entertainment

Mino Monta resigns from long-running news show 'Asa Zuba!'

52 Comments

TBS Television has announced that TV personality Mino Monta, 69, will be stepping down from his place on both the "Mino Monta Asa Zuba" news show and "Mino Monta's Saturday Zubatto," following the arrest of his son on an attempted robbery charge.

On the home page for the "Asa Zuba" show, a news bulletin update has been posted that reads, "After much deliberation with Mino-san, it has been decided that he will no longer be appearing on the 'Asa Zuba' show."

In September, Monta's son Yuto Minorikawa, 31, was arrested after he was filmed by a CCTV camera at a Minato Ward convenience store ATM at around 1 a.m. on Aug 13 trying to withdraw cash using a stolen bank card. Police say the card had been stolen from a drunken office worker in his 40s while he was asleep in the street.

Minorikawa, who works for the NTV network, was fired in September.

Monta has expressed a desire to continue appearing on other regular programs, such as "Mino Monta's Seize the Weekend." He released a statement to the media this week in which he said: "Once everything has been settled, I wish to have a chance to speak with you all candidly about everything that has happened."

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52 Comments
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This guy had the on-screen personality of a bowl of natto. Too bad his family situation is so skunky as well. Hope they replace him with some cute 25 year old in a really short skirt.

14 ( +19 / -6 )

In a "confession" program, he and another guy interviewed a gay person who had decided to come out of the closet. Mina Monta gave him some rather stinging personal "advice" in front of the camera. The gay man went back to his hotel and committed suicide.

I'm glad he's not in the public eye any more.

Mina Monta is the baka yaro!

9 ( +13 / -4 )

Even though I hate the guy, I don't see why he has to do this because his adult son committed a crime.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

Any excuse to be rid of this moralizing, sensationalist, hypocritical, a-hole is good enough for me. Hated him for years. News that he was probably a pathetic excuse for a father makes me all the more happy to have him gone.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

Good riddance.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

The son finally got his father's attention.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Tessa, "baka yaroo" usually means "stupid," with strong undertones of "F you", as Yubaro was saying. He was saying this when asked "do you any words for your son?"

5 ( +6 / -1 )

have seen him clearly drunk a couple times!

Yup, drunk, sleepy or both many times.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

The guy is in the Guiness book for most time on TV.

Which partly explains why he is often caught sleeping on TV when he thinks the camera is not on him.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I am of two minds about this. Fist, he is an insufferable ***. He is as arrogant as any other old man on TV. Seeing less of him will be good, though I do admit to having enjoyed seeing him drunk on live TV.

Second thing is that I do not understand how the irresponsible actions of his son have any bearing on his being fired. Make no doubt about that. He was fired. What do you think the "deliberation" was about?

3 ( +7 / -4 )

I have a question. Why did he suddenly yell "bakayaro!" at a press conference? Is that a bad word? English equivalents?

They asked him if he had a comment for his son. It means something along the lines of 'f-ing idiot'.

Second thing is that I do not understand how the irresponsible actions of his son have any bearing on his being fired.

They don't need to fire him, he couldn't have gone back to the show after this. Mino's job on the show was criticizing dumb criminals and politicians or what not. If he tried to go back on the show after his kid got busted for a crime, pretty much ever Japanese viewer out there would be questioning his appropriateness for the position, and beyond that, he being Japanese himself would know they are thinking it.

If they were going to fire him, they would fire him from all his programs, not just this one. But as I already said, even if they would have wanted to fire him, they didn't need to.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Perhaps if he had bothered to parent his son rather than be on TV 24 hours a day

The son is 31 years old. He's old enough to make his own decisions. Plenty of fathers in the baby boomer generation spent little time with their families, but most of their kids didn't turn into petty thieves.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

This is why he was shamed into retirement:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzOIKEUirJc

3 ( +5 / -2 )

tmarie:

I wonder if the younger female staff at throwing a party. Wasn't he caught on air sexual harassing one of them recently?

Yeah, the camera showed him clearly trying to goose her, and her slapping his hand away. It's difficult to believe that that incident has nothing to do with his retirement, in addition to the son thing.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

I have a question. Why did he suddenly yell "bakayaro!" at a press conference? Is that a bad word? English equivalents?

