 Ippei Hara

 After 31 years and 8 months, Yomiuri TV's flagship program "Downtown DX" came to its final episode. Although it was a show that was the show's flagship program, Matsumoto Hitoshi and Hamada Masatoshi were not seen, and even past VTRs and photos were not used in the sad final episode. ......

Downtown DX Ends Without Its Stars — Footage Blocked by Matsumoto &#038; Hamada

 Shu Nishihara (1st and 3rd photos) Dai Matsumoto (2nd photo)

 In late June, Renho made her first public speech in almost a year. With the House of Councillors election coming up, she appealed to the audience for broad support. While she is looking for a comeback after her disastrous defeat in last year's Tokyo gubernatorial election, there are some "surprising voices" from within the party.

Renho Returns to the Streets Amid Turmoil — Is Her Party Backing Strong Enough to Win?

 Shinji Hasuo

 A 26-year-old man driving drunk on the wrong side of the road collided with three cars. A man was arrested who injured several women, including pedestrians. The man was driving a white Mercedes Benz. His breath contained alcohol exceeding the legal limit. The following is a full report of the shocking accident.

Mercedes Driver, 26, Goes Wrong Way and Hits 3 Cars — Blames Others Despite Injuries

 Motoko Abegawa

 Courtesy of acchi

 President Trump reiterated his dissatisfaction with the auto trade with Japan, saying that it is unfair. The employment situation in the U.S. is not exactly on the radar, as news of job cuts at various companies has increased as a result of the tariff hike.

Self-Checkout Fraud Becoming a Growing Concern in the U.S., Says Japanese Resident of 22 Years

 Keisuke Nishi

 The baseball commentator, who is in the groove, was in great form at night! Wearing a crisp white outfit, they drank together for 6 hours and went home tipsy.

 Kenji Sugitani, a former professional baseball player who is now active in variety shows and on YouTube, emerged from a popular izakaya (Japanese-style bar) in Nakameguro, a little tipsy, to find an ace female TV Asahi announcer among the men and women who had come out together... Was it a blind date? A blind date or...

[Exclusive] Divorced Kenshi Sugiya Seen Bar-Hopping Until 2 A.M. with TV Asahi&#8217;s Ace Female Announcer

 Yasuko Sakaguchi

 Although "TOKIO" member Masahiro Matsuoka denied at a press conference that he was bullied within the group, there was a big-name celebrity who was the victim of bullying by Taichi Kokubun. A "Vivid" staff member recalls those days.

“I Even Bullied Miki Maya” — Taichi Kokubun on the Dangerous Illusion of Sudden Fame

 A man who took a high school girl to Jukai to commit suicide with her has been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping a minor. What were their intentions? We examined past cases.

The Dark Truth Behind Suicide Recruiters on Social Media

 Takehiko Kohiyama

 Special Interview with "Actor

 Actor Shiro Sano (70) is celebrating his 50th year in show business. He has appeared in five dramas in the first half of the year alone, and is also scheduled to appear in NHK's morning drama "Bakebake," which will begin airing this fall. Sano talks about his secret relationship with Juro Karo, the founder of underground theater, whom he looks up to as his mentor.

Shiro Sano Reflects on 50 Years in Acting and Shares Hidden Stories with Mentor Juro Kara

 A fast food restaurant on a weekday evening is crowded with many customers, including families, the elderly, and students. In a corner of the restaurant, strong-looking men, who looked out of place in the atmosphere of the restaurant, had a big brawl in broad daylight...

Yakuza Gang Members Cause Bloody Brawl in Fast-Food Restaurant Amid Families

 Japanese and foreigners mingle and frolic all night long, but safe and happy!

 Harrison Tez, an American photographer fascinated by Shinjuku's Kabukicho and Shibuya's Center Gai, introduces the chaos of downtown Nippon as captured by his camera. From brawls to all-night mayhem...see the various "chaos on the streets"!

American Photographer Captivated by the Chaos of Kabukicho and Shibuya Streets

 Junpei Kota

 A little past 3 p.m. in mid-June--a bright red Lamborghini was parked in front of the Toyama Prefectural Office. In the midst of the somber atmosphere, the Lamborghini's scissor doors opened and a man got out. It was actor Sota Fukushi.

Sota Fukushi Draws Massive Crowd—Korean Entertainment Industry Takes Notice

 Izumi Nakagawa

 Afro

 Smartphone dementia is a dementia-like condition caused by excessive use of smartphones. There have been cases in which patients came to the hospital for memory loss, which led to the discovery of juvenile Alzheimer's disease or brain tumors.

Japan Launches First Smartphone Dementia Clinic and Why So Many Young People Are Visiting

 Ryo Sakamoto (Former head of Culture and Society Department, Tokyo Sports Newspaper)

 Reuters/Afro

 Megalopolis," the new film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the Hollywood master of "The Godfather" series and "Apocalypse in Hell," has been a huge flop. Although he spent 17 billion yen of his personal fortune on the film, ......

