Fuwa-chan Leaves Tokyo Office Behind for Budget-Friendly Rental!

Among celebrities, jokes are being made one after another.

More than two months have passed since the defamation controversy that drew attention across Japan.

Talent Fuwa-chan (30) sparked a major uproar with her post to comedian Yasuko (26) saying, “Please die.” Even after Fuwa-chan announced her hiatus from activities, rumors continued to circulate about comedian “A Masso” Kanou (35) being the mastermind behind it all.

Since the incident, Fuwa-chan has remained hidden without holding a press conference. Many of her pre-recorded television appearances were edited out, leaving little opportunity for the public to see her. The only time her name comes up on terrestrial television is when other performers mention it as a joke.

“On the midnight broadcast of ‘All-Star Koyasai’ (TBS) on October 5, the victim Yasuko called out to the camera, ‘Fuwa-chan, are you watching~~?’ Yasuko also revealed on social media that she received an apology from Fuwa-chan, so it seems she has come to terms with it herself. Additionally, on the October 11 broadcast of ‘Sake no Tsumami ni Naru Hanashi SP’ (Fuji TV), actor Masahiro Higashide referenced the controversy, expressing his views on online defamation” (TV magazine writer).

With Yasuko herself having transformed the situation into material for jokes, it seems that the uproar has calmed down considerably. However, this does not mean that there are clear prospects for Fuwa-chan’s return to activity. A television network insider speculates, “The key to her comeback may lie with Nippon Television.”

“Fuwa-chan frequently appeared on terrestrial broadcasts, but surprisingly, her only regular show was ‘Gyoretsu no Dekiru Soudanjo’ on NTV. Nevertheless, her willingness to tackle any challenge, like her popular wrestling challenge project, earned her recognition among industry insiders.

While her name has already disappeared from the program’s official website, she hasn’t officially stepped down. Program staff with strong influence in casting still hold Fuwa-chan in high regard. If a ‘purification program’ for her return is to be made, it would likely have to be with NTV.”

The rent for the new office is less than 10,000 yen at the lowest.

As she declared in her past YouTube videos, Fuwa-chan began her overseas life in April this year. Given that she is currently on hiatus, it’s possible she has already relocated her base of operations abroad.

During this time of hiding, Fuwa-chan made a significant decision.

“About a month after the incident, rumors began to circulate that Fuwa-chan had ‘liquidated’ her agency. She had been operating her personal agency and moved it to a condominium in Shibuya, Tokyo, after gaining popularity and being nominated for the Word of the Year award in October 2020. It was a prime location just a five-minute walk from Shibuya Station. Given that the building was over 40 years old, the rent was about 100,000 yen per month. However, due to her hiatus, it seems she wanted to cut unnecessary expenses. I heard she quietly vacated the place after the incident,” said a source from a talent agency.

To verify the truth, a FRIDAY Digital reporter headed to the former office condominium in Shibuya at the end of September, only to find that it had already been vacated and was being cleaned by a cleaning company.

Checking the corporate registration records, it was confirmed that the office in Shibuya had been vacated as of October 11. The office had relocated to a commercial building in Kanagawa Prefecture. When the reporter visited the new address, they found a five-story commercial building, two floors of which were designated as rental office spaces. On the first floor of the building, there were over 100 rental office mailboxes, and one of them bore the name of Fuwa-chan’s personal agency.

“This rental office can be used for just under 10,000 yen if you register a corporation with a mailbox. However, it only has small spaces divided by partitions, and I don’t think it can function as a celebrity agency,” said a local real estate agent.

A representative from a previous talent agency stated.

“Although they have effectively shut down the office, it seems they want to keep some semblance of it while minimizing costs, considering the possibility of a future return.” 

When we sent an inquiry to the agency regarding the office relocation and plans for future activities,

“Currently, the individual is on hiatus, so we would like to refrain from providing a response.”

That was the response given. Will we ever see their activities in Japan again?