Kazuya Kamenashi’s Departure Agency Scandal and KAT-TUN’s Split

A big fight broke out between the members, with them physically fighting in the dressing room

The idol group KAT-TUN will disband on March 31st, and member Kamenashi Kazuya (38) will also leave his agency, STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, on the same day.

Formed 25 years ago, the group was known for being unconventional, for better or worse, within the former Johnny’s agency, which aimed for propriety.

Jin Akanishi (40), who had a strong international ambition, left the group and the agency in 2010. Later, in 2013, Koki Tanaka (39) and in 2016, Junnosuke Taguchi (39) also left the group. Tanaka and Taguchi were arrested later for drug-related issues.

A reporter who has followed KAT-TUN closely recalled, “A famous story is the huge fight in the dressing room where the members physically fought each other. Each of them had such strong personalities, which led to the explosive popularity of the group.” After all the departures, only Kamenashi, Tatsuya Ueda (41), and Yuichi Nakamaru (41) remained. Nakamaru was reported for an extramarital affair last year, and after a period of suspension, he resumed activities at the beginning of this year.

According to the same reporter, “Kamenashi was the symbol of KAT-TUN. About a year ago, he began discussing the future with the members. Once he decided to leave, the group’s continuation was no longer an option. The other members agreed.”

There were opinions that if it weren’t for Nakamaru’s infidelity report, KAT-TUN could have continued, but according to the reporter, “That had almost no impact.”

Opportunities for members and fans to interact

STARTO Entertainment expressed gratitude on its official website:

“We would like to sincerely thank the fans and all those who supported KAT-TUN over the past 25 years.”

Despite this, fans are shocked by the sudden announcement.

In the midst of this, “Sports Nippon” cited the presence of STARTO Entertainment’s President Jun Fukuda (59) as a contributing factor to Kamenashi’s departure in a column titled “Reporter’s View.” Fukuda, who became the head of the new agency after the disbandment of the old Johnny’s agency following a series of sexual misconduct issues, had previously supported actress Non (31) and others.

The column discussed Kamenashi’s feelings:

“It seems that the issue wasn’t about the agency itself, but more about personally accepting President Fukuda.”

Fukuda was photographed in January kissing a woman in her 30s on the street, an unusual scandal involving the head of a talent agency rather than an idol.

“Johnny’s old agency was strict about opposite-sex scandals. Hideaki Takizawa, who was vice president at the time, was always cautious about the media. He kept a close watch on the daily actions of the agency’s talents. For Kamenashi, who grew up in that environment, the passionate kiss photos of the agency’s president were likely too much of a shock,” said a source from the entertainment industry.

On the positive side for fans, after KAT-TUN’s dissolution, there will be opportunities for fans to interact with the members again.

“It seems that all three members—Kamenashi, Ueda, and Nakamaru—strongly advocated for this. There will likely be an event featuring the three of them, and long-time fans are hoping for the reunion of ‘JinKame,’ the popular duo of Kamenashi and Jin Akanishi,” said the reporter from the earlier source.

With just a month and a half left until KAT-TUN’s dissolution, fans will likely cherish these remaining moments with a mix of emotions.