After Fujii and Kotaki Leave WEST., Junta Nakama Says “I Didn’t Want to Give Up”—Why His Words Resonated With Fans

Shigeoka already has a child

The split within STARTO’s idol group WEST. continues to reverberate.

Popular members Ryusei Fujii (33) and Nozomu Kotaki (30) announced their departures from the group on August 30. Their exits are said to be connected to the surprise marriages of Daiki Shigeoka (34) and Takahiro Hamada (37), which were announced on August 9. Shigeoka also revealed that his first child had already been born.

Within the group, Akito Kiriyama (37) married former Japanese national volleyball player Maiko Kano (38) in January last year. Then, in October of the same year, Tomohiro Kamiyama (33) also got married, meaning four of the seven members are now married. According to an entertainment reporter for a sports newspaper:

“The final straw was that Shigeoka had already become a father. Apparently, even the other members were only informed afterward. Fujii and Kotaki reportedly began questioning their purpose as members of an idol group and, amid differences over the group’s direction, decided to leave.”

This also greatly affected the fans’ feelings. Most fans support the group as a whole before supporting individual members. The successive marriage announcements, followed by the departures of Fujii and Kotaki, threw everything into chaos. The aforementioned reporter says:

“Fans are cheering on the two who are leaving, while harsh criticism is being directed at the five remaining members, particularly Kiriyama, who was the first to announce his marriage, and Shigeoka, who already has a child.”

Among the remaining members, the only one receiving sympathy is Junta Nakama (38).

Nakama was also reported to be dating Yui Hayashi, a Disneyland dancer known as the “Jamboree Sister,” last July.

Desperately trying to hold the two back

“There have been reports in some quarters that Nakama is also on the verge of getting married, but there is no way he could make a happy announcement at a time like this. If Nakama gets married, all five remaining members will be married. His relationship with his girlfriend appears to be going well, but I think he’ll be unable to make any moves for the time being.”

So says a television entertainment-show insider.

WEST. was formed out of Kansai Johnny’s as “Johnny’s WEST.” The group’s debut was announced during the countdown live concert on New Year’s Eve in 2013, initially with four members: Kiriyama, Nakama, Shigeoka, and Kotaki. However, the four were unwilling to give up on debuting as a seven-member group and directly appealed to the late Johnny Kitagawa. Their efforts paid off, and Kamiyama, Hamada, and Fujii subsequently joined the group, leading to their eventual debut as seven members.

Following the announcement of Fujii and Kotaki’s departures, the members expressed their feelings on their members-only blogs.

“I’m sorry.”

Shigeoka and Kiriyama apologized to the fans, while Hamada sent words of encouragement to the departing members, saying,

“Let’s both do our best.”

Kamiyama followed with,

“I’m sad.”

But Nakama alone left a somewhat different comment:

“To be completely honest, even now, I feel unbearably sad and pained. I didn’t want to give up on the choice to remain seven members.”

An entertainment-industry source familiar with the group’s circumstances spoke to this website:

“Nakama was one of the members who was committed to debuting as seven and worked hard to persuade Johnny Kitagawa. That’s why his words, ‘I didn’t want to give up on the choice to remain seven members,’ seem to have struck a chord with fans. Judging from his comment, I think he desperately tried to persuade the two departing members to stay until the very end. Fans who sensed the emotional strain Nakama is under have also expressed concern about his health.”

Nakama later addressed the group’s current situation on the September 5 broadcast of “Seigi no Mikata” (ABC, Kansai region only), saying:

“I’m sorry. Truly, to everyone. I’m very sorry for causing anxiety and concern among our fans, and for causing such a great deal of trouble for everyone involved.”

When MC Koji Higashino (59) told him,

“If there’s anything else you have to announce, then again.”

Nakama replied:

“We will definitely let you know.”

The word disbandment continues to loom over WEST.

Can Nakama overcome this adversity?