Kokubun Controversy and Nagano-Tanaka Rumors Rock 2025 Entertainmentr Shake the Entertainment World in 2025

Big entertainment news continued to pour in during the first half of the year

In 2025, the entertainment world was rocked from the very start of the year. Masahiro Nakai (52), a national idol and top MC who had reigned at the pinnacle of Japanese television for 30 years, retired due to a scandal involving a woman. The so-called “Nakai Shock” not only rattled Fuji TV’s management and sponsors but also sent shockwaves across other networks.

In April, shocking affair rumors involving top actors Mei Nagano (25) and Kei Tanaka (41) erupted, causing a media firestorm. By June, Taichi Kokubun (50) was forced to suspend activities for compliance violations, and TOKIO announced their disbandment.

Big entertainment news continued, including high-profile romance reports involving Ren Nagase (26) and Minami Hamabe (24) from King & Prince, as well as Shingo Murakami (43) from SUPER EIGHT.

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

A: It’s been about six months since Nakai’s retirement. Fans still hope for his return to TV, but realistically, it’s almost impossible. No sponsor would allow it, and no network would take such a risk. Above all, as even Hitoshi Matsumoto (61) experienced, the TV industry functions perfectly well without Nakai. B, have you heard what’s going on inside Fuji after the ad withdrawals following these scandals?

B: It seems Fuji has carried out bold personnel changes in its flagship production department to aim for staff turnover. Specifically, chief producer-level staff who had been involved in launching popular shows were transferred to IP divisions or administrative roles. Many are dissatisfied with what could be called demotions, and some staff have left Fuji.

Meeting rules have also been tightened. As a principle, female announcers are no longer allowed to join drinking parties or social events with talents. If attendance is unavoidable, a report listing the names of all attendees must be submitted to the company in advance. Some female announcers have reportedly complained, saying it’s going overboard compared to the previous culture at Fuji.

C: The chaos peaked during the historic apology press conference, where management was grilled for ten hours. Things are returning to normal operations, but this year Fuji had to suspend annual summer events like FNS 27-Hour Television and Odaiba Adventure King, which caused considerable financial and publicity damage. Some companies are still withholding CM placements, and advertising revenue from April to June dropped 83% compared to the same period last year.

B: Speaking of scandals between talents and networks, attention is on how Nippon TV will handle Kokubun’s sudden departure.

C: NTV has yet to disclose the details of Kokubun’s compliance violations, but the industry assumes it involved power harassment—physically assaulting staff on the! Tetsuwan! DASH!!—and sexual harassment, such as demanding staff send explicit photos.

A: Kokubun’s harassing behavior has been well-known among staff for over ten years. He would get furious over minor mistakes and grab young staff while scolding them. On June 1, the chief producer behind Tetsuwan! DASH!! was transferred away from the show. Although this preceded the public announcement, the internal investigation had already started, making it effectively a demotion.

C: Shows like Tetsuwan! DASH!! and Danshi Gohan were centered around Kokubun, but what will happen now? Will they be canceled?

A: NTV wants to continue Tetsuwan! DASH!! at all costs. While ratings have dropped from its peak, it still averages around 10%, and since the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, “DASH Village” has supported Fukushima. Internally, it’s considered a program of cultural and social value. Fortunately, ratings have not declined even after TOKIO’s disbandment, so broadcasts will continue.

B: In recent years, younger talents like Shintaro Morimoto (28) from SixTONES and Keita Kusama (29) from Aぇ! group, juniors of TOKIO, have appeared frequently on Tetsuwan! DASH!! Their presence likely helps maintain ratings. Staff have even remarked, “Honestly, the show could continue even without Shigeru Joshima (54) and Masahiro Matsuoka (48).” For Danshi Gohan, the plan is to renew the program by bringing in talents from STARTO ENTERTAINMENT to replace Kokubun, avoiding cancellation.

The president who was furious with Mei Nagano

A: The affair rumors between Mei Nagano and Kei Tanaka were also shocking. Both were appearing in major company commercials, but all of them were stopped.

C: Since Nagano had built her image as a pure, innocent actress, her affair with Tanaka—who is over a decade older and known for drinking—seriously damaged her image. However, because both of their agencies are major and maintained a stance of complete denial, terrestrial TV wide shows didn’t cover the story. Initially, Nagano appeared visibly distressed, but reportedly told those around her, “I will never admit to an affair and I don’t want to apologize. Why should I have to apologize?” By the end of July, she updated her SNS for the first time in about three and a half months, revealing that she had attended an international film festival in Canada. Her strong mental resilience became a hot topic.

B: Aside from Tanaka, Nagano was also reported to have secret meetings with Korean actor Kim Moo-jun (27), her co-star in the Sunday drama “Caster” (TBS). This sparked rumors of a double romance. After the reports, Kim’s scenes in Caster were significantly cut, and in the finale, he had no lines. As a result, Nagano effectively ended his career in Japan. The person who was furious about this was the president of a major talent agency.

This president had fully backed Kim’s activities in Japan. One of the agency’s actresses appeared in Caster, but the president was so invested in Kim that people mistakenly thought he had arranged Kim’s appearance as a package deal. From the president’s perspective, Nagano had ruined his reputation.

C: On a side note, in June, the male manager in his 20s who handled Nagano left Stardust Promotion. He is the younger brother of Kanako Momota (31) from Momoiro Clover Z. He had engaged in side jobs prohibited by the company and had been high-handed toward staff on set, causing trouble for Stardust. He has now become the CEO of a new company focused on managing talent agencies. This company manages the copyrights of solo releases by Tsuyoshi Domoto (46), who is Kanako Momota’s husband. Some speculate that in the future, Momota or Nagano might transfer to this new company.

For the latter part, see: “[The Future of Top Celebrity Couples and the Full Scope of Downtown Channel!? Behind the Scenes of Entertainment News]”

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