After Ishibashi’s Scandal, What’s Next for Real Baseball BAN?

Past sexual harassment incidents continue to emerge

On April 16, Takashi Ishibashi (63) of Tunnels issued an apology through his agency. Ishibashi, who had previously revealed that he was undergoing treatment for esophageal cancer, also disclosed that he had developed throat cancer. Regarding the past sexual harassment allegations reported by Shukan Bunshun (April 17 issue), he explained, “It was over 10 years ago, and some details are unclear to me. However, I do remember dining with the individuals mentioned in the article. As for the specifics of what occurred, I honestly cannot recall, as I had been drinking heavily.” He also expressed his intention to personally apologize to the women after his recovery.

The third-party report on the issues surrounding Fuji TV, released on March 31, mentioned that over 10 years ago, a prominent program guest exposed himself during a dinner with a female Fuji employee. Bunshun reported that the program guest was Takashi Ishibashi. This revelation led to more of Ishibashi’s past sexual harassment incidents being uncovered online.

“On the internet, videos of Ishibashi’s numerous sexual harassment incidents during the Tunnels era, involving now-famous actresses like K-san and M-san, are being circulated. It has also resurfaced that in 1992, an actress in her 50s at the time filed a lawsuit against him for sexual harassment, which resulted in a settlement.

Regarding the past reports of his exposure, the mood online is one of no surprise. The former president of Fuji TV, Koichi Minato, who was considered a ‘mentor’ to Tunnels, was forced to step down as a result of the ongoing issues. As a result, Fuji TV is likely to refrain from using Tunnels for the time being,” said a TV industry insider.

Will there be any impact on other networks? Currently, the only program Tunnels continues to appear on as a duo is TV Asahi’s annual sports special, Yume Taiketsu: Tunnels no Sports Ou wa Ore da!!. The show has been airing since 2000, and this year, it was broadcast for six hours from 5pm to 11 p.m. on January 2. The third part of the program (from 7 p.m. to 11pm) recorded a 13.4% viewership rating (according to Video Research, Kanto region), which was the highest since 2019.

Real Baseball BAN would be impossible without Ishibashi

The show featuring Takaaki Ishibashi and Noritake Kinashi (63) along with top-tier athletes might feature only Noritake Kinashi in the future, but there is a popular segment on the show that wouldn’t be possible without Takaaki Ishibashi. It’s called “Real Baseball BAN.”

“It’s a baseball game that recreates the popular board game Baseball Board at the baseball field. The rules are the same as the Baseball Board game. The player hits a ball thrown from a pitching machine, and if the ball stops at a spot with a written instruction or hits a fence, the player follows that instruction. The pitcher only operates the pitching machine, and the batter only hits the ball, with no need to run the bases. It’s a very simple rule.”

So far, legendary big league player Barry Bonds (60), Japanese baseball legends Hiromitsu Ochiai (71) and Kazuhiro Kiyohara (57), and current MLB star Seiya Suzuki (30) of the Chicago Cubs, as well as Munetaka Murakami (25) of the Yakult Swallows, have appeared.

Takaaki Ishibashi leads a team of professional players, including former Yomiuri Giants player Yuji Yoshioka (53), former Nippon Ham Fighters Kazutoshi Morimoto (44), and Kenshi Sugiya (34), in a battle against another team of professional players. The handicaps create a well-balanced competition, making for exciting annual matchups. Many former players and current professionals are eagerly waiting for the opportunity to appear on this iconic segment. However, if Takaaki Ishibashi cannot appear, this segment would not be possible.”

What will happen to next year’s New Year’s broadcast? When we inquired with TV Asahi, the response was as follows:

“Since Takaaki Ishibashi appeared on the program in January this year, we confirmed with his agency. However, due to his ongoing hospitalization, the explanation we received was limited to the content of the press release, and no further information has been provided. We will make an appropriate decision regarding the New Year’s programming.”

The situation will be closely watched to see what appropriate decision will be made.

 

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