Latest news with #Tokio
Straits Times
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Former Johnny's group Tokio to disband after scandal revelation
Tokio, an all-male group, debuted under Johnny & Associates in 1994. The most recent line-up comprises (from left) Taichi Kokubun, Shigeru Joshima and Masahiro Matsuoka. PHOTO: TOKIO/X Former Johnny's group Tokio to disband after scandal revelation TOKYO – Japanese pop group Tokio, formerly part of the now-defunct boy band empire Johnny & Associates, said on June 25 that they have decided to disband following member Taichi Kokubun's hiatus over a misconduct scandal, according to a statement on their official website. 'We decided it would be difficult to regain trust and continue receiving support as a group,' Tokio posted. Kokubun, 50, was axed from The Tetsuwan Dash – a variety programme aired by Nippon Television Network and fronted by the members of Tokio – on June 20. Following the announcement, Kokubun said he was indefinitely suspending his activities in a statement from his office, also named Tokio. Neither Kokubun nor his office has elaborated on what the breaches entailed, but a source close to the matter said they involved behaviour that could be considered sexual harassment. Tokio debuted under Johnny & Associates in 1994 with five members. They are leader and main guitarist Shigeru Joshima, 54; bassist Tatsuya Yamaguchi, 53; keyboardist Kokubun; drummer Masahiro Matsuoka, 48; and vocalist and guitarist Tomoya Nagase, 46. The all-male group are widely known in Japan for their support for Fukushima following the 2011 accident at the prefecture's nuclear power plant. Tokio helped promote local agricultural products through commercials, as their variety programme had featured them engaging in farming in Fukushima. Yamaguchi's contract with Johnny & Associates was terminated in 2018 after he forcibly kissed a high school girl at his home, while Nagase left Tokio in 2021 to pursue his own endeavours. Following Nagase's departure, the remaining three members of the group established a new company under the name 'Tokio', which operated in affiliation with Johnny & Associates. Johnny & Associates changed its name to Smile-Up in 2023 after hundreds of sexual abuse allegations surfaced against the agency's founder Johnny Kitagawa, who died in 2019 at age 87. Tokio's dissolution came after a recent sexual scandal involving Masahiro Nakai, 52, the former leader of Japanese male idol group Smap. A third-party panel probing Fuji Television Network and its handling of the scandal involving Nakai concluded in March that the former TV host sexually assaulted a female employee, amid a culture of harassment at the major Japanese network. KYODO NEWS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Tokyo Weekender
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Tokyo Weekender
Nearly 500 Earthquakes Rattle Japan's Tokara Islands
In this week's news round we report on the earthquake swarm on the Tokara Islands and the Mount Shinmoe eruption. Donald Trump compares the impact of the air strikes on Iran to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A 16-year-old boy has been referred to prosecutors due to a condom prank at a sushi restaurant. Japanese pop group Tokio announces that it is breaking up following a compliance violation by its keyboardist, Taichi Kokubun. In sport, Kawasaki Frontale defender Kota Takai is set to sign for Spurs and Shohei Ohtani hits his 300th homer. List of Contents: Tokara Islands Experience Earthquake Swarm Donald Trump Compares Iran Attacks to Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki New US Visa Rule Requires Applicants To Set Social Media Accounts to 'Public' Teen Referred to Prosecutors After Condom Prank at Sushi Restaurant Tokio Announce Breakup Following Taichi Kokubun Scandal Kota Takai Set To Join Spurs Related Posts Tokara Islands Experience Earthquake Swarm On Saturday, an earthquake swarm began in the volcanic chain of Tokara Islands in Kagoshima Prefecture. By 11 a.m. on Thursday, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) confirmed that 475 tremors had been recorded within the archipelago, which consists of 12 small islands located between Yakushima and Amami-Oshima. All registered 1 or higher on Japan's 7-level seismic scale. The largest tremors were two magnitude-5.1 quakes on Sunday and Tuesday. In September 2023, Tokara Islands experienced 346 earthquakes in 15 days. Seven of the 12 islands are inhabited, with just under 700 people living there. Staying in southwestern Japan, Mount Shinmoe erupted on Sunday. It spewed smoke as high as 500 meters. The volcano, located in the Kirishima mountain range bordering Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures, last erupted seven years ago. The latest eruption and the earthquake swarm on the Tokara Islands have further ignited fears of a catastrophic disaster hitting Japan soon. Manga artist and self-proclaimed clairvoyant Ryo Tatsuki wrote that a massive disaster will hit the country on 5 July 2025 in the 'complete version' of her book, The Future I Saw . The JMA has dismissed the claim as scientifically baseless. Donald Trump Compares Iran Attacks to Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki On Saturday evening, President Donald Trump announced via social media that US forces had struck three key nuclear sites in Iran. A few days later, he compared the impact of the air strikes to the end of World War II. 'When you look at Hiroshima, if you look at Nagasaki, that ended a war, too,' he said . 'This ended a war in a different way. I don't want to use an example of Hiroshima, I don't want to use an example of Nagasaki, but that was essentially the same thing. That ended that war. This ended the war.' Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba responded to the attacks from his official residence on Sunday. He said it was crucial that there was a quick de-escalation of the situation in Iran. He refrained, though, from making a statement on whether Japan supported the US attacks there. 'We are gathering and analyzing information and closely monitoring developments with grave concern,' said Ishiba. 