Matsumoto Hitoshi Faces Criticism Following Resumption of Social Media Amidst Stalking Reports

The lawsuit where Matsumoto Hitoshi of the comedy duo Downtown is suing Weekly Bunshun for defamation has seen intensifying outside-the-ring battles. 

 

On the same day that the article was published in the electronic version of Weekly Bunshun, Matsumoto’s legal representative, the Yaesu General Law Office, issued a counterstatement on their official website. 

“Many of the statements in today’s published article regarding the interactions between lawyer Masahiro Tashiro and lawyer Nobuo Nakamura are contrary to the facts.”

Taking a direct stance in opposition.

According to Bunshun, the lawyer X, who was consulted by Ms. A who reported the damages, appeared in the article. After receiving a rebuttal from lawyer Tashiro, X was named in the allegations. It turned out that X was actually lawyer Nobuo Nakamura.

 

Lawyer Nakamura claims that lawyer Tashiro asked him to stop Ms. A from appearing as a witness and even suggested that Tashiro implied an affair with Ms. A and threatened that it might become a news article.

 

While lawyer Tashiro’s side denies these allegations, they have admitted to hiring an investigative company to conduct a surveillance of Ms. A with the consent of Matsumoto. 

“Matsumoto posted a screenshot of a LINE message supposedly sent by Ms. A to X, with the comment Finally out, which indicates a high likelihood that he knows who Ms. A is.

 

Given this, there remain questions about the purpose of surveilling Ms. A at such a high cost. Regardless of the trial’s outcome, the reporting on the surveillance investigation of Ms. A has significantly damaged public perception.” (source from a wide-show program)

The disclosure of the surveillance investigation of Ms. A with Matsumoto’s ‘approval’ and the appearance of lawyer Nakamura raises questions about how these factors will affect the trial’s outcome. To explore this further, we asked lawyer Kousuke Nishiwaki, former head of legal affairs at TV Asahi.

“Lawyer Nobuo Nakamura is likely to become a key figure in the trial going forward. By publicly confessing and revealing his name, it appears that Nakamura has expressed a clear intention to be directly involved in the case. The most crucial factor in this trial is whether Ms. A’s testimony can be trusted.

A major determinant of the credibility of testimony is its consistency over time. If Nakamura, who states that Ms. A has maintained a consistent story for three years, submits a statement or testifies in court, it will likely serve as significant evidence.”

This analysis suggests that pulling Nakamura into the spotlight through Matsumoto’s aggressive tactics might be a significant mistake.

On July 14, around the same time the “surveillance investigation” report was published, Matsumoto posted on X:

 

“I plan to post and repost as usual. It’s a normal right.”

 

He also declared the reopening of his social media account and has been engaging in casual exchanges with juniors. 

“Since resuming his posts on X, it seems that Matsumoto is more focused on showcasing his love for dogs or posting pictures of ‘Downtown’ dolls rather than discussing the trial, indicating a desperate attempt to restore his public image.” (said the aforementioned wide-show source)

While some fans have expressed joy at the resumption of his posts, others have.

“You can hold a press conference too! It’s a normal right”

“Compared to this, Watanabe was impressive.”

“Being indecisive on social media is just lame.”

Many comments suggest a desire to hear an explanation directly from Matsumoto. Given that the trial has already begun, is there any advantage for Matsumoto in holding a press conference?

“In terms of simply winning or losing the trial, it is conventional not to hold a press conference at this stage. Saying something inappropriate could potentially harm the case.”

However, Nishiwaki notes that while this is the traditional approach, given the intense off-the-field battle with Bunshun, holding a press conference could also be a viable option.

“The recent Bunshun report has shifted the situation significantly. The suspicion that Matsumoto’s lawyer, Tashiro, engaged in such aggressive tactics has notably worsened public perception of Matsumoto. This might explain why Matsumoto chose to resume his social media activity to improve his image.

 

Initially, Matsumoto filed this lawsuit to restore his own honor. However, resorting to ‘forceful methods’ against Ms. A has damaged his reputation further, and continuing in silence without holding a press conference seems counterproductive. Ideally, Matsumoto should address the situation openly in a press conference to express his genuine thoughts and refute the unjust articles, which could help in restoring his image. The current approach seems to be moving further away from achieving the goal of restoring his honor. It might be beneficial for Matsumoto to hold a press conference now to better align with his true objectives.”

 

Depending on the trial’s outcome and Ms. A’s testimony, Matsumoto’s image might worsen further. If he genuinely wishes to restore his reputation, considering a press conference in addition to courtroom proceedings might be a good strategy.