Is Kokubun Holding Back? The Unspoken Tension a Writer Noticed in TOKIO

TOKIO was an unconventional group.

The worst-case scenario has finally come true: TOKIO is disbanding following Taichi Kokubun’s (50) indefinite suspension over a compliance-related incident. With no clear explanation from any party involved, public frustration and speculation have only grown, making the controversy even more volatile.

Some say, “I can’t believe someone so calm would do something wrong.” Others counter with, “He changes his demeanor depending on who he’s around—he has a hidden side.” So who is the real Taichi Kokubun?

To get a clearer picture, several writers who have long covered TOKIO—not just Kokubun individually—were asked to reflect on the group’s dynamics. Interestingly, many pointed out the same thing: “TOKIO was different from the typical Johnny’s (now STARTO ENTERTAINMENT) groups.”

“The first impression I had was that they had big builds. Most of the former Johnny’s talents are actually much slimmer and smaller in person than they appear on TV. These days, there are more tall members, but generally speaking, they’re all pretty slender.

But the members of TOKIO had a solid, masculine build that really stood out.

Matsuoka (Masahiro, 48) and Nagase (Tomoya, 46, who left in 2021) were tall, and even though Joshima (Shigeru, 54) is officially listed as 170 cm, his stocky frame made him look much bigger. Yamaguchi (Tatsuya, 53, who left in 2018) may have been short, but he had a muscular presence that never made him seem small.

In contrast, Kokubun was the only one who had that typical Johnny’s build, which made him seem a bit overshadowed.” —Writer with over 20 years of interview experience

“He’s the only one who doesn’t show his true self.”

The members’ personalities also seemed noticeably different from those of other groups.

“They didn’t go out of their way to accommodate each other—in a good way. Everyone just did their own thing and acted true to themselves. Normally, when guys of similar age gather, they tend to assert dominance or act cautiously so they don’t get teased. That’s true for idol groups too. With most of the former Johnny’s groups, you could sense that kind of atmosphere lingering.

But with TOKIO, the members didn’t seem to care about reading each other’s moods. They just said what they wanted, freely and openly. That left quite an impression on me.” (Same writer)

However, even in this regard, Kokubun seemed a bit different. Another writer shared a story that gave insight into the genuine personalities of each member:

“There was a time I asked all five members, ‘What would make a boyfriend finally decide to get married?’ And their answers were truly all over the place.

Nagase cheerfully rambled on about himself, like, ‘Well, if it were me~’—it didn’t really help answer the question at all (laughs). Matsuoka said something very reasonable, like, ‘Forcing someone to decide usually doesn’t work out in the end.’

Yamaguchi, on the other hand, gave a rather harsh response: ‘Instead of always expecting things from the other person, think about what you can bring to the table.’ It felt a bit stern, honestly. Then there was Joshima, who said, ‘Just start living at his place and cooking meals—if it were me, I’d probably just laugh and go along with it.’ He seemed like a carefree but kind person.”

So, what did Kokubun have to say?

“He said things like, ‘Yeah, you want to get married, right?’ and ‘What should you do about it?’ He was trying to come up with a solution. While all the other members spoke from their own personal perspectives—‘Here’s what I think’—Kokubun seemed to take the woman’s side.

But rather than coming across as thoughtful, it felt more like he was playing it safe, trying to be the nice guy. While the others didn’t hold back in expressing their own views, Kokubun was the only one who seemed unwilling to show his true self.”

Perhaps a negative side of his strong MC (hosting) skills

Another writer shared this impression of Kokubun:

“Among the members, Kokubun came across as very quiet—almost timid. I remember being shocked during my first group interview, thinking, ‘They’ve been together for so long, and yet their dynamic still feels like this?’

I think Kokubun was just an ordinary guy surrounded by strong, assertive personalities—both in build and presence—and maybe he was constantly overwhelmed. Perhaps that led him to put on a brave front in order to keep up, or maybe the stress ended up being directed at staff around him. In any case, I felt like he might be a textbook case of someone timid becoming dangerous once they gain power.”

Yuri Nishina, a writer known for her sharp character analysis, shared her take on Kokubun’s recent controversy:

“I also saw TOKIO as a group that leaned heavily into a wild and manly image. Within that, Kokubun’s build and personality may have felt like an outlier. That might be why he pursued a unique role—becoming the group’s MC, something the other members didn’t challenge.

Being a good MC requires the ability to coolly assess everyone’s role and then create moments for them to shine. But in a harsher light, it’s also the ability to judge who’s strong and who’s weak. I suspect the harassment allegations may have revealed the dark side of his strength as an MC.

When Kokubun and the others debuted in the 1990s, compliance wasn’t a big focus yet. It’s possible that his fundamental sensibilities were just out of sync with today’s standards. Personally, I wish he had held a press conference, apologized properly, and been given a second chance.”

STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, which has an agent contract with Kokubun, has stated that there are no plans for a press conference. Will we ever hear his side of the story?