Inside Entertainment: High-Profile Couple’s Plans and the Untold Truth of Downtown Channel

In 2025, the entertainment world was rocked by shocking news. Masahiro Nakai (52), a national idol and top MC who had reigned at the pinnacle of Japanese television for 30 years, announced his retirement due to a scandal involving a woman—sending shockwaves through the industry. The so-called “Nakai Shock” not only shook Fuji TV’s management and sponsors but also rattled other networks.

In April, a sensational affair rumor between top actors Mei Nagano (25) and Kei Tanaka (41) erupted, causing a major scandal. By June, Taichi Kokubun (50) was forced to suspend activities for compliance violations, and TOKIO announced their disbandment.

Big entertainment news continued to pour in, including reports of high-profile romances involving Ren Nagase (26) and Minami Hamabe from King & Prince, as well as Shingo Murakami (43) from SUPER EIGHT.

FRIDAY recently hosted a roundtable discussion with key TV programming staffer A, talent agency executive B, and a sports newspaper entertainment desk journalist C. They shared behind-the-scenes stories of the major news from the first half of the year and insights into what’s coming next.

For the first part, see: “[2025 First Half] Taichi Kokubun Scandal, Mei Nagano & Kei Tanaka Affair. We Reveal the Full Story Behind Entertainment News!”

All five members of Arashi together

B: Speaking of agency-related matters, Ryuo Kawamura, chairman and CEO of Keidash, passed away on July 30.

A: Kawamura had previously worked at Ohashi Production and Tanabe Agency, and in 1993 he established Keidash. He produced many popular talents and actors, including Masaaki Sakai (79), Ken Watanabe (65), and Katsunori Takahashi (60), and grew Keidash into a major entertainment production company.

C: He was a high school classmate of Ikuo Suo, chairman of Burning Production and known as the “Don of the Entertainment World.” They remained close allies even after entering the industry. Suo himself stepped down as chairman last year. With these so-called “Dons” stepping back, the power map of the entertainment world is undergoing major changes.

B: There was also news regarding Arashi, who had suspended activities in 2020. They announced they would hold a final concert tour around spring 2026 and end group activities on May 31, 2026. Do you have any updates after that?

A: On the July 16 broadcast of “Nino Nanoni” (TBS), Jun Matsumoto (41) appeared as a guest, reuniting with Kazunari Ninomiya (42) for the first time in three and a half years. On the program, he mentioned that the final live venue hadn’t been decided yet, but I’ve heard that the National Stadium and Yanmar Stadium Nagai in Osaka have been tentatively reserved. Behind the scenes, Julie Keiko Fujishima is also supporting the members.

C: Rumors of Arashi restarting have circulated many times, but each time, leader Satoshi Ohno (44) expressed reluctance, so it never materialized. This time, however, he seems to have agreed due to persuasion from Sho Sakurai (43) and other members, who are positive about the final live. Ohno may be concerned about how much funding he can secure for projects like the hotel he’s running in Okinawa—he’s paying close attention to the potential business of the concert tour.

A: It seems major advertising agencies are planning the schedule until the group’s activities end. There could also be appearances on terrestrial TV with all five members. Likely options include NHK’s Kohaku Uta Gassen or special programs on Nippon TV, which hosts regular shows for Masaki Aiba (42), Sakurai, and Ninomiya. There are also plans to release a final single around the end of this year or early next year.

C: Speaking of activity restarts, the full scope of “Downtown Channel”, launched by Hitoshi Matsumoto, is gradually becoming clear.

B: It seems they’ll distribute content on an original subscription-based platform, as well as Amazon Prime Video and Lemino. They plan two weekly shows, including manzai comedy and free talk with Masatoshi Hamada (62), as well as talk shows featuring junior comedians. I wonder how many viewers it will attract.

A: The plan was originally to launch on July 1. Staff from Kyodo TV and Yoshimoto Kogyo, involved in production, were explaining it to related companies. But it’s taking longer than expected. The launch will be at the earliest by the end of this year, or it might be postponed until next year.

C: In December last year, Yoshimoto Kogyo established a fund to finance content production for video and other media. Several billion yen was raised from domestic and overseas companies, much of which will go into producing Downtown Channel. Eventually, they plan to sell the channel’s content to overseas TV stations and streaming platforms.

B: Speaking of Yoshimoto Kogyo, there was also a buzz around popular comedians who had left the company, like Kuruma Takahira (30) from Reiwa Roman and Dai Yoshimoto (40) from Daitaku, being questioned or reported for online casino involvement.

A: Online casinos have long been hugely popular among young comedians, because it’s easy to gamble while waiting at theaters. TV personnel are no exception. In June, a male producer for the daytime variety show “Pokapoka” (Fuji TV) was arrested for gambling offenses. Many TV staff around me also go to underground casinos in Shinjuku with young comedians

The Future of High-Profile Celebrity Couples

B: In the first half of the year, there were many reports of high-profile celebrity romances, but the couple that drew the most attention was Ren Nagase and Minami Hamabe.

A: Shūkan Josei Seven, which scooped their relationship, initially aimed to cover Nagase with a different actress, but it turned out the partner was Hamabe.

C: Their relationship is serious. On the set of “24-Hour Television” (Nippon TV), where they appear as charity partners, production reportedly takes care to avoid having Nagase and Hamabe appear as a two-shot. However, marriage is unlikely at this point. Even though former Johnny & Associates has dissolved, making it easier for talents to marry than before, King & Prince remains a top-earning group for the agency. They can’t allow a marriage at this timing.

A: What about Shingo Murakami, whose relationship was scooped by FRIDAY?

B: Murakami’s partner, a non-celebrity woman, attended SUPER EIGHT’s 20th-anniversary debut live events held from December last year to January this year. Murakami, who also works as a director for an agricultural venture, even took her along to inspect a new crop development project—he’s completely smitten. There’s a good chance they’ll tie the knot soon.

C: Another couple rumored to be close to marriage is Kanna Hashimoto (26) and Taishi Nakagawa (27). Nakagawa is especially head over heels and is keen on getting married. We’re keeping an eye out, as their “X Day” could be around Hashimoto’s 27th birthday next February.

B: There were also reports that a major network conducted an investigation into harassment by a veteran talent. This individual reportedly raised their voice at junior staff on set and requested that co-stars they didn’t like be removed from shows.

C: Depending on how the network handles the disclosure, it could become another “Nakai” or “Kokubun” situation. Aside from this talent, there are rumors of harassment by male idols active in variety shows toward staff and managers. They must be nervously wondering, “Am I next?”

—The discussion could go on, but we’ll leave it here. The second half of the year will no doubt bring even more entertainment news that shakes the public.

From the August 22/29, 2025, issue of “FRIDAY”