Hiroshi Ikushima talks with Hiroshi Osaki, former chairman of Yoshimoto Kogyo HD! Hiroshi Ikushima says, “I’m impressed! Our life in entertainment will never end.

“I’m going to sleep by the window…”

That’s nice!　It brings back memories.

Hiroshi Ikushima, 75, a freelance announcer, sang a variation of Kenji Sawada’s “Mijimichi shiyagare” as he turned the camera on the window, and Hiroshi Osaki, 72, former chairman of Yoshimoto Kogyo HD, immediately joined in with a chorus of laughter.

In fact, these two men have been “allies” for 20 years, with sons of the same generation. Both have been in the industry for over 45 years. Both have been in the entertainment business for over 45 years, and have experienced both the sweet and sour sides of the entertainment business.

Behind the Riots,” he told us for the first time.

Ikushima: “First of all, let me express my gratitude for having a new radio show. After the incident, Mr. Mamushi (90 years old), whom I respect, said to me, ‘Hiroshi, you stupid son of a bitch!　What are you doing at your age? I was very sorry and regretted it. I really felt like an idiot.

In January 2013, TBS Radio announced that Ikushima had been dropped from his regular programs due to “a serious violation of compliance. After a period of self-restraint, Ikushima returned in April of this year with a new program on Bunka Hoso.

Ikushima said, “During the period of self-restraint, I could not sleep at night and took sleeping pills every day. I shaved my head so that I would not forget my determination to start over from scratch.

I had been thinking for about a week about how I would make my first speech for the new program, but when I got in front of the microphone, I couldn’t speak. And yet, for some reason, tears came to my eyes and ……. I had mixed feelings of joy and nervousness about my return. So instead of reading the manuscript, I was allowed to speak about ″what I am feeling right now. I was happy when many people said, ‘Welcome back.

Osaki: “What’s not good enough is not good enough, and you can’t survive in the entertainment industry unless you breathe the air of the times.

Ikushima: “Mr. Osaki contacted me right after the riot. I was struck by his words, “It is important to look at yourself and endure for now. Now, I’m working hard every day to fill in the blanks of a year and two months, thinking of myself as a “75 year old leaf marker!

Osaki: “I’m younger than you, but I haven’t had much trouble either (laughs).

Ikushima: “No, really (laughs). I’ve known Mr. Osaki for 20 years now. Mr. Osaki’s son and my second son happened to be studying in the United States together. I saw him at Narita Airport when I was dropping him off, and I got to say hello.

Osaki “It brings back memories.

Ikushima “Mr. Osaki, your son is also a maverick. When he came to visit us a long time ago, he got drunk and threw up, and my wife had to clean it up (laughs). He came to our birthday parties and various other gatherings.

Osaki: “I apologize for the trouble I caused you on that occasion (laughs). (laughs). I don’t participate much, but we are close as a family. I think you are the only person in the industry with whom I can talk so casually.

Ikushima: “I am honored. That’s right, you should come on the radio sometime.

Osaki “Are you sure?　By all means.

Buying an elephant” just to do an interview!

Ikushima, a nationally popular TV announcer and famous host, and Osaki, who worked as a manager for “Downtown” and was responsible for Yoshimoto Kogyo’s entry into the Tokyo market. W Hiroshi ran through the middle of the golden age of television.

Ikushima: “I left TBS in 1989, right in the middle of the bubble economy. The TV industry was amazing back then.

Osaki: “No matter where I went, whether it was London or Paris, I was able to write off all my expenses. I heard that one media outlet went out of their way to buy an elephant because they needed one for a story they were doing. I wonder what kind of name they used to write off the elephant receipts (laughs).

Ikushima: “When a restaurant called ‘shabu-shabu with no pants on’ became a hot topic because of the entertainment problem at the Ministry of Finance (now the Ministry of Finance), TV people were going there in droves. They were like, ‘It’s a social study! ‘ as an excuse to cover the event.”

Osaki: “I went there…it brings back memories.”

Ikushima “As soon as the girls brought in the meat, the wind would blow out from the floor. Then their miniskirts would billow. I was amazed that they thought of that.

Osaki: “Mr. Ikushima, …… you don’t seem to be sorry at all (laughs).

Ikushima “It was a long time ago!　It was a long time ago, and it cost 50,000 yen a time, but that was the golden age of television. It was the golden age of TV back then, and they were very generous with their expenses. And the meat there is delicious, too.

Osaki “I guess you could say they didn’t skimp on anything.

Ikushima “You say it so well (laughs). (Laughs.) Back then, if the program’s ratings went up, we were rewarded with a grand trip to a club in Ginza or an overseas trip. I was surprised at how Akko-san (Akiko Wada, 76) was so go-getter.

I was the host of “Akko ni Omakase! (TBS), Akko-san approached the station and won a rule that a trip to Hawaii was required if the rating cleared 15%, and a trip to Australia was required if the rating reached 20%. The reward trip was a great success. Including the staff, a large party of over 30 people rented out a hall in a famous hotel and drank and sang until the wee hours of the morning. Akko-san opened two 750-ml bottles of whiskey all by himself, a real boozehound.

Osaki: “Sounds like fun…”

Ikushima “I am indebted to Akko-san in my private life as well. When we traveled to Guam together, a quarrel broke out between the couple when a drunken Akko-san got involved with her husband. I interceded, but Akko-san ran out of the hotel in the middle of the fight. I went around Guam in the middle of the night looking for her (laughs).

In March of this year, “Akko ni Omakase! ended in March of this year, and I told her, “Thank you for your hard work. I felt like an era had come to an end.

Osaki: “I’m a manager, so I don’t have a lot of contact with the talent. Recently, I was invited to appear on Kensaku Morita’s (76) radio show. …… Noriko Sakai (55) and Tomomi Nishimura (55) were also there, but I still feel intimidated, saying, “Wow, it’s Noripi and Tororin.

Ikushima: “That’s not true. I once visited the backstage of Fuji Television Critics Weekly (Fuji Television Network). When Mr. Osaki arrived, all the bigwigs from all over the station gathered in a huff. I thought, “Mr. Osaki is one of the ‘dons’ of the entertainment world.

Osaki: “I think Mr. Friday knows more about my life than I do.　I’ve been involved in everything from Shin-chan’s (Shimada Shinsuke, 70) gang-related scandal to ‘black market sales’ (laughs). (Laughs.) I’ve been directly interviewed 17 times now, right?　I didn’t think the 18th interview would be this much fun.

I still play golf with the gentleman two or three times a year. He works out every day now and is in great health. He seems to be enjoying his life with his like-minded friends.

Ikushima: “I give it my all, even for fun. He is always on the lookout for interesting things, which is why he comes up with interesting projects. The reason he was able to quickly answer questions from the radio audience was because he was playing hard to get. I was exposed to people in season, new things, and trends, so there was a lot I could make use of.”

Osaki: “Compliance is important, and it must be adhered to 1000%, but if you think about it over the span of 100 years or so, there are aspects of entertainment that can be ruined by compliance.

I think there are many things to reflect on, but for example, there is a culture that blossomed during the bubble period. There is compliance and the economy is bad, but I think everyone needs to have more fun. If you only do the right things, you won’t enjoy your life.

What is the concept of lifelong active service?　Former Chairman Hiroshi Osaki and Hiroshi Ikushima Reveal the Meaning of “Making a Whole Lot of Money Just by Being Alive