Yuki Goto’s Confession: “What I Learned from the Suffering of EE JUMP and Life in Prison

In fact, I have been thinking about returning to show business ever since I was in prison. It’s been 15 years now. I still regret what would have happened if I had continued as an idol. When I told my sister about my return, she was very happy.

So says Yuki Goto, 35, a former member of EE JUMP, who has announced his return to show business after a 20-year absence. Former “Morning Musume。 (36), but he retired at the age of 16 after numerous problems, including underage drinking. In a direct interview with FRIDAY, Goto told us about his horrendous road to recovery.

When I debuted, I wanted to have fun and didn’t enjoy the entertainment world. There was a gap between the image of the fresh line I wanted to promote and what I wanted to do, and I was conflicted. Even though I was the center of attention, the way people looked at me was, ‘Gomaki’s little brother. I really didn’t like that either.

Life after retirement was rough. He attended a regular high school but soon dropped out. He married at 19 and had three children, but later divorced. He married at 19 and had three children, but later divorced. In 2007, he was arrested on suspicion of theft for breaking into a construction site and taking copper wire. He was sentenced to five years and six months in prison. Ironically, the five years he spent behind bars were the most fulfilling period of Goto’s life.

He says, “I had no successes in my life up to that point. I had never studied and could not even read Chinese characters. I studied hard for the Chinese and English tests in prison and was able to pass them while I was serving my sentence. For the first time, I had the confidence to say, ‘If I work hard, I can do it. Because I could read kanji, I could read books, and my world expanded. I also studied for the administrative scrivener’s license. The prison gave me a chance to realize how much fun it is to gain knowledge.

After his release from prison, the public’s attitude toward him was harsh. During the interview, Goto repeatedly mentioned the word “regret. The large tattoo on his neck is one of them. At a job interview, he was rejected because of the tattoo. He had more than 20 years of experience working as a steeplejack and other craftsman jobs, but he was often told at jobsites, “Hey, don’t steal copper wire,” or “Sing the EE JUMP song. I have also been called heartless words. However, Goto continued to endure as a form of atonement.

I think I’ve done so much wrong that I can’t put it all away with the word ‘youthful indiscretion. I was surrounded by others like me, and I thought it was natural for me to do bad things. I had no common sense. The fact that I have an arrest record will stick with me forever. I think I will have to face it for the rest of my life.”

He says he has cut ties with his former bad friends. There was one incident that marked a turning point.

When I was arrested, I saw my mother standing in court during a witness hearing, and I realized, ‘What am I doing? In the end, my mother passed away while I was in prison, and I didn’t even get to see her die. That was my biggest regret, and it was also the reason I was able to change.”

He currently works as an HVAC technician for his wife’s father’s company, to which he remarried in 2003, and also works as a YouTube star with his wife. Behind his new step of returning to show business was a clear vision for the future.

I want to create an environment where juvenile delinquents like myself can work. That is the main reason for my return. I know how hard it is for a person with a criminal record when he or she goes out into society. I would like to employ juveniles who have nowhere else to go and lead them to rehabilitation at my father-in-law’s company. My wife is a certified probation officer, so I would also like to provide psychological care for the boys. I thought that in order to do such activities, I also need to be able to communicate with the public. That is also the reason why I decided to go back into show business.

What kind of footprints will he leave behind in the entertainment industry, which he hated so much? We look forward to Goto’s “second chapter,” in which he will learn from pain and learning and be reborn.

From the March 18, 2022 issue of FRIDAY