Tomoaki Ogura: The Truth Behind the Ogura Pilgrimage to His Yakiniku Restaurant

Tomoaki Ogura, a former newscaster for Fuji TV’s morning information program “Tokudane!” and other shows, passed away on December 9th at the age of 77. He publicly revealed in 2016 that he had bladder cancer and underwent a full cystectomy in 2018, continuing to fight his illness for many years.

A person who knew Ogura shared:

“When I met him about a month and a half ago, he said, ‘I’m going to live for a long time!’ and spoke energetically. His steps were unsteady, and he walked slowly, but his complexion was good. I never imagined he would pass away so soon.”

In his final days, he was at home, watched over by his family.

According to sources, Ogura was hospitalized in mid-November, but on December 4th, the doctor informed him that there are no treatment options. He was sent back home on the 6th.

His junior, cancer survivor announcer Shinji Kasai, revealed during an information program that he spoke with Ogura just two days before his death:

“The doctor had already told him, ‘You don’t have to try so hard anymore.’ Ogura then said, ‘I’ve already given up.’ His voice was hoarse, and he sounded very weak.”

According to Ogura’s official website:

“Last month, he complained of severe back pain, and tests showed that the cancer had metastasized to his pelvis, lumbar vertebrae, and meninges. His condition rapidly worsened this month, and yesterday, surrounded by his family, he passed away at home.”

Ogura was known for his candid and unfiltered remarks as a news anchor, which made him popular. A television industry insider recalls:

 

 

“His opening talks on ‘Tokudane!’ were really Ogura-san’s off-the-cuff improvisations. He never mentioned beforehand, even in the planning stage, ‘I’ll say this.’ The staff were nervous, but he had many fans.”

Ogura was also very supportive and took care of others. Many people, including artists like Kobukuro and Ayaka, gained popularity thanks to Ogura’s strong backing.

Appearing on “Tokudane!” would boost CD sales.

“He would always attend concerts and even visit the backstage and after-parties. Naturally, people would gather around him,” says a music industry insider.

“If you got on his good side, you’d get featured on the program,” they continue.

Such hidden motives led many music industry figures and other professionals to frequent Ogura’s yakiniku restaurant, spending large sums of money. This became known as the “Ogura pilgrimage.”

“This wasn’t because Ogura directly told them, ‘Come to my restaurant.’ It was just that industry people, hoping to get closer to him, would eat and drink there, boasting about how much they spent, like ‘I spent 200,000 yen the other day,’ and the story grew in a way it wasn’t originally meant to.

Well, I’ve never heard of him favoring someone just because they spent a lot of money at his place. However, if you got featured on ‘Tokudane!’ it made a huge difference in CD sales compared to appearing on the rival show ‘Sukkiri’ on NTV. Industry professionals were desperate to get their musicians on ‘Tokudane!’ — there’s no doubt about that,” says the same music insider.

Ogura, who stuck to his on-site approach until his condition worsened, received numerous tribute messages from musicians and entertainers, a testament to how loved he was. — Rest in peace.