks to having a partner who understands his unique views on marriage that Nishino’s career continues to thrive.

From the July 19, 2024 issue of FRIDAY