I didnt see the press conference so it's hard to comment on the circumstances but if he had directed that word "bakayaro" at an individual it would have an English equivalent pretty much the same as saying "F" you!

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I'm also one of the legion of Mino dislikers. so I am relatively glad his appearances on TV will be limited. He is just untrustworthy I think. Whenever there is some tragedy he makes all the necessary faces and sounds, but it just never feels sincere.

Not sure if anyone here will remember that a show (the name of which I forget) he appeared on with Kenichi Mikawa quite a few years ago that had all sorts of people explaining their personal tragedies. Unfortunately most of it was made up, none of the stories were true. He won't be missed in this household.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

the man looks like he hasn't slept in twenty years. and to call this man a "talent" disparages the word.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Irony that Mino Monta used to give free advice to people having family problems...was it 'Omoikiri Terebi?'

2 ( +2 / -0 )

fannybatter:

" ow ironic that the only time he actually says something worth listening to he gets hushed out the back door. "

Ironic yes, but not the grand conspiracy that some conspiracy nuts want to concoct about it.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Gone because of his son. Perhaps if he had bothered to parent his son rather than be on TV 24 hours a day... Had no idea about that suicide. Yikes. The fewer old farts on TV here, the better. Can he take Beat with him as well?

I think the younger guy will replace him - he's cute, well spoken and young! Yippee!!

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Finally! I thought this annoyoing character would never leave. And even better, they won´t replace him with his pickpocketing son...

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I wonder if the younger female staff at throwing a party. Wasn't he caught on air sexual harassing one of them recently?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Good riddance. Of course he'll still appear all the time, though.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

This is why he was shamed into retirement:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzOIKEUirJc

steveway - thanks for posting that. Although I always found Monta to be a typical pompous airbag, his honesty regarding Fukushima and the Tokyo olympics has earned him a few points in my estimation

1 ( +5 / -4 )

but reducing the discourse to that of a nursery school is pretty silly, no?

I agree. That is why I am commenting about such conspiracy theories. The man's son is in fact accused of a crime and I believe he is guilty. This arose from that and not Mino Monta's comments about nuclear energy. The man is still working on other shows. He is not cut off from the entertainment industry. To write a claim such as above is to suspend the reality that the son's crime did occur and that in Japan family members frequently take the fall in place of their families.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Ironic yes, but not the grand conspiracy that some conspiracy nuts want to concoct about it.

Exactly.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Bottom line for me is that not seeing his sleepy face in the morning will be an improvement in my morning routine. If I want to see a sleepy face, I have a mirror.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I expect his replacement will, unfortunately, be an old Japanese man.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

I have a question. Why did he suddenly yell "bakayaro!" at a press conference? Is that a bad word? English equivalents?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Good looking, charming, talented, sincere, amusing, interesting.... The list of positive traits we identify with successful TV personalities is a long one. A shame that this man is the antithesis of all these things. I have never ever met anyone who is not repulsed by him. I have heard folks say that just looking at him makes them want to vomit. And yet he is a national treasure? Such a person would NEVER find success outside Japan. Goodbye. Oh and while you're at it, stay in Hiratsuka where we can't see you.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Even though I hate the guy, I don't see why he has to do this because his adult son committed a crime.

Most of the time celebs here take a hiatus with family trouble, but some seem to continue like-

Rola, whose father is wanted on money laundering charges the AKB chick, whose mother got in trouble for sleeping with her underage son's friend
0 ( +1 / -1 )

Funny he calls his own son bakayaro (stupid, idiot bloody fool) but how about himself?? The father was caught on video right there on his live tv show trying to touch the bottom of a young lass on his tv show, and it is all over YouTube etc..so is this like father like son like bakayaro and ero jiijii(dirty old man) for our non Japanese speaking amigos??

