Seiji Chihara: Regularly scheduled talk show canceled…Unstoppable ripples of his “bullied child” comment

You were bullied, weren’t you?

Comedian Seiji Chihara (55) is in a tight spot.

Seiji’s talk show, which was scheduled to take place on September 12 at Boat Race Suminoe, a boat race track in Osaka City, was abruptly canceled.

On the homepage of the venue, it is announced as follows

Due to various circumstances, we have decided to cancel the event. We ask for your understanding.

The announcement reads as follows.

In the event announcement area of the boat racecourse, a photo of rakugo storyteller Tsukitei Happo and his husband-and-wife duo “Katsumi♡Sayuri” was pasted over Seiji’s photo. The “GI Takamatsunomiya Memorial Special Race” is currently being held at the Suminoe Racecourse, and this was supposed to add a touch of color to the event. ……

The first thing that comes to mind when we think of “various circumstances” is Seiji’s YouTube channel in July, when he made the “bullied kid” comment about Yusuke Kawai (44), a Toda City Council member and “joker” in Saitama, Japan. The comment is probably the “bullied kid” comment made by Seiji on his YouTube channel in March. The two began discussing the Kurdish problem in Kawaguchi City, but they could not come to an agreement, and a big fight ensued. Seiji grew frustrated, and toward the end of the discussion, he said to Kawai

You used to be bullied, didn’t you?

You have the aura of a bully. You know?　You must have come from a bullied background!　Ha-ha-ha-ha!

The video was flooded with criticism.

As of September 11, the video had received approximately 1.7 million views, but the number of subscribers to the channel dropped from 513,000 before the video was released to 484,000. In approximately two months, around 30,000 followers have left Seiji’s channel.

In the meantime, Seiji did not put out the fire by uploading an apology video. The comment section is filled with posts denouncing Seiji’s attitude. A sports newspaper entertainment reporter said, “He has no intention of apologizing to her in the first place.

He doesn’t seem to have any intention of apologizing in the first place. In late July, the month of the riot, he appeared at a regular talk live concert with his younger brother, Junior. Junior gently teased him, saying, ‘You’re on fire, but ……,’ but Seiji looked embarrassed and did not publicly apologize.”

A person in the comedy industry who knows Seiji well also said

Seiji was like the ‘boss of the monkey mountain’ from his days at the (Shinsaibashisuji) 2-chome theater. His pride would not allow him to apologize to someone with whom he had a fight.

He would never apologize to someone he got into a fight with.

This website asked the Suminoe Racecourse whether the cancellation of Seiji’s talk show was due to his “bullied kid” comment on YouTube,

As for the reason for the cancellation, as announced on the website, it was cancelled due to various reasons.

The answer was “Yes.

Public gambling-related business is famous for its high fees. It must have been painful for Seiji to lose such a “lucrative” job.

YouTube collaboration also disappeared.

It is not just talk shows. KBS Kyoto’s radio program “Daishun and Seiji’s Monk Radio,” in which Seiji serves as a personality, was terminated on August 31. The station told this site,

Seiji said, “It is a combination of various things, and it is not because of what happened (the bullying comment) that I am quitting. It is one factor, but we made a comprehensive decision based on a variety of factors.

He explained. In the final episode, Seiji did not touch on the series of disturbances.

He simply said, “Thank you very much for your ministry.

and a short thank-you note.

In addition, the YouTube collaboration that had been coordinated prior to the disturbances disappeared. An employee of the YouTube office who knows the situation said

Even if you take a new video, it is difficult to put it out unless the furor is over. Immediately after the firestorm, his management side was in turmoil, and there was no reply when we inquired about collaboration plans. The side that was forced to make the offer declined the offer.”

He tells the story.

In addition to being a comedian, he was also active as a monk of the Tendai sect under the name “Chihara Seiken,” but in May he resigned as an advisor to the Japan Buddhist Association. Due in part to the series of disturbances, his speaking engagements, such as lectures, have also been drastically reduced.

This makes it difficult to handle Seiji on TV. Although he seems to have no trouble making money, given his history in the entertainment industry, he is still in a difficult situation.

“As a comedian, it is difficult for him to have limited exposure. It would be better to issue an apology or a video at some point.

(A source involved in the comedy industry mentioned above.) “It is necessary to ‘put out the fire.

As a recent example, he is scheduled to hold a talk live with journalist Akiko Iwata at an event space in Tokyo on September 19. Will we hear any words of reflection there?