Nippon Television’s Distrust Towards Yoshimoto Kogyo and Unprecedented Statement of Feelings

“Did they think they could just brush it aside?”

The case of Saito Shinji, a former member of “Jungle Pocket,” who was sent for document prosecution, has drawn attention to the unusual response from Nippon Television, where he had close ties.

On the information program “ZIP!”, which featured popular anchor Mami Mizuto, the topic was discussed on October 8, where she commented, “We are very surprised and regretful about this report.” She also revealed that Nippon Television had not been informed of the situation by Yoshimoto Kogyo, stating, “We were told that Saito Shinji was unwell.”

According to a source from the station, even the upper management of NTV was completely blindsided by this revelation.

“The NTV side is not satisfied with Yoshimoto’s response. In fact, it had been reported at the operational level that there had been issues with women for a while. However, even when Saito left ‘ZIP!’ On September 25, Yoshimoto continued to assert that he was unwell, and since they claimed that, NTV could not pursue the matter further. If he had been interrogated by the police since July and was mentally struggling, that cannot be dismissed entirely, but it’s just a convenient excuse, right?

Now that this major issue has surfaced, the Yoshimoto side is reportedly apologizing, saying, ‘We didn’t hear all the details from Saito, so we couldn’t convey the reality.’ Normally, if someone has been interrogated for sexual misconduct, that’s a clear indicator of a problem. Last year, when there was a report of infidelity, they did not remove him from ‘ZIP!’, so this response is unacceptable. Trust in Yoshimoto is waning within the station.”

On October 7, Saito’s wife, talent Seto Saori, issued a statement. While she acknowledged her husband’s infidelity, she partially denied that it was non-consensual.

“It seems that the agency may have believed that Saito wasn’t solely at fault and that it wasn’t sexual misconduct. However, while believing Saito’s claims, they appeared to be negotiating a settlement with the victim behind the scenes. It raises the suspicion that they thought they could brush it aside if a settlement was reached, remaining silent until just before the victim filed a report,” noted the source.

Concerns about a decline in brand image.

Why has Yoshimoto been so slow to respond? A senior executive from a major entertainment agency analyzes that it is related to the ongoing legal issues surrounding Hitoshi Matsumoto.

“Hitoshi Matsumoto trial is at a critical stage, so Yoshimoto has become sensitive to sexual misconduct issues, which has led to their half-hearted response to television networks. If another comedian causes a scandal involving sexual misconduct following Matsumoto, it would seriously damage the brand image. ‘Downtown,’ the ambassador for the Osaka Expo, still features Matsumoto alongside Masakatsu Hamada. They are anxious about the possibility of further image decline and its impact on other major projects.”

The victim has reportedly stated during questioning that she will never forgive him, and the investigation will continue. If charges are brought and he is found guilty, the statutory penalty for non-consensual sexual intercourse is a minimum of five years in prison. What will happen to the suspect, Saito?

“Even if he is not prosecuted, returning to the entertainment industry will be extremely difficult. Including last year’s two infidelity scandals, this is the third controversy in less than a year. Moreover, this time it’s a police matter, so the damage to his career as a comedian is immeasurable.”

Yoshimoto, his backing, has terminated his contract. The only path left for the suspect seems to be atonement to the victims and their families.

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