[Yoshimoto’s New Rule] 20% Deduction from TikTok Earnings… Talent Agencies’ Struggles Over Social Media Restrictions for Performers

If there’s no contact for 4 weeks, the contract will be terminated

Kuruma Takahira (31) of “Reiwa Roman” took the stage at the international short film festival “Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2026,” marking the start of his career as a film director.

A director at a production company confides, “Yoshimoto comedians might be watching Kuruma’s success with a bitter taste in their mouths,” as he continues to expand his career successfully even after leaving Yoshimoto Kogyo.

“When all comedians affiliated with Yoshimoto Kogyo were handed their contracts in February, a new clause had reportedly been added stating, ‘The contract may be terminated if contact cannot be made for four weeks.’ The comedians, their minds filled with question marks, recalled last year’s online casino scandal.Kuruma had his contract with Yoshimoto terminated after he repeatedly ignored his manager’s messages and unilaterally posted an apology video on YouTube—and apparently, he had been unreachable for about four weeks right around that time. That’s why some are speculating, ‘Was this clause added in response to Kuruma’s incident?’”

“There seems to be another new rule that went into effect this year,” the director continued.

“Up until now, it’s said that all TikTok revenue went directly to the comedians, but starting this year, about 20 percent is being taken by the agency.The reason seems to be the establishment of a department dedicated to TikTok sales and handling disputes, but since the comedians actually doing the live streams are more familiar with the system than the staff, some young comedians are reportedly disheartened, asking, ‘So they’re taking 20 percent of that?’ Some comedians who specialize in live streaming might start thinking, ‘I’ll go independent and do this on my own.’”

With quite a few talents currently having their contracts terminated due to troubles caused by comments or posts on social media platforms like TikTok, it’s only natural for agencies to tighten their defenses.

“I get the impression that every time a talent or comedian under contract causes trouble, the list of prohibited items in the contract grows longer.I hear Yoshimoto is holding emergency compliance training sessions, but agencies that are that thorough are rare. At smaller agencies, it’s often limited to managers issuing verbal warnings or the agency providing explanations around contract renewal time. If they tighten the reins too much, there’s a risk that their top stars will go independent…” (Entertainment agency executive)

Even so, “most agencies are keeping a close eye on social media management,” the source says.

“The standard procedure is for the talent to send text or photos to their manager, and then staff post them after getting the go-ahead. There are even agencies where the talent isn’t allowed to touch anything at all—staff simply post behind-the-scenes shots or upload announcements.” (Ibid.)

However, since backlashes can still occur even after managers and staff have reviewed content, “handling the fallout after a backlash has become crucial,” added an advertising agency representative.

“Some agencies have even signed contracts with lawyers specializing in social media disputes as a precaution. Cases like Fuwachan’s (32), where a single major backlash can be career-ending, are on the rise. Since there are advertising deals where the fee increases with the number of followers, the talent themselves probably want to manage their own social media.”

While appearance fees continue to decline due to the TV industry slump, the burden on talent agencies continues to grow.