Taichi Kokubun of Tokio To Be Suspended for Compliance Violation
In this week's news
roundup
we report on Taichi Kokubun, who is expected to be fired by the group Tokio. Nippon Steel finally completes the acquisition of US Steel.
Shinjiro Koizumi
is now the people's choice to be the country's next prime minister. Foreign visitors continue to flock to Japan in record numbers.
Shohei Ohtani
makes his pitching return. And, on the same day, his former interpreter reports to federal prison in Pennsylvania.
List of Contents:
Taichi Kokubun To Be Fired by Tokio
Nippon Steel's Acquisition of US Steel Includes Trump Pact
Shinjiro Koizumi Tops Poll for Japan's Next Prime Minister
Japan sees record number of foreign visitors for May, But Hong Kong Figure Falls
Mixed Bag for Shohei Ohtani on Pitching Return
Ippei Mizuhara Reports to US Prison
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Taichi Kokubun To Be Fired by Tokio
On Thursday,
Sankei Sports
reported that Taichi Kokubun, 50, keyboardist for the popular group Tokio, is set to be suspended. At the time of writing, the reason is unknown. Nippon Television, which broadcasts his regular program,
The Tetsuwan Dash
, is believed to be in the process of making arrangements to hold an emergency press conference on June 20 regarding a compliance violation. According to reports, Kokubun will be fired by Tokio Co., Ltd.
As well as playing music, he also serves as vice president for the company.
Formed by Johnny & Associates, Tokio debuted in 1994. The group consisted of five members: Shigeru Joshima, Masahiro Matsuoka, Tomoya Nagase, Taichi Kokubun and Tatsuya Yamaguchi. Hiromu Kojima left just before the band debuted. In 2018, Yamaguchi's contract was terminated after he was referred to prosecutors for allegedly kissing a girl against her will at his home. Two years later, Nagase announced that he was leaving the band to pursue his own endeavors.
Tokio Co., Ltd. was established in 2021.
Nippon Steel's Acquisition of US Steel Includes Trump Pact
On Wednesday night, Nippon Steel announced that it had completed the acquisition of US Steel. News of the transaction was confirmed a few days after United States President Donald Trump overturned the decision by his predecessor, Joe Biden, to block the deal on national security grounds. The two companies have subsequently entered into a National Security Agreement (NSA) with the US government, which gives the Trump administration the power to veto significant management decisions.
'We have secured the necessary management flexibility and profitability essential for business investment, and we recognize this agreement as fully satisfactory for our company,'
said
Nippon Steel
Chair
person
and CEO Eiji Hashimoto, at a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday. The acquisition is valued at $55 per share, or
$14.1 bill
ion
.
It's
the largest investment Nippon Steel has ever made. The company first announced a plan to buy out US Steel in December 2023.
Shinjiro Koizumi Tops Poll for Japan's Next Prime Minister
According to a joint opinion poll conducted by the
Sankei Shimbun
and FNN (Fuji News Network) on June 14 and 15, Shinjiro Koizumi is the people's choice to be Japan's next prime minister. The current Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister finished at the top of the poll with 20.7% of the vote, 4.3% ahead of the former Minister of State for Economic Security Sanae
Takaichi
. Prime Minister Shigeru
Ishiba
finished third with 7.9% of the vote.
It's been quite a turnaround for Koizumi, who finished third in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership race last September. Away from the spotlight for several months, he made his political return in May, with Ishiba appointing him as Agriculture Minister. Replacing Taku Eto, whose position became untenable after he said that he 'never had to buy rice' as he got it free from supporters, Koizumi's appointment has brought immediate results with the price of rice decreasing three weeks consecutively.
Japan Sees Another Record Number of Foreign Visitors for May
According to data released by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) on Wednesday, Japan welcomed 3,693,300 foreign visitors in May, a record high for the month and an increase of 21.5% from a year earlier. The cumulative number of visitors from abroad in the first five months of the year came to a record 18,140,100. That's significantly higher than the previous record of 14,641,780 for the same period that was set last year.
'The momentum is strong, and we're on a very good trajectory,'
said
JNTO Commissioner Naoya
Haraikawa
at Wednesday's press conference. The only region with a decrease in the number of tourists to Japan was Hong Kong. The figure dropped 11.2% to 193,100. This is believed to be due to rumors circulating on social media about
a possible earthquake
hitting
the country
.
It's
based on separate prophecies by Japanese manga artist
Ryo Tatsuki
and a famed local feng shui master.
Mixed Bag for Shohei Ohtani on Pitching Return
After almost two years away from the mound, Shohei Ohtani made his long-awaited pitching return on Monday evening to start the series opener against the Padres. Jogging out with Michael Bublé's 'Feeling Good' playing in the background, he received a huge ovation from the fans. His last MLB appearance on the mound was on August 22, 2023. That was against the Cincinnati Reds, when he retired due to arm fatigue after just 1.1 innings pitched.
