Industry Resentment Toward TOKIO’s Taichi Kokubun Over Discriminatory Behavior

It is possible that a settlement has already been reached.

Taichi Kokubun (50) of “TOKIO” announced a suspension of his entertainment activities due to multiple compliance violations. Since he had a public image of being pleasant and seemingly a good person, many were likely shocked.

At a press conference held by the president of Nippon TV on June 20, the contents of the compliance violations were not officially disclosed, not even whether there was a “victim,” citing “privacy concerns.”

It was revealed that:

“It is not a matter of criminal prosecution.”

“It is not related to ties with organized crime.”

However…

“What exactly does that mean? One possibility is that there was a monetary settlement with the victim and the matter has already been resolved. It could also be an old case where the statute of limitations has expired, making prosecution impossible. Or perhaps it’s a minor issue not warranting criminal charges. But if it’s just a minor issue, the punishment feels excessively harsh. If neither the agency nor the network reveals any details, Kokubun risks being left at the mercy of speculation,” said a variety show insider.

On June 22, entrepreneur Takafumi Horie—also known as Horiemon—updated his YouTube channel. He stated he had heard the details of Kokubun’s “compliance violation” from someone in the TV industry and commented:

“Even though it seemed like such a peaceful show, something like that was going on behind the scenes.”

“If what I heard is true, I thought, ‘There’s no way he can come back.’”

Some staff members were Kokubu NG

Meanwhile, a veteran TV industry insider said they were not surprised at all by the reports of Kokubun’s compliance violations.

“They never would have said this if not for the current scandal, but among the former Johnny’s talents, I always thought Kokubun was the most unpleasant. From my perspective, it’s like, ‘Finally, it’s come out.’ He is very picky—if there’s even the slightest thing he doesn’t like, he blatantly changes his attitude, spits out harsh words, or ignores people.

This time, I heard he made discriminatory remarks toward the staff of the show ‘Tetsuwan DASH,’ and engaged in severe power harassment and moral harassment. Kokubun has treated assistant directors and others the same way for years, so when those ADs rose to become directors or producers, some said they ‘ban Kokubun’ from working with them.”

Kokubun’s wife is a former TBS employee. One wonders whether she ever saw or heard about this hidden side of her husband.

Various reports have surfaced about power harassment, sexual harassment, and verbal abuse. Not only Kokubun himself, who has disappeared after only a superficial apology, but also the company TOKIO Inc., must be questioned—what do they think about all this?