Hideaki Takizawa’s Vision for World Transformation and His Attraction to Radical Ideologies

In the previous article, ” [The Biggest Scandal in Johnny’s History] With a Fired Colleague by His Side…Hideaki Takizawa Overcomes the ‘Corpses’ “, we reported in detail on the structure of Johnny’s, where many boys are sacrificed in order to let one talent shine.

A life that overlaps with the officers of the February 26 incident.

“Hideaki Takizawa is already like a young officer!”

A young reporter said. He is a skilled entertainment journalist working for a major media outlet.

In October 2022, Takizawa suddenly left Johnny’s agency and established a new company, “TOBE,” in March of the following year. Former V6 member Ken Miyake, King & Prince members Sho Hirano, Yuta Jinguji, Yuta Kishi, Kis-My-Ft2’s Hiromitsu Kitayama, and even members of Johnny’s Jr.’s IMPACTors transferred from the agency and began activities with TOBE.

At just about the same time that Johnny Kitagawa’s sexual abuse was revealed, Keiko Fujishima Julie, the president, apologized, and Johnny’s agency was headed toward dissolution. If Hideaki Takizawa had remained Johnny’s vice president, he too would have been held responsible, faced questioning at a press conference, and might have found himself in the same position as Noriyuki Higashiyama.

The series of Johnny’s issues were triggered by the BBC broadcast. I checked the dates and found that,

March 16, 2023 = Hideaki Takizawa established TOBE.

March 18 = The BBC broadcasted a documentary on Johnny Kitagawa’s sexual abuse to the world.

What a coincidence! Just before the collapse of the Johnny’s empire, Takizawa had established his own independent entity. This brings to mind the words of the reporter at the beginning.

“Young Officer”

What could that possibly mean?

It refers to the February 26 Incident.

On February 26, 1936, a coup d’état was instigated by young officers of the Japanese Army. 1,483 individuals rose up, and several ministers and high-ranking military officials were killed, but the rebellion was suppressed by the anger of Emperor Showa, and the ringleaders were executed.

Let’s compare Johnny’s to the Japanese state, Hideaki Takizawa to the young officers, and Keiko Fujishima Julie and the conservative factions in the agency to the high-ranking military officials. Emperor = Johnny Kitagawa had already passed away. In other words, the young officer, Hideaki Takizawa, instigated the rebellion as the legitimate successor of Johnny’s spirit (the Imperial Way faction).

 

 

The Roots of ‘Abnormal Passion’.

Further, there is the Manchurian Incident of September 1931. The Kwantung Army blew up railroad tracks at the Liutiaohu in the Republic of China, which led to the occupation of all of Manchuria. The leaders of this were military staff officers Seishiro Itagaki and Kanji Ishihara.

 

By the way, the world-renowned conductor Seiji Ozawa, who passed away this February, was born in Manchuria and was named after the characters “Sei” from Itagaki Seishiro and “Ji” from Ishihara Kanji. As depicted in the film The Last Emperor, Manchukuo was a dream state created by those who had left Japan.

In other words, Hideaki Takizawa’s sudden departure from Johnny’s is like the February 26 Incident, and TOBE is the equivalent of Manchukuo—this is the interpretation.

What could connect the young officers of the early Showa era and Hideaki Takizawa of the early Reiwa era? Let’s read The History of Showa in the Castle of Demons by Daikichi Terauchi (Mainichi Newspapers, 1988).

“What Was the Manchurian Incident? My long-standing question eventually became a major concern as I learned about the presence of Nichiren nationalists who began to appear throughout the formation process of Japanese fascism, from the May 15 Incident to the February 26 Incident.”

The subtitle of the book is “The Path to the February 26 Incident and Nichiren Nationalists.”

The leaders of the Manchurian Incident, such as Kanji Ishihara, and the young officers of the February 26 Incident were ardent followers of Nichiren ideology. Nichiren was a distinctive Buddhist monk whose teachings were feared as a harsh ideology (he was exiled to Sado).

At the foundation of the revolutionary thoughts of the young officers that shook the Showa era was Nichiren ideology. It is often heard that Hideaki Takizawa is a member of Japan’s largest religious organization that worships Nichiren’s teachings.

Comedian Hidekazu Nagai confessed about the time he met with the honorary chairman of the organization along with Takizawa.