0 ( +4 / -4 )

For the butt grabbing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQYyQWwTlYE

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@steveway

Thank you for that! Explosive claims...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Horsefella and steveway...you have that right according some reports I have seen on the non mainstream media, the mainstream media/Keidanren/pro-Tepco people are furious with him on his anti-nuclear position (a surprise to me, but then even former LDP PM Koizumi, now that he has retired, has taken a similar position). Also being reported in the non mainstream media is that regarding the two things--the harassment accusation and the son's arrest--one actually never was reported on at all UNTIL the other because the pro nuclear forces in the media wanted to bring him down. And they are also reporting that former PM Kan has therefore come to his defence on that score. In addition to the non mainstream media reports, I found one report on Yahoo News re Kan defending Mina. And the video speaks for itself.

One other thing to take note of is how newly elected rep and former actor Yamamoto reporter has also been subject to bashing on his personal life by the same media forces because of his anti nuclear stance, perhaps with the hope that he will be pressured to step down.

This is the reality--if you cross big media, the government and the nuclear mafia, they are going to come after you.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I must be the exception here, as there are a lot of shows on Japanese TV I really like. But with this guy gone for even just a while, it makes things a bit brighter!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Of course the old walnut-headed tanuki-impersonating bag of leather is as repulsive as any other media windbag. But what he said on his radio program about the colossal failure of Tepco and the Japanese government is absolutely spot on. How ironic that the only time he actually says something worth listening to he gets hushed out the back door. Although I won't miss his scrotum-resembling face over my morning coffee I hope what he said about the disgraceful conduct of the government and Tepco will be remembered.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I echo other commentators, I hope Kenmin Show isn't cancelled. They just need to get a replacement for him. I never really liked Mina Monta, and I really don't think that "Mino Monta no Asa Zuba!" is a long-running show as the title of this article says. His previous show "Omoikkiri Terebi" had a much longer run.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I also hate this putz, I think he just used his son as an excuse to cut down on his "work load" is all

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Japanese TV is so rubbish that I actually thought Asa Zuba was the pick of the bunch for morning TV. Gawd I can't stand the stoopid "english" they practice on that Zip! show.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

The damage has been done.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

The father was caught on video right there on his live tv show trying to touch the bottom of a young lass on his tv show, and it is all over YouTube Anyone have a link for the alleged touch-up infraction?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

The guy is a perv and a drunk, he should have been kicked out of the industry years ago but everyone was too afraid to reprimand their "old boy".

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

slumdog/WilliB: "That is why I am commenting about such conspiracy theories."

What's the conspiracy theory? It is a matter of fact that when someone questions the government, be it politicians or entertainers, in a way that embarrasses the government (and they share a large part of the blame for Fukushima, as well as a lack of action on TEPCO), they usually have to 'resign'. Why is it such a stretch in this case?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Kickboard, indeed and if you have a 31 year old son commiting crimes, there was an issue with the parenting as most 31 year old don't resort to comitting crimes, more so with a rich daddy and a spoiled life.

-3 ( +1 / -3 )

This is the reality--if you cross big media, the government and the nuclear mafia, they are going to come after you.

Wow, thank you so much for that non-mainstream perspective. Now I realize that it was actually 'the media' that forced Mino Monta's son into stealing someone else's wallet and attempting to use the bank card from said wallet to withdraw money all in a mysterious plot to get Mino to quit from only a couple of his TV shows.

Now back to reality, the real one: It is customary in Japan for a family member to take the hit when someone in their family does something wrong like in this case. It does not make real sense because it was his son that did the crime and not him, which is why he is not quitting everything like Shimada did a while back.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Wow, thank you so much for that non-mainstream perspective. Now I realize that it was actually 'the media' that forced Mino Monta's son into stealing someone else's wallet and attempting to use the bank card from said wallet to withdraw money all in a mysterious plot to get Mino to quit from only a couple of his TV shows.

@slumdog - You may not agree with a very common held belief about Japanese politics here, but reducing the discourse to that of a nursery school is pretty silly, no?

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

why some parents suffers what their children is doing.? is it a karma? so many critics expressing their feelings about the father and the son is displaying displeasure to his parents I cannot find a reason of what the children did is what you get for being negligent to their outside activities. Shame begets shame?.No sweat lol! May the father find peace in the family and true friends around him. Resigning is not a shame but to preserve your dignity and delicadeza..God bless you!

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Issues with the guy aside, Kenmin out is one of the few show on Japanese TV that are fun to watch

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

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