'It's paramount to calm down the situation soon.' He added, 'Iran's nuclear development must be blocked.' When asked if Japan backed the US attacks on Iran, Ishiba responded, 'I will answer the question when appropriate.' New US Visa Rule Requires Applicants To Set Social Media Accounts to 'Public' On Monday, the United States Embassy in Japan announced via X that applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas must make their social media accounts 'public.' According to the US Department of State (DOS), those who keep their social media accounts private may be deemed as trying to hide their activities. Officers have reportedly been told to reject visa applications in cases where the applicant has expressed 'hostile attitudes' toward the US, advocated for or supported 'designated foreign terrorists and other threats to US national security,' or supported antisemitism. 'Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their personal social media accounts to 'public' to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States,' read t he post . The F-1 visa is for academic studies, M-1 is for vocational or non-academic studies and J-1 is for exchange visitor programs. The US has been checking the social media accounts of visa applicants and immigrants since at least 2019. However, in the past few months, these checks have become a lot stricter. Teen Referred to Prosecutors After Condom Prank at Sushi Restaurant A 16-year-old boy, whose name has been withheld because of his age, was referred to prosecutors on Monday in relation to a viral prank involving a condom at a sushi restaurant. The incident occurred at a branch of the Kura Sushi chain in Tokyo's Toshima ward on March 28. According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the teenager uploaded an image on social media of an unwrapped condom his friend put in a chute used to return empty plates. It quickly went viral, with more than 100,000 views in less than 24 hours. People online soon identified the restaurant and location. Kura Sushi subsequently closed the shop for a brief period to disinfect all the plates and utensils, while also responding to inquiries about the incident. The police were contacted, and the boy was charged with obstructing business by fraudulent means. Admitting the act, he reportedly told the police, 'I wanted to see the reaction from my friends. I posted it without thinking about the consequences.' Several people took to X to criticize the teenager and his group of friends, including musician and actor Gackt . Tokio Announce Breakup Following Taichi Kokubun Scandal Pop group Tokio announced that it is breaking up on Wednesday following a compliance violation by its keyboardist, Taichi Kokubun. Sankei Sports broke the story about the violation last Thursday. Details about what he did have yet to be revealed. However, a source close to the matter said it involved behavior that could be considered sexual harassment. 'Taichi Kokubun's recent compliance violations have caused a great deal of distress and concern to everyone involved, and we take this very seriously,' read the statement . 'We would like to once again offer our sincerest apologies. We are truly sorry.' The statement went on to say that 'it would be difficult to continue working as the group Tokio in a way that could regain all of your trust and support.' Last Friday, Kokubun's management announced that he was being suspended by the group. Earlier that day, NTV confirmed that it was removing Kokubun, 50, from its weekly program, The Tetsuwan Dash . Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Communications Minister Seiichiro Murakami said , 'We would like to hear extensively from Nippon TV about how it sees the issue and how it will respond as a company in the future.' Original Image Courtesy of JLEAGUE Kota Takai Set To Join Spurs Tottenham Hotspurs have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Kawasaki Frontale defender Kota Takai, 20, for around ¥1 billion ($6.8 million). Once completed, it will be the largest ever fee for a Japanese player from the J-League. Identified by technical director Johan Lange, Takai is expected to be part of the North London club's first-team squad rather than being loaned out. Another Japanese player reportedly on the move is Ritsu Doan. According to Sports Hochi , he will be leaving F reiburg for Eintracht Frankfurt. Hoffenheim, meanwhile, have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Union Saint- Gilloise defender Koki Machida. In other sports news, the Urawa Red Diamonds finished bottom of their group with 0 points at the Club World Cup. Japanese horse Satono Reve placed second behind favorite Lazzat in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. Tokyo Olympic judo gold medalist Aaron Wolf announced that he is joining New Japan Pro Wrestling. And, in baseball, Shohei Ohtani smashed his 27th home run of the season as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Colorado Rockies 9-7 on Tuesday. It was also the 300th homer of his career, combining totals in Japan and the States. Related Posts Taichi Kokubun of Tokio To Be Suspended for Compliance Violation Japan Ranks 118th Again in Latest Global Gender Gap Report Japan Births Fall Below 700,000 for the First Time
Malay Mail
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
J-pop megaband Tokio ends 30-year run after member's alleged misconduct, says trust lost
