Monta Mino’s Extravagant Lifestyle: “Use That Card However You Like,”

The truth about his one and only alleged affair during his lifetime

The late Monta Mino (aged 80) was often in the news for his lavish lifestyle at luxury clubs in Ginza and Roppongi, and it was reported that he gifted a woman he was dating in Ginza a ¥150 million apartment during his later years. However, during his career, there were surprisingly few scandalous reports about him, despite his flamboyant image.

Mino was only involved in one reported affair scandal in his lifetime. In 1991, FRIDAY magazine reported on an alleged affair with a female assistant from the TV show Afternoon Full Throttle TV (Nippon TV), where Mino was the host.

I was in charge of the interview at the time, and decided to wait at the Nippon TV entrance to confront Mino. After the show ended, Mino emerged from the entrance, being seen off by his staff, and was about to get into his car. When I approached him and said:

“We’re from FRIDAY.”

For some reason, Mino smiled and said:

“What? I’ll hear you out in the car, come on in.”

He grabbed my arm and pulled me into the car, which then drove off. As I sat beside him and explained the situation, Mino neither confirmed nor denied the allegations. Instead, he responded:

“When a man sees a beautiful woman nearby, he thinks, ‘It would be nice to get to know her better,’ right? Don’t you feel that way sometimes?”

I could only reply:

“Yes, I do.”

Mino then became serious and said:

“But, you know, things don’t always go the way you want. That’s just how the world works.”

I couldn’t find anything to say in response, and somehow I felt convinced by his cryptic explanation.

Later, in an interview with a sports newspaper, Mino firmly denied the affair, saying:

“I’m fine with it, but I have to think about the woman involved.”

Looking back, it might have just been a one-sided situation from Mino’s perspective.

I was more concerned about where the car was taking me, so I asked,

“Where are we going?”

He replied,

“I’m going home. Let’s talk a little more. You can return in this car, can’t you?”

I almost ended up being taken all the way to his home in Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture (at the time).

Monta Special made by pouring Dom Perignon and brandy

“Today, I have to return to the editorial office and submit the manuscript, so maybe another time.” 

I politely declined and have a memory of being dropped off.

After that, I would sometimes work with Mino-san on shows or pass by him at the TV station. Before the live broadcast and before changing into his suit, Mino-san always spent time in just a white short-sleeved T-shirt, even in the middle of winter. He was always deeply tanned, perhaps from golfing, and the white T-shirt suited him well.

Speaking of Mino-san, as mentioned at the beginning, he was called “The Emperor of the Night” and was known for being a fan of ‘club hopping’ to the point that there were said to be no clubs left that he hadn’t visited in Ginza or Roppongi.

I had also been with him at a club a few times, and he once recommended the ‘Monta Special,’ a drink made by pouring Dom Pérignon and brandy into an ice bucket. Unfortunately, since I can’t drink alcohol, I wasn’t able to try it.

At one point, when Mino-san was ‘commuting’ almost daily to Ginza or Roppongi, I asked him, 

“Don’t you get bored? Is it fun?”

Mino-san’s answer was,

“I’m not going there to have fun myself; I’m going to make the girls have fun. That’s what’s fun for me.”

Come to think of it, Mino-san’s table was always filled with laughter.

I once heard this story from a girl working at a club. It was around the time when he was hosting 16 regular shows and was certified by the Guinness World Records as the host with the most live appearances in a week.

One of the girls said, 

“Mino-san, isn’t your monthly income around 20 million yen? Give us a little of that too.”

Mino-san replied, 

“Next time I come, I’ll make cards for everyone, so use them as you please.” 

Showing the pinnacle of generosity. The girls were all delighted, exclaiming, 

“Wow, amazing! As expected of Mino-san.”

The next day, when Mino-san came to the club and pulled an envelope from his suit’s inner pocket, all the girls at the table were excited, saying, 

“It’s really happening.”

And when Mino-san handed out what was inside the envelope, it turned out to be telephone cards from his show “Omoikkiri Terebi,” 

With the punchline being, 

“Use them as much as you like.”

The girl said, 

“Mino-san may be a bit of a naughty old man, but he’s super fun, so I love him.”

Indeed, watching Mino-san’s shows is fun, and talking with him is enjoyable too. Even outside of work, Mino-san never forgot to entertain those around him. He was the world’s greatest host and an extraordinary entertainer. Rest in peace.