<figure id="attachment_408425" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-408425" style="width: 3000px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="7bd614b0"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/01/fcd8956039f27a535993be26cf7782be.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-408425" class="wp-caption-text">Koji Higashino, who has been in the spotlight since the end of his two TV shows in March, is not worried about scandals.</figcaption></figure>
<h2> I feel sorry for Mr. Higashino.</h2>
<p> In March of this year, &#8220;Wide Nasho&#8221; (Fuji Television Network) and &#8220;Matrix Consulting&#8221; (Nippon Television Network) will end one after the other. Koji Higashino, 57, was the MC for both shows.</p>
<p> The main MC of &#8220;Widener Show&#8221; has a strong image of Hitoshi Matsumoto (61) of &#8220;Downtown&#8221; fame, but in fact, Higashino was the MC from the beginning, and Matsumoto was the lead commentator. Even after Matsumoto left the show to appear every other week, Higashino has continued to run the show with Koji Imada (58) and atsushi Tamura (51) of &#8220;London Boots No. 1 and No. 2&#8221; fame. However, Matsumoto&#8217;s absence left a large hole, and viewership ratings were stagnant. In the ending of the January <span lang="EN-US">12</span> broadcast, the end of the program was officially announced in a voiceover.</p>
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<p> On the other hand, with regard to &#8220;Matrix,&#8221; following the retirement of Shinsuke Shimada (68) from show business, Higashino has taken over the weekly MC duties along with Hiroyuki Miyasako (54) of &#8220;Ameagari Kesshitai&#8221; and Terumoto Goto (50) of &#8220;Football Hour. On other days, Higashino sat on the dais and appeared in drama reenactments. They were enlivened by their &#8220;stick acting&#8221;. Meanwhile, there are rumors that &#8220;THE MC3&#8221; (TBS), which just started in October last year and is hosted by Masahiro Nakai (52) and Hiromi (59), may also be terminated.</p>
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<p><span class="strongInContent"> Nakai&#8217;s future broadcasts and appearances are uncertain due to the revelation of his &#8220;90 million yen settlement of women&#8217;s troubles. While the other MCs on all three programs have been causing problems, Higashino has been working hard to keep the programs going, and some people are saying, &#8216;I feel sorry for Higashino-san.</span></p>
<p> However, in addition to these three programs, Higashino has also been the MC for the &#8220;Celebrities Really Thought About It! Dokkiri GP&#8221; (Fuji Television Network), &#8220;Ichikyukyaku dokkiru shiranai hanashi&#8221; (Nippon Television Network), and &#8220;Teach us, News Live: Justice no mikata&#8221; (TV magazine writer)! News Live: Justice no Mikata&#8221; (Asahi Broadcasting Corporation), and eight more if special programs and Kansai local programs are included. Why is it that he is so sought after as an MC?</p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" In his personal life, he is an old man."></div>
<h2>In his personal life, he is an &#8220;old man.</h2>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Higashino-san is tall at 178 cm and looks good in a suit, so he looks good in the center of the studio. He is also free from scandal. As for his personal life, although he has been divorced, he got back together with the same woman and remarried. He has two daughters, the eldest of whom also has a child.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> In other words, Higashino-san is a &#8220;grandfather. He is a comedian, so he does not actively talk about private matters that are not &#8220;funny,&#8221; but we do not hear any stories of flirtation or so-called &#8220;comedian games. This stability in his private life is a big point for TV stations and sponsors alike.</span></p>
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<p> Higashino is often seen giving loving criticism to junior comedians and idol talents whose names are not yet well known on the program, and bringing them into his unique world of laughter.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Although Higashino is often ridiculed by his co-stars for his &#8220;lack of emotion,&#8221; he often asks about the latest news from the celebrities in the make-up room or when greeting them backstage, and uses it to &#8220;grab&#8221; them for his talk during the show. In addition, Higashino-san is interested in entertainment topics. Many comedians have stated in their programs that they are not interested in what goes on in other people&#8217;s homes, or that they are done with adultery if their wives forgive them.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> That is why he was the perfect choice for MC of &#8220;Wide Nasho. He is also very considerate of his junior comedians, and has even invited comedians who had been sidelined due to the so-called &#8220;black market&#8221; issue to appear on his show.</span></p>
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<p> To begin with, Higashino is not at fault in any way for the termination of &#8220;Wide-Na Show&#8221; and &#8220;Matrix Counseling Center&#8221; as well as &#8220;THE MC3,&#8221; which has gone by the wayside. In &#8220;Widener,&#8221; too, Higashino has recently been asked by a guest every week, &#8220;Is this show ending? Higashino, with a mischievous expression on his face, says, &#8220;I have no comment! and he manages to keep them laughing. The industry people said, &#8220;As expected.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> It is said that his reputation in the TV industry, the trust he has earned from his co-stars, and the favorable impression he has earned from the viewers may increase the number of programs he appears in as his schedule becomes available in April and beyond.</span></p>
<p> Even comedians must be &#8220;steady&#8221; in their private lives, otherwise they are too risky to be useful. In this sense, Higashino may be the most suitable comedian for the current era.</p>


 Kyodo News

 Koji Higashino's two regular TV shows will end at the end of March. It is said that "THE MC3," which he co-hosts with Masahiro Nakai, is also likely to be terminated, and some in the industry are feeling "sorry for Higashino. However, there is a possibility that this may be a blessing in disguise.

Koji Higashino, who is an &#8220;old man&#8221; in his private life, has had two regular programs canceled, and may be in great demand from April onward.

Koji Higashino, who is an “old man” in his private life, has had two regular programs canceled, and may be in great demand from April onward.

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