Why Did Yagi Apologize First? The Backstory to Takahashi’s Bullying Controversy

Panther’s Takahiro Ogata as well

The bullying controversy surrounding Shigeo Takahashi (50) of the comedy duo “Savannah” has begun causing real damage to his professional career, with the fallout continuing to spread.

On May 13, Lion Corporation announced that it would temporarily suspend Takahashi’s promotional activities for Stoppa Antidiarrheal, a product for which he has served as a commercial spokesperson since 2010.

The controversy began with a segment on ABEMA’s variety show “Naokiman’s Urban Legend Wide Show,” which aired on May 5. During the program, solo comedian Kota Nakayama (45) revealed, without naming names:

“There is a senior comedian who bullied me for ten years.”

Prior to that, on May 3, Takahiro Ogata (49) of the comedy trio “Panther” had also spoken about a comedian he disliked in a collaboration video with a YouTuber. As a result, online users became increasingly obsessed with identifying the alleged person involved.

What further intensified the situation were a series of provocative social media posts Nakayama made between May 8 and 9:

“If they’re going around saying, ‘I never did such a thing,’ then I’ll provide evidence.”

“I’ll surpass them through my own efforts, so when that time comes, don’t run away.”

Many internet users interpreted these statements as a serious bullying accusation, causing the backlash to escalate rapidly. Posts by other comedians also contributed to bringing Takahashi’s name into the spotlight.

Amid the growing tension, the person who stepped in late on the night of May 10 was Masumi Yagi (51), Takahashi’s partner in “Savannah.”

What was supposed to be backstage banter went much further

Yagi got in touch with Nakayama and acted as a mediator. The duo first released an apology statement together, and afterward Takahashi, who was directly involved, also issued an apology.

What many people questioned about the response was: Why did Yagi, who was not a party to the dispute, act first?

An entertainment-industry source told the publication:

“From what I’ve heard from various people, it all started when Nakayama became worried that the controversy had grown far bigger than expected and consulted his senior, Yagi. Yagi then stepped in, which led to Takahashi contacting Nakayama to apologize. Apparently, Yagi decided on his own to make the matter public and issue an apology without consulting Yoshimoto Kogyo. Some people in the industry have said, ‘Did Yagi really need to apologize?’ and ‘There was a good chance it would have died down naturally if they had simply ignored it.’ But it was probably a desperate measure to protect his comedy partner.”

Afterward, Nakayama retracted his earlier characterization, stating:

“The expression ‘I was being bullied’ was completely inappropriate.”

Although the controversy was effectively settled and a degree of reconciliation was reached, the damage left behind was significant.

A television-industry insider commented:

“Once the word bullying spreads online, companies often have no choice but to suspend someone’s use in promotions, regardless of whether the allegations are true or not. Within Yoshimoto Kogyo and among fellow comedians, the general perception was that this was merely an extension of backstage joking and insider humor. The agency itself was not particularly proactive in getting involved. However, Nakayama’s post claiming that he had evidence served as the trigger that pushed the issue completely beyond the boundaries of a variety-show joke. That became a major negative for Takahashi.”

What began as a simple dispute between a senior and junior comedian ultimately escalated into a corporate compliance issue.

In the end, the matter was resolved when Nakayama retracted his use of the term bullying, but the incident highlighted both the difficulties surrounding comedy-world behavior from the past and the dangers of today’s internet-driven society.

The article also notes that FRIDAY Digital’s YouTube program “Entertainment Reporters Channel” features active entertainment journalists discussing the controversy in greater depth, including why Yagi apologized first, Nakayama’s comments that further fueled the backlash, and reactions from within the entertainment industry.