The two-way superstar allowed back-to-back singles to Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis
Arráez
before Manny Machado hit a sacrifice fly to earn Tatis Jr. a run. Ohtani pitched for one inning, throwing 28 pitches, 16 for strikes. He fared better at the plate, tying the score with an RBI double to left-center in the third inning. He then added another two-out hit as the Dodgers took a 6-2 lead in the fourth. The 2024 World Series
champions
won the game 6-3.
Ippei Mizuhara Reports to US Prison
On the same day that Ohtani made his pitching debut for the Dodgers, his former interpreter reported to federal prison in Pennsylvania. In February, Ippei Mizuhara was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for stealing close to $17 million from the Dodgers two-way global superstar to repay illegal gambling debts. He was also ordered to pay $18 million in restitution, with the majority going to Ohtani and $1.1 million to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Mizuhara is being held in a low-security prison in Allenwood. As he's not a US citizen, he's likely to be deported to Japan after completing his sentence. Between November 2021 and March 2024, the ex-interpreter misappropriated $16.59 million from one of Ohtani's accounts. He also stole baseball cards with the intention of reselling them and submitted a false tax return for 2022. Prosecutors claimed his motivation was 'greed' and 'not addiction.'
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Asahi Shimbun
an hour ago
- Asahi Shimbun
TV host Kokubun steps down after misconduct surfaces
Celebrity entertainer Taichi Kokubun will step down from his popular TV show due to serious misconduct, Nippon Television Network Corp. announced, without disclosing the nature of the allegation. Nippon TV President Hiroyuki Fukuda addressed the media on June 20 following an emergency board meeting, expressing regret over the situation. 'It is a serious and unfortunate matter,' Fukuda said. However, he declined to disclose specific details of Kokubun's misconduct, citing privacy concerns. Kokubun, 50, also released a public apology, announcing that he would be suspending all entertainment activities for the time being. 'The root cause lies entirely in my own lack of awareness of the position I hold, my complacency, poor judgment and inadequate behavior,' he said in the statement. Kokubun rose to fame as a member of the popular boy band Tokio and later expanded into acting and hosting TV and radio programs. His sudden announcement of suspension will leave broadcasters scrambling to reschedule or even cancel six shows in which he has been appearing. According to Nippon TV, the company became aware of the issue on May 27 after a source alerted the broadcaster to Kokubun's misbehavior. A subsequent investigation involving a third-party lawyer included interviews with relevant individuals. The findings led to the decision for Kokubun's removal from 'The! Tetsuwan! Dash!!,' an iconic reality show he co-hosted for three decades. Despite the controversy, the broadcaster confirmed that the program will continue airing. 'This is an issue concerning an individual cast member, not the show itself,' Fukuda said. He emphasized that no Nippon TV staff members engaged in any misconduct but acknowledged the broadcaster's responsibility for continuing to cast someone with potential issues. The revelation comes as the entertainment industry increasingly confronts issues of harassment and human rights violations, typically involving sexual abuse and bullying. Earlier this year, another well-known TV show host, Masahiro Nakai, retired from show business following accusations that he sexually abused a female newscaster from Fuji Television Network Inc. Both Nakai and Kokubun are originally from Johnny & Associates Inc., now renamed, the powerful showbiz agency at the center of a major sexual abuse scandal involving its late founder. (This article was written by Sachi Matsumoto and Yusuke Miyata.)
NHK
an hour ago
- NHK
TOKIO's Kokubun Taichi to halt activity indefinitely due to 'compliance issues'
Kokubun Taichi, a member of the Japanese band TOKIO, is suspending his activities indefinitely due to breaches of compliance rules. This was announced by his management agency on Friday. Earlier in the day, Nippon Television Network, or NTV, said it was removing Kokubun from a popular weekly program, "The Tetsuwan Dash." It cited the 50-year-old's multiple past acts deemed problematic in terms of compliance. Kokubun said in a statement that, after spending long years in the entertainment world, he lacked a proper understanding of his position. He said he was naive and conceited, and acted poorly. He said he will halt all his professional activities indefinitely and reflect upon himself. NTV has not said when the compliance-related problems took place or what exactly happened for privacy reasons. But it says they are not the kind of issues that warrant the filing of criminal complaints. NTV says it first learned of the problems in late May. It says that, based on a probe by third-party lawyers, the company's board approved Kokubun's removal from the show at an extraordinary meeting on Friday. It says "The Tetsuwan Dash" will remain on the air. NTV President Fukuda Hiroyuki told reporters that the program has been airing for a long time and is loved by its viewers. He said this makes it all the more necessary to strictly enforce governance. "The Tetsuwan Dash" featured segments in which Kokubun and other members of TOKIO engaged in farming and other activities in Fukushima Prefecture and other rural locations. Fukuda said the broadcaster will offer an explanation to the local people who have supported the show, and will seek their continued cooperation. Kokubun debuted as a member of the all-male band TOKIO in 1994. Due to his friendly character, he has emceed variety shows and other programs, while also pursuing acting roles in TV dramas and movies. Prior to Friday's announcement, Kokubun had six regular programs on TV and radio. He also appears in several TV commercials.
The Mainichi
3 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Appeals court lets Trump keep control of National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles
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