TOKYO, June 26 — A popular Japanese pop group hired to be the poster boy of disaster-hit Fukushima has announced it is disbanding following the latest scandal to hit the country's embattled entertainment sector. Five-member Tokio emerged in 1994 from Japan's now notorious boyband empire Johnny and Associates, which unravelled in 2023 following revelations about its late founder's decades-long sexual abuse of young boys. Recent years have seen Tokio trimmed to a trio, and in a final death blow, it declared itself defunct yesterday after it emerged that one of its members had engaged in unspecified misconduct. Details surrounding the alleged misbehaviour of Taichi Kokubun, 50, are scarce, with official statements vaguely describing it as a 'violation of compliance protocols'. A few mainstream media outlets in Japan, including Kyodo News, cited 'behaviour that could be considered sexual harassment,' quoting unnamed sources. 'We have decided it's no longer possible for Tokio to regain the trust and support of everyone', the group's statement, released Wednesday, said. Aside from its music success, Tokio for long had another face: the ambassador for Japan's Fukushima region, hit in 2011 by a huge earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. Tokio's relationship with Fukushima predates the disaster, but afterwards it deepened even more with its members tapped to promote the region's reconstruction efforts and food safety. Fukushima's prefectural government even has the 'Tokio Department', a division tasked with collaborating with the musicians to communicate the region's attractiveness. 'For many years, Taichi Kokubun has aligned himself close to us and spread word' of Fukushima, its local government said in a statement, describing Tokio's disbandment as 'extremely regrettable'. 'Tokio's contributions to our prefecture's reconstruction are significant', it added. Kokubun's fall in disgrace is just the latest in a recent series of bombshell scandals to rock Japan's showbiz industry. Johnny & Associates, which has since changed its name, admitted in 2023 that its late founder Johnny Kitagawa had sexually assaulted teenage boys and young men for decades. More recently, high-profile celebrities have found themselves entangled in sexual assault allegations, including J-pop megastar-turned-TV host Masahiro Nakai, who announced his retirement earlier this year. The Nakai saga shed the spotlight on the toxic culture of young women being pressed into attending dinners and drinking parties with powerful industry figures. — AFP
Tokyo Weekender
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tokyo Weekender
Tokio Announce Breakup Following Taichi Kokubun Scandal
Japanese pop group Tokio announced that it is breaking up on Wednesday following a compliance violation by its keyboardist Taichi Kokubun. Sankei Sports broke the story about the violation last Thursday. Details about what he did have yet to be revealed. However, a source close to the matter said it involved behavior that could be considered sexual harassment. List of Contents: The Statement About Tokio Related Posts The Statement 'Taichi Kokubun's recent compliance violations have caused a great deal of distress and concern to everyone involved, and we take this very seriously,' read Wednesday's statement . 'We would like to once again offer our sincerest apologies . We are truly sorry. 'Having come to a mutual conclusion about our intentions, we agree that , given the current situation, it would be difficult to continue working as the group Tokio in a way that could regain all of your trust and support. Therefore, we have decided to bring all of our activities as a group to an end.' The statement went on to apologize to fans who have been with the group for the past 31 years, as well as the people of Fukushima, where Tokio has actively participated in reconstruction and revitalization efforts since the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. About Tokio Formed by Johnny & Associates, Tokio debuted in 1994 with five members. That number was reduced to four in 2018 with the termination of Tatsuya Yamaguchi 's contract. He was referred to prosecutors for allegedly kissing a girl against her will at his home. Two years later, four became three as Tomoya Nagase announced that he was leaving the band to pursue his own endeavors. Last Friday, Kokubun's management announced that he was being suspended by the group. Earlier in the day, Nippon Television Network (NTV) said it was removing Kokubun ,50, from its weekly program, The Tetsuwan Dash . Speaking at a post-Cabinet meeting press conference on Tuesday, Communications Minister Seiichiro Murakami said , 'We would like to hear extensively from Nippon TV about how it sees the issue and how it will respond as a company in the future.' Related Posts Taichi Kokubun of Tokio To Be Suspended for Compliance Violation Japanese Director Sion Sono Accused of Sexual Assault BBC Documentary Exposes Abusive Past of Johnny Kitagawa
Kyodo News
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Kyodo News
Ex-Johnny's group Tokio to disband after scandal revelation
KYODO NEWS - 14 hours ago - 20:35 | Arts, All, Japan Japanese pop group Tokio, formerly part of Johnny & Associates Inc., said Wednesday it has decided to disband following member Taichi Kokubun's hiatus over a misconduct scandal, according to a statement on its official website. The all-male group is widely known in Japan for its support for Fukushima Prefecture following the 2011 nuclear crisis. It debuted under the talent agency but later left after hundreds of sexual abuse allegations surfaced against the agency's late founder Johnny Kitagawa. "We decided it would be difficult to regain trust and continue receiving support as a group," the group posted on its official website. Last week, Kokubun, 50, said he was indefinitely suspending his activities in a press release from his office, also named Tokio. Neither Kokubun nor his office has elaborated on what the breaches entailed, but a source close to the matter said they involved behavior that could be considered sexual harassment. After the 2011 accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the then five-member group helped promote local agricultural products through commercials, as their variety program had featured them engaging in farming in the prefecture. Kokubun's hiatus comes amid a recent sexual scandal involving former TV host Masahiro Nakai, who also belonged to Johnny & Associates. Another former Tokio member, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, left the group in 2018 after he forcibly kissed a high school girl at his home. Related coverage: Tokio pop group member removed from TV show over past misconduct Japan TV host, ex-SMAP pop idol Masahiro Nakai quits showbiz amid scandal
