Nippon TV’s Silence on Kokubun Sparks Confusion — What His Unclear Violation Means for the Industry

Even television stations themselves said, “We haven’t been informed about what happened.”

On June 20, Nippon TV president Hiroyuki Fukuda held an emergency press conference and announced that TOKIO member Taichi Kokubun (50) had committed multiple compliance violations.

Kokubun himself announced an indefinite suspension from activities. Five days after the press conference, the group’s disbandment was announced, and on July 2, the formal closure of TOKIO Inc., established in July 2020, was also made public.

While events have moved rapidly, the specific nature of Kokubun’s compliance violations remains undisclosed. At the press conference, President Fukuda repeatedly stated:

“We cannot comment due to privacy considerations.”

As a result, no details about the violations have been officially revealed.

Even TBS, which airs Sekai Kurabete Mitara, a program hosted by Kokubun, stated during their regular press conference on July 2:

“We haven’t been informed of what the violations were, but we made a comprehensive judgment to have him step down. We’ve asked the agency to provide details once the facts are clarified.”

In other words, even the networks that aired programs featuring Kokubun are in the dark about the situation.

Some weekly magazines have reported allegations, including verbal abuse of program staff (power harassment) and accusations of sexual harassment such as sending or requesting explicit videos and images. However, these claims are based solely on witness accounts and testimonies.

“There’s been no leak of the images, videos, emails, or LINE messages allegedly sent or received by Kokubun, nor have any victims come forward publicly. There’s no conclusive evidence to prove the alleged power or sexual harassment,” says a sports newspaper reporter. “Even when investigating Nippon TV, it feels like a gag order is in place—nobody seems to know the exact nature of the violations.”

Because the matter warranted an emergency press conference from the president of Nippon TV and led to Kokubun’s removal from his programs, it’s widely assumed the violations must be serious. However, President Fukuda also stated:

“This is not a matter that rises to the level of a criminal case,”

—only adding to the confusion.

Normally, his other programs would have continued

Regarding the programs outside of Nippon TV that Kokubun appeared on, all have followed suit with his departure. According to a producer from a commercial broadcaster:

“Since he himself announced a suspension of activities, it’s only natural that he would step down. But because we have no details about the trouble, it’s hard to make any clear judgment. Even if there was power harassment toward staff at Nippon TV, if no such reports were made on my own show, it’s difficult to determine whether it’s appropriate to remove him. As of now, no other networks have confirmed any such conduct.”

Indeed, it seems that other programs are also unaware of the exact nature of the alleged harassment.

Another producer from a commercial broadcaster commented:

“There are many celebrities and hosts considered veterans in the entertainment industry who treat staff harshly and act high-handedly. There was even a veteran host of a news program who was repeatedly reported by magazines for severe power harassment, and it was actually true, yet they faced no consequences. If someone contributes strong ratings or otherwise benefits the network, it’s not so easy to remove them for power harassment alone. There are still talents appearing on shows today who have been reported multiple times for such behavior. So, the fact that he was immediately pulled suggests this isn’t just a case of power harassment.”

In reality, a well-known talent with a unique character was found to have power harassed staff and was removed from their role as host, leading to the show being canceled. However, other programs the person appeared on continued to air — and there are several such cases.

Currently, Kokubun’s return is seen as unlikely, and one reason for that is the lack of clarity regarding the content of the compliance violation. If it were merely power harassment, the possibility of returning might still exist — but it becomes a different matter if sexual harassment is involved.

“Even if it doesn’t amount to a criminal case, in the case of sexual harassment, like with Masahiro Nakai or Hitoshi Matsumoto, there’s a chance victims may come forward and reports could appear in magazines. That fear makes programs hesitant to work with him. So unless the content of Kokubun’s violation is revealed, a return to television is out of the question,” said the previously quoted commercial broadcaster producer.

What’s puzzling, however, is that even though Kokubun has stepped down, The! Tetsuwan! DASH!! (a Nippon TV program) is confirmed to continue.

The show was originally built around “TOKIO,” and now that “TOKIO” has been dissolved, there should be some level of group accountability. For example, in university sports clubs where a member causes a scandal, not only the individual but the entire team can be barred from official competitions.

Because of this, some speculate that the show’s continuation is a move with Kokubun’s potential return in mind.

It’s highly questionable for a TV station, which has the role of a news organization, to take such a stance. While President Fukuda’s press conference drew criticism, Nippon TV’s response overall has caused confusion throughout the industry.