Disaster or Masterpiece? Megalopolis Flops Like Apocalypse Now Once Did

 Blank Green

 On June 23, a Fuji TV producer was arrested for habitual gambling. Many celebrities who have been arrested for online casino gambling have said that they did not know it was illegal. We explored the background behind this.

“We Thought It Was Legal”: The Hidden Reality Behind Japan’s Online Casino Crackdown

 Hiroyuki Sato

 Mineko Miwa

 Two months after her graduation from NMB48, the "leader of NMB48's gravure team" makes her comeback on the cover for the first time in three years! She has cut her hair and become more mature and sexy!

 Two months after her graduation from NMB48, Rei Kaminishi, aka "NMB48's Gravure Banchou," makes her comeback on the cover of FRIDA for the first time in three years!

Rei Uenishi Opens Up About Being a Lingerie Otaku in Cover Interview

 Kazuhiko Nakamura

 In Tokyo in broad daylight, Shomei Takeuchi, a young head of the Yamaguchigumi VI, made an "emergency visit" to Tokyo. Usually, he behaves openly without worrying about the press, but on this day, he acted as if he was avoiding the cameras from beginning to end. What was the purpose of his secret visit to Tokyo? ......

Shomei Takeuchi Makes Tense Secret Visit to Notorious Yakuza with New Lieutenant

 Ken Tanaka

 Celebrating 2000 Hits: Interview with Eito Asamura... "I was hitless in 35 consecutive at-bats, my worst streak, and I suffered so much that I became afraid of baseball.

 Eito Asamura of Rakuten, who achieved the feat of 2,000 hits, said in an interview with FRIDAY, "I don't have to be asked, 'How many more hits? I'm relieved that I don't have to ask 'How many more? (Laughs)" The road to this point has not been smooth. He reveals his struggles.

Rakuten’s Hideto Asamura Reflects on 2,000 Hits and Surviving Daily Fielding Drills Four Times Harder Than Normal

 Kazuhiko Nakamura (1st), Ippei Hara (2nd), Yusuke Kondo (3rd), Toshikatsu Tanaka (4th)

 There have been rumors of the cancellation of "Aiba ◎✖ Club," Masaki Aiba's variety show, but recently the winds have changed a bit. This is not unrelated to Arashi's announcement in May that they will "break up" next spring. ......

Aiba ◎× bu Teeters on the Edge—Gets Surprise Lifeline Amid Looming Arashi Breakup Boom Next Year

 A man believed to be a member of a special fraud group was arrested for swindling a woman in her 50s out of her electronic money. The total amount of damage by the group was huge. The man was an actor with many villainous roles. The following is a horrifying portrait of the man who was sent to prison for prosecution.

Ushijima the Loan Shark Actor Suspected in ¥93 Million Fraud, Compared to On-Screen Villain

 TOKIO" announced its breakup in a blitz. Taichi Kokubun, who was the initiator of the breakup, has yet to appear publicly, but Matsuoka Masahiro, TOKIO's "publicist," was available for interviews. ......


Taichi Kokubun’s Press Conference Refusal Signals Serious Trouble

 Taguchi Yuji

 Experts Thoroughly Analyze His Swing] His first season in college was not so bad, but is he on his way to the majors?

 Rintaro Sasaki of Stanford University came to the U.S. without going through the professional baseball draft and finished his first season. Considering his high school record, the results were not bad, but a motion analysis expert discusses the "strengths and weaknesses of a cannonballer aiming for the majors.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Rintaro Sasaki’s Harakiri Swing at Stanford

 Born in Taiwan in 1976. Winner of TV Tokyo's "TV Champion" in 2002 and 2007. He loves cooking, sweets, and alcohol, with a focus on fine dining and hotel gourmet cuisine. He writes easy-to-understand articles with his unique perspective on everything from inflammatory incidents to gastronomy and trends, and from the state of food to issues facing restaurants. He is also a judge, lecturer, producer, and consultant.

 Dong Long

 The allure of luxury foods such as caviar, foie gras, truffles, and sea urchin is enough to make one want to try them at least once. In recent years, however, "alternative" ingredients have been quietly but steadily emerging.

White truffles and caviar&#8230;now &#8220;alternative ingredients&#8221; that even unaware eaters and &#8220;top celebrities&#8221; can&#8217;t spot.

 Courtesy of WTT

 At the WTT Star Contender Ljubljana 2025, Hina Hayata, the favorite to win the WTT Star Contender Ljubljana 2025, lost in straight sets to Mihyu Kihara, a junior player, and was eliminated in the last 16. Some are concerned that she is in a slump...?

Hina Hayata lost to Miyu Kihara in straight sets&#8230;but now it&#8217;s time for her to lay low!

 In this issue of Playback, we take a look back at what this magazine reported 10, 20, and 30 years ago. In Kabukicho, Shinjuku, in 2003, rip-offs were rampant, and every weekend there was a commotion as customers complained about the damage. The magazine closely reported the situation.

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Downtown DX Ends Without Its Stars — Footage Blocked by Matsumoto & Hamada