Kon-chan’s Always Surrounded by the Coolest Crowd — Brother Korn, Kinashi & Hiromi Reunite

“I just can’t stay at home.”

Kinashi: I met Kon-chan when I was 18, and from then on, we were together almost every day, hitting up discos in Shinjuku and Roppongi. As a junior, I was taken under his wing, and he taught me that it wasn’t just about spending money and making a scene — what mattered was how stylishly you could have fun.

Korn: I think I was around 24 back then. Even now, with Noritake having become such a big star, whenever we meet, he treats me just like he did back then. He’s a truly important person to me.

When asked “Who’s your closest friend in showbiz?” Brother Korn (69) from Bubblegum Brothers immediately answers Tunnels’ Noritake Kinashi (63). The two first met around 1980, back when neither of them had made a name for themselves.

To celebrate Korn’s upcoming milestone 70th birthday, and the release of his autobiography WON’T BE LONG: A Life Swimming Through the Bubble Era (Kodansha) on May 21, a special talk between the two best friends was arranged. Hiromi (60), who made a surprise appearance thanks to Kinashi’s arrangement, joined in as the three reminisced about everything — from how they first met, to their wild nights during Japan’s economic bubble, and their thoughts on today’s TV industry.

Kinashi: I first met Kon-chan at a Shinjuku show pub called Kon. I already knew who he was because he’d been on Tobidase Monomane Daisakusen (Fuji TV). I was about to go say hi when Kon-chan called us over, saying, “Hey, you two, come sit and have a drink!”

Korn: I knew about Noritake too, since he was performing as Takaaki & Noritake with (Ishibashi) Takaaki (63).

Kinashi: At the time, I’d just gotten a job at Daihatsu. But Kon-chan was like, “You’re seriously going to be a regular office worker? You better quit right now.” So I was like, “Got it!” and quit immediately. From that day on, we spent our nights at discos in Shinjuku and Roppongi.

Korn: After partying till morning, it was our routine to crash at my place in Koenji before heading home. And somewhere along the way, Hiromi joined our little crew.

Hiromi: I was the youngest, so I just tagged along with Kon-chan and Ken-chan (laughs). If they said, “We’re drinking here,” we drank there. If it was “We’re finishing up with ramen,” we went for ramen. Since we were all in our 20s, we could hang out till morning. Now that I think of it, wherever we went back then, Kon-chan knew the staff, so we barely had to spend any money.

Kinashi: Totally. Even if we drank the good stuff, they gave us huge discounts. There was also this unspoken rule that other customers could pick up our tab.

Hiromi: Well, it was the bubble era. I guess whatever they didn’t bill us for, someone else ended up paying (laughs).

Kinashi: At the places Kon-chan hung out, you’d find people like (Akina) Nakamori, Tosshi (Toshihiko Tahara), (Fumiya) Fujii, Koji Kikkawa, RIKACO — all the cool people would gather around Kon-chan. So there was no way I could just stay home. I’d think they’re probably already having a blast without me, or maybe I’ll meet some new star tonight. It felt like I’d be missing out if I didn’t go.

The May 23 issue of FRIDAY (combined June 6 & 13 issue) and the premium version FRIDAY GOLD feature an in-depth report on the behind-the-scenes of All Night Fuji, which sparked the big hit WON’T BE LONG, the outrageous stories from TV stations during the bubble era, and the trio’s unique philosophy on fun.

For more details and multiple photos, click here↓.

The autobiography WON’T BE LONG: A Life Swimming Through the Bubble Era (Kodansha), which reveals the behind-the-scenes story of the million-selling hit that sold 1.7 million copies and his connections with major celebrities, is now on sale at bookstores and online nationwide.

From the June 6-13, 2025 issue of ”FRIDAY”