Kokubun’s emergency press conference and Matsuoka’s independent move signal the group’s next phase

“My hands were shaking and I couldn’t write anything.”

Former TOKIO member Taichi Kokubun (51), who left the group after its dissolution, held an emergency press conference in Tokyo on November 26, accompanied by his legal representative.

Kokubun had stepped down from the Nippon TV program “The! Tetsuwan! DASH!!” in June after multiple past compliance violations came to light. Claiming that the network’s dismissal procedures lacked legitimacy, his attorney submitted a human rights relief petition to the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.

Wearing a black suit and glasses, Kokubun opened the conference with a deep bow:

“I would like to sincerely apologize to the individuals I hurt through my actions. I am truly sorry.”

The scandal not only led to his removal from the program but also resulted in the dissolution of TOKIO. Fighting back tears, Kokubun said:

“In just a few days, I lost everything.”

He continued, his voice strained:

“My heart couldn’t keep up. Regret, isolation, despair, I was overwhelmed by negative emotions and found it difficult to control myself.”

He also vividly described the day his departure was decided.

He received a message from the new programming director and the show’s producer stating:

“We would like to greet you.”

Kokubun visited Nippon TV. After speaking with the production director, he was told:

“There are two or three things we’d like to ask regarding compliance.”

At that moment, members of the Compliance Department and a lawyer appeared, and an unexpected interview began.

Faced with the sudden questioning, Kokubun recalled:

“I thought, somehow, I need to accept what’s happening right now.”

He began recording the conversation on his smartphone, but a lawyer noticed and instructed him to delete the recording to protect privacy. Switching to pen and notebook, he tried to take notes, but:

“Because the questioning came out of nowhere, my hands were shaking and I couldn’t write anything.”

The fact that this was essentially a surprise interrogation, coupled with the prohibition on recording, has drawn criticism toward Nippon TV. Even so, Kokubun emphasized he had no intention of confronting the network:

“From the very beginning, I have always wanted to apologize to the people involved. Of course, I have no intention of being in conflict with Nippon TV, which has taken care of me for so many years.”

He expressed his desire to verify the details of the compliance violations and apologize directly to the victims.

Matsuoka’s independence is not unrelated

In response, Nippon TV commented:

“We have consistently prioritized the protection of all involved parties, and above all, these individuals feel strong fear that their identities may be revealed and that secondary harm may occur. From that standpoint, we believe that any matching of answers would be difficult.”

They thus indicated that, from the standpoint of protecting the victims, they could not comply with Kokubun’s request for confirming the details. According to an entertainment reporter from a sports newspaper who covered the press conference:

“Kokubun-san likely acted in order to break the deadlock. He doesn’t know what the compliance violations actually were, nor who the alleged victims are. It’s like being kept half-alive—you can’t take the next step. Nippon TV’s response was expected, and I think it was important for Kokubun-san to first lay out his current situation and apologize publicly.”

The November 27 issue of Shūkan Bunshun reported specific allegations of harassment by Kokubun toward two women. It appears that Kokubun’s side was aware the article would be published and held the press conference on the 26th accordingly.

There was also a moment when he spoke about the future.

He informed former members Shigeru Jōshima (55) and Masahiro Matsuoka (48) on the 25th, the day before the conference:

“For these past five months, I haven’t been able to speak publicly at all. Even so, The! Tetsuwan! DASH!! continued, and I think they were working with very complicated feelings. I told them how truly sorry I am, and they responded with warm words: ‘Please go and clearly express your feelings now.’”

When asked about retiring from the entertainment industry, he said:

“I’ve received many suggestions beyond simply retirement, so at present I am taking the form of an activity hiatus.”

Days before Kokubun’s conference, reports surfaced that former TOKIO member Matsuoka would go independent.

According to Josei Seven, Matsuoka will leave STARTO ENTERTAINMENT at the end of November and become independent in December. His personal agency will be located at the same address as the soon-to-be-dissolved “TOKIO Inc.” He will also take over management of music copyrights and production duties from STARTO.

An entertainment industry insider told our site:

“Kokubun-san’s conference marking his break and Matsuoka-san’s independence are not unrelated. The timing suggests that, eventually, Matsuoka-san may extend a hand to Kokubun-san. Former leader Jōshima-san reportedly has no objections. Among fans, there are already hopes that TOKIO may reunite in the future.”

Of course, it won’t happen immediately, but Kokubun’s attitude of atonement was conveyed.

“Both of them (Jōshima and Kokubun) told me, ‘We may have disbanded, but we’re still members. We’ll continue walking together.’ I’m proud of that.”

Kokubun said this at the press conference. Now it remains to be seen how the public will judge him.