30-Year-Long-Running Group Suddenly Disbands: TOKIO Announces Breakup Just 5 Days After Activity Suspension [Japanese Perspective]

Former Johnny’s “National Idol Group” TOKIO Disbands
Five Days After Announcing Suspension of Member Activities
Reason Cited as “Compliance Violations”... Allegations of Power Abuse and Sexual Harassment
Nippon TV to Establish Oversight Committee with External Experts

This week, Japanese celebrity news has been dominated by the breakup of TOKIO, the idol group that has lasted for 30 years. Originating from Johnny's and, along with SMAP, gaining considerable recognition in South Korea in the early 2000s, TOKIO is also the group that included Tomoya Nagase, who became well-known as an actor. Despite hosting flagship television programs, TOKIO suddenly announced the suspension of its members' activities and, just five days later, declared the complete disbandment of the group. This has led to widespread speculation and curiosity in Japan, with many wondering, "What exactly happened?"

The controversy unfolded as follows. TOKIO had been hosting the long-running Nippon TV program "The! Tetsuwan! DASH!" since the 1990s, in which the members personally took on various challenges. On June 20, Nippon TV announced that Daichi Kokubun, a member of TOKIO, would be leaving the program due to multiple compliance violations. Kokubun admitted to his wrongdoing and stated that he would suspend his activities. Then, on June 25, just five days later, TOKIO officially announced its complete disbandment.

(from left) Masahiro Matsuoka, Shigeru Joshima, and Daichiro Kokubun form the group TOKIO. TOKIO Corporation.

As for the reasons, only "compliance violations," such as breaches of the code of ethics, have been cited, and the exact details of what occurred have not been disclosed. This has led to a series of interviews with Nippon TV officials. Since Kokubun also hosted his own radio program and frequently appeared on other shows, other broadcasters have only speculated, "Something must have happened serious enough for him to step down." Japanese entertainment media, citing TV industry insiders, have reported allegations of sexual harassment and abuse of power, such as repeatedly sending or requesting videos or images that could cause embarrassment to program staff. However, both Nippon TV and TOKIO have not provided specific details, citing privacy concerns.

Nippon TV has even announced the establishment of a committee, including external experts, to address the issue and prevent recurrence. On June 26, Nippon Television Holdings, the parent company of Nippon TV, established a governance evaluation committee and announced that it would assess the company's response and the broadcaster's responsibility, from understanding the incident to holding a press conference. The committee will be chaired by a lawyer who has previously led various oversight committees, such as those for securities trading, and plans to bring in additional experts with expertise in constitutional and corporate issues. Although the specific details of the incident remain undisclosed, the seriousness of the situation can be inferred.

The sudden breakup has also put advertisers on high alert. The remaining members are reportedly visiting advertisers to apologize. In particular, TOKIO took a leading role in the Fukushima recovery movement, participating in the "Let's Support by Eating" campaign after the Fukushima nuclear disaster. This was because, during Nippon TV broadcasts, they were involved in growing agricultural products in Fukushima. As a result, the Fukushima Prefectural Government established a fictional "Tokio Section" for promotional purposes and actively promoted it.

News report that the Fukushima Prefectural Office's "Tokio Section" removed Daichi Kokubun's poster. TBS.

According to Sankei Sports, the remaining members met directly with Marugame Seimen, an udon franchise they had worked with since 2021, to discuss the sudden breakup and also informed and apologized to Fukushima Prefecture. Originally, Fukushima Prefecture had been producing an agricultural promotion advertisement featuring all TOKIO members, but this will now inevitably need to be revised.

Furthermore, because TOKIO belonged to Johnny's, controversy surrounding idols from Johnny's continues. The founder, Johnny Kitagawa, was revealed to have sexually abused trainees for many years, causing a major scandal in the Japanese entertainment industry. However, controversy over Johnny's idols has persisted. Masahiro Nakai, a former member of the Johnny's group SMAP, retired from the entertainment industry earlier this year after being accused of forcing female announcers to entertain him. In addition, in 2018, TOKIO member Tatsuya Yamaguchi left the group after being involved in a case of forcibly molesting a minor, which has reignited controversy. As a result, there are growing calls for reform within the Japanese entertainment industry.