Naniwa Danshi’s Kento Nagao and a Former E-girls Member’s Romance Revives a Trauma from Three Years Ago: Leader Kazuya Ohashi’s “Resolve”

In ’23, there was a love triangle involving Kis-My-Ft2’s Chiga

The seven-member group “Naniwa Danshi” is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year. Just as their concert tour was set to begin on July 11, news broke of a romantic relationship between Kento Nagao (23) and former “E-girls” member and influencer Rio Inagaki (27), sending fans into a frenzy.

The June 12 issue of *Friday* published photos of the two together, proving their close relationship. Shortly after 11 p.m. in early June, after dining at a hidden-gem-style Chinese izakaya, the pair left the restaurant separately but met up again at a convenience store. They then headed straight into a nearby bar.

Perhaps because she knew the report was coming out, Nagao appeared visibly downcast during the June 8 broadcast of TBS’s “CDTV Live! Live!” Although the group performed a special medley of five songs, Nagao’s expression was stiff, and her smile seemed somewhat forced.

Perhaps out of consideration for Nagao, the group’s leader, Kazuya Ohashi (28), put his arm around Nagao’s shoulder and struck a pose before a commercial break, and made eye contact with Nagao while they were singing. This is according to a sports newspaper reporter covering the entertainment industry.

“As the leader, Ohashi was trying to maintain the group’s image. He’s a considerate person and is deeply trusted by the members. On social media, there were voices expressing concern for the strain Ohashi was under.”

Naniwa Danshi had only just overcome a crisis three years ago.

Three years ago, in August 2023, it was revealed that member Daigo Nishihata (29) was dating Yomiuri TV announcer Natsumi Adachi (26). Nishihata was even caught in a “disguise”—wearing a blonde wig—as he emerged from Adachi’s apartment.

A month later, it was revealed that Nagao had spent the night with a former adult film actress. That actress was dating Kento Senga (35) of “Kis-My-Ft2” at the time, leading to rumors of a love triangle involving Nagao.Then, in November of the same year, reports surfaced in some media outlets about a romantic relationship between Kyohei Takahashi (26) and gravure idol Hikari Kuroki (25).

Focus the discussion on Ohashi

At the time, the agency was in turmoil due to the “sexual abuse scandal” involving the late Johnny Kitagawa. It had become a situation where it was inevitable that fans and industry insiders would point fingers, saying, “Just when Johnny’s is going through such a tough time…” A music industry insider says:

“2023 was truly a rough year. With the future of the agency itself up in the air, one wrong move could have meant the end of the group.It was a dark year for the fans, too. Back then, the members held discussions centered around their leader, Ohashi, and vowed to ‘stay away from drinking parties with members of the opposite sex and focus on our work.’ The fact that no scandals emerged for a while after that was thanks to that vow.”

Now, three years later, this romance report has surfaced. While some praise the group for “holding it together” during those three scandal-free years, others, noting the poor timing—coming during a milestone year for the group—are saying,

“Enough is enough!”

“Don’t cause trouble for the other members,”

Harsh comments like these are appearing online.

“It’s said that Nagao apologized to the members for causing them trouble. This is his second romantic scandal following the one involving a former adult film actress, but apparently, the members didn’t condemn him. That seems to have made him feel even more guilty, though…Leader Ohashi seems to be racking his brains trying to make the 5th anniversary a success” (the aforementioned entertainment reporter)

With signs pointing to another “ban on drinking parties and nightlife,” Ohashi’s anxiety continues to grow. We can only hope that, unlike three years ago, this doesn’t mark the start of a flurry of scandals involving the members—