“In January 2005, at a headquarters executive meeting held at the Tokyo Makiguchi Memorial Hall in Hachioji, I had the opportunity to receive encouragement from Mr. Ikeda in front of about a thousand members of the organization. At that time, Takizawa was chosen to star in the NHK historical drama Yoshitsune, so Mr. Ikeda, who loved historical dramas, looked very pleased on stage. Speaking of Takizawa, he was also favored by Johnny Kitagawa and then Daisaku Ikeda. I thought it was amazing that he received the favor of such strong-willed figures from the Showa era” (Daily Shincho, November 21, 2023).

Hearing this, it’s clear that the issue of Takizawa’s faith is not a gag of Hidekazu Nagai’s but is certainly true.

That said, I am not particularly interested in the fact that he is one of the many celebrity members of a secularized religious organization. Rather, I feel that Hideaki Takizawa embodies the same kind of passion that flows through the veins of the young officers of the Showa era who devoted themselves to Nichiren’s radical ideology, known as Nichirenism.

Takizawa’s intense stoicism and strong inclination towards the transcendent are often discussed. It is said that in his youth, he admired the professional wrestler Atsushi Onita and covered his bedroom bed with barbed wire, turning it into a ring, and fought alone every night. Furthermore, he even had a match against Antonio Inoki in the Yokohama Arena.

Additionally, he had an unexpected face as a volcano explorer. He has conquered four out of the five major lava lakes in the world and achieved a feat accomplished by only five people in human history. It is an extraordinary passion that goes far beyond mere hobby.

The ‘Charisma’ Partnering with Takizawa.

This evokes the image of Nichiren training on Mount Hiei and later entering Mount Minobu in his later years. One might say that the soul of a mountain ascetic can be seen in Takizawa.

The young officers of the February 26 Incident were supported by the extraordinary thinker Kita Ikki. Kita was also a radical Nichirenist. ‘An Outline Plan for the Reorganization of Japan’ was a banned book that incited a coup. 

“Behind the phenomena of Showa history that interest me, there always stood a thin figure in a Chinese outfit like a bizarre peak—Kita Ikki” (Yukio Mishima).

He has an ambiguous, dangerous, and mysterious charisma.

Now, who is the Kita Ikki for the young officer Takizawa? To put it plainly, it is none other than Takushi Okuno, the leader of the Gobo Party! He is an entrepreneur, political activist, and has even stepped into the ring as a fighter.

Okuno confessed on the official X (formerly Twitter) of the Gobo Party, “I have an old friend named Hideaki Takizawa. We have been friends for about 15 years.” He further stated, “The volcanic adventures, which are almost a synonym for Takky, were actually adventures we started together.”

Okuno, who faced dangers in the mountains with Takizawa, praises him as a younger but senior. Just like Kita Ikki praised the young officers.

It was Chigaku Tanaka of the Kokuchukai who guided Ishihara Kanji to Nichirenism. Inoue Nichisho, who was also devoted to Tanaka, organized a “one person, one kill” blood league and carried out terrorism by youths. Additionally, among the Kokuchukai members was Kenji Miyazawa, who wrote “Namu Myoho Renge Kyo” in the final line of his poem “Ame ni mo Makezu” (Unbeaten by Rain).

Hideaki Takizawa’s unusual passion, strong stoicism, and courageous action in adventure are connected to them. It sounds as if “You, go for it!” from jainism and “Namu Myoho Renge Kyo” from Nichirenism are echoing in his mind.

The Descendants of Nichiren’s Vision for World Reform. Nichiren, who aimed for world reform in his work Risshō Ankoku Ron, has inspired his successors: the young officers of the February 26 Incident and the Manchurian Incident, Kita Ikki, Tanaka Chigaku of the Kokuchukai, the young terrorists of the Blood Alliance Incident, Miyazawa Kenji of Night on the Galactic Railroad, and Ikeda Daisaku of Human Revolution, leading to the present-day Tackey of TOBE.

“I have decided to once again walk the path of entertainment. (Omitted) Dreams are not something you simply see. Dreams are something you make come true. (Omitted) Let’s build this new era together” (Tackey’s declaration upon the establishment of TOBE).

Now, Tackey is set to realize Nichiren’s dream of world reform in the realm of idols!

In the next article, ” [After the power of one collapses…] Hideaki Takizawa’s ‘most important thing’ from Johnny’s to TOBE “, we will discuss the “next strategy” that Takizawa Hideaki has in store for us after his independence from Johnny’s.