Tokio announces breakup following repeated harassment by member
The past couple of years have seen a reckoning for various members of the entertainment industry who stand accused of both sexual harassment and power harassment. Following the revelation of SMAP member Masahiro Nakai's repeated offenses that led to his ousting and the near collapse of Fuji TV, it has come to light that boy band Tokio member Taichi Kokubun has had a history of sexual harassment and abuses of power for many years.
It all started last week, when Japanese broadcaster NTV announced the sudden removal of Kokubun from the popular and long-running variety show The Tetsuwan Dash , created by the pop group Tokio back in the '90s and featuring a range of physical challenges.
▼ An old promo for The Tetsuwan Dash
At the time of Kokubun's removal from The Tetsuwan Dash and suspension from both Tokio and Starto Entertainment, little was mentioned about what he had done aside from 'compliance violations.' But in the days that followed, details of his behavior, including inviting women to private dinners, demanding lewd photos from women, and verbally abusing staff.
Kokubun issued an apology for his behavior and said he accepted NTV's decision, but his overall career in show business remained in question. But on 25 June, Tokio released the following statement announcing that they were breaking up completely:
The group Tokio, consisting of members Shigeru Joshima, Masahiro Matsuoka, and Taichi Kokubun, has decided to disband as of today.
Taichi Kokubun's recent compliance violations have caused a great deal of distress and concern to everyone involved and we take this very seriously. 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.
We want to sincerely apologize to our many fans and everyone else who has supported Tokio since our CD debut in 1994, as well as to the media and sponsors who have supported us and given us opportunities to perform. We also apologize for the suddenness of this announcement to the people of Fukushima Prefecture [Tokio has been serving as promotional ambassadors for Fukushima-grown rice since 2013] and other areas that have warmly welcomed our endeavors.
Regarding the future, we would first like to apologize and extend our sympathies to everyone involved. Then, we will each look into ourselves and sincerely ask what we can do to give back to everyone who has helped us so far.
Finally, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who has been involved with Tokio over these past 31 years. Thank you very much.
June 25, 2025
Tokio
And with that, Tokio will no longer perform as a group but likely forge their own way as individual personalities and/or musicians. Fans online were sad about the end of an era, but many understood that given the situation there was little else Tokio as a unit could do.
'It's been fun. Thank you, Tokio.'
'I'm so sad. But if it was a group decision, I guess it can't be helped.'
'I guess there won't be any farming idols anymore.'
'Don't just break up! I hoped they'd be more considerate of fans' feelings.'
'When Fukushima was suffering, Tokio was there for us. Thank you, Tokio.'
'It's a shame you're breaking up, but I'll continue to support you individually.'
'This isn't the way it should end…'
At the time of Kokubun's departure, it was determined that The Tetsuwan Dash would continue without him. However, the break-up of Tokio altogether may change things. The future of the show itself will likely remain up in the air while the producers sort everything out.
Tokio started out as a five-member band but shrank to four in 2018 after Tatsuya Yamaguchi was removed when it was learned he engaged in indecent behavior with underage girls. In 2023, Tomoya Nagase left to pursue his own solo career, leaving the final three members who disbanded today.
While it is a shame that a group many people have fond memories of had to go out under such dark circumstances, it's important that this culture of abuse and harassment is exposed and rooted out in order to make the entertainment industry a safer place to work.
Source: Tokio, Nikkan Sports, Hachima Kiko
Featured image: ©SoraNews24
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