Here
and
Now

kuchikomi

Kusanagi’s comeback – what was the big deal after all?

35 Comments

The 22 days since his arrest for public indecency must have felt like an eternity for SMAP singer Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, who will return to business beginning with the shooting of the program “SMAP X SMAP” on May 28.

The decision for his comeback was announced on May 14, explaining how Kusanagi had reflected upon his misconduct. Since his release from police custody, Kusanagi, known for his serious and contemplative personality, had kept a low profile, holed up in his Tokyo Midtown apartment near the park where he was arrested.

A source in the entertainment industry comments, “Kusanagi was forbidden from leaving his home during the detention. His meals were either deliveries or brought by staff of his agent. After 20 years of being a pop icon since his teens, this was, ironically, his first long vacation.”

People close to Kusanagi, including fellow members of SMAP, have been expressing their support and encouragement through radio programs. The pop group’s leader Masahiro Nakai spoke of trials and tribulations that can be overcome with love and compassion, while Takuya Kimura chose a SMAP song “Best Friend” to be played at the end of his program.

NHK had initially broadcast the incident as headline news, while Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Kunio Hatoyama publicly denounced him as a “scum” and sponsors canceled advertisement contracts featuring Kusanagi. The pop star was practically made into a social deviant, but his fans and the public are now wondering what the big deal was after all.

Says columnist Masahiko Katsuya: “It’s easy to call it a crime, but think about Ueno Park around the time of cherry blossom viewing – there are drunk men taking their clothes off everywhere. It’s obvious that the police handled the investigation with the intention to punish Kusanagi, allowing the media to report his transfer. I suppose the police wanted to demonstrate that there would be no special treatment for those in show business, but I think they went too far. The police provided information which the media simply reported and people jumped on the bandwagon of the righteous to join the Kusanagi-bashing. It shows how immature Japanese society is.”

Author Shimako Iwai comments, “Many men that I know tend to take their clothes off when they get intoxicated. We’re not talking about some guy in his 50s. Women will only be too happy to see a naked male pop star, which raises the question – has anyone been victimized in the first place? It was an overreaction on the part of the police.”

Comedian and actor Rakkyo Ide, who has in the past written numerous letters of apology for his "nude performances," is also supportive of Kusanagi. “I’ve never been arrested, even though I go naked intentionally and completely sober, too. So I sympathize with him and also feel a sense of affinity. I do wish him the best.”

The first live TV appearance for Kusanagi will be “Waratte Iitomo” on May 29. It remains to be seen how he is going to be able to perform.

© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.


35 Comments
Login to comment

I will see if his colleagues will bash him.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Booooooooooooooooo the guys a billionaire and management needs to continue to get their money, this article was most likely bought as well...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Hahaha.... So the guy had a timeout for a month.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Good to see Kusanagi put back on his work clothes (or any clothes for that matter). This whole incident was a non-event. The prosecutors did not formally charge him and there was no harm done. Moreover, if it had occured just a month earlier (during cherry blossom season), no one would have batted an eye lid.

Considering that he is one of the least offensive talents on Japanese TV, all I can do is wish him the best of luck.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Kusanagi was forbidden from leaving his home during the detention

by who? Johnnys? shameless

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The man is how old and he was not allowed to leave his house? What in the blue hell is that? Wish him all the luck when he gets back on TV, but that is some serious $hite when you can not even leave your own home for food. What the hell does Johnny got going on?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Ichya, you do know the involvement of the y boys in Johnny's, right?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The Johnny's run things, much like the Imperial Household Office run the monarchy. It's a funny old country isn't it..

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I feel sorry for Tsuyoshi, being effectively owned by that ex-American Marine, now pop billionaire, Jonny. What sort of life must it be to be treated like a child and merely being a commodity? Not to mention the unspeakable and immoral stuff this Jonny does/did to all the boy idols.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I knew there would be no real backlash for this. If anything he will be more popular because of it.

SMAP sucks, this guy was the worst of the lot before this little adventure. Now he is currently the most noticed. Sounds like a PR scheme to me.

Down side, we still have to endure SMAP. I hope for a UN resolution banning this kind of torture.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It shows how immature Japanese society is.” Hmmmmm....... can things be so straighforward?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Kusanagi san has been the victim of gross bullying by Japanese society - especially the Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Hatoyama - the guy in charge of the scandal-ridden and disgraced NHK. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! Im glad he is coming back - hew should never have been treated the way he was treated in the first place. Japan is a land of bullies, and bullying is a way of life here. Dont conform, and you get bullied and hounded. I was appalled by the Minister`s remarks, in calling him "scum" when he himself presides over s scum institution,(NHK) and is also a member of a scum government which is slowly destroying Japan, in my view.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

tkoind2 SMAP are a wonderful group of all-round entertainers. I am one of their biggest fans. You are entitled to your opinion, of course, but I am also entitled to disagree with you, totally.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Its good to see an article in favor of the badly mistreated Kusanagi. I hope he makes a full comeback that puts Communication Minister Hatoyama even more deeply in the hole he dug for himself.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Kusanagi might be the lucky to be in home arrest - at least no chance for getting the pig flu.

I am happy to see him back. Not that SMAP are great as singers, but I still do watch SMAP Bistro. I was always a Katori Shingo fan, but I think I'll switch to Kusanagi as my favorite SMAP.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Masahiko Katsuya; It shows how immature Japanese society is

finally someone who is not foreign says this

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I think he should do it again just to see the rest of the story.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

EUgirl. Ok. I can agree with you about SMAP. As "talento" they are fine. Shingo is funny and Kimutaku can actually act. The rest...

But singing... take away their pitch correction processors and it would be more obviously bad. And can someone please hire some song writers with at least one original idea. If we have to listen to off key vocals, it would at least be nice to have the song be tolerable.

My issue with bands like SMAP is that why are these talentless singers making so much money while singers who can actually sing are not. What happened to music being about music and not about some image fops?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

My issue with bands like SMAP is that why are these talentless singers making so much money while singers who can actually sing are not. What happened to music being about music and not about some image fops?

New to Japan?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"Women will only be too happy to see a naked male pop star" Somehow I think not...not the SMAP guys anyway,skinny, bony,big ugly heads,remind me of Monty Burns...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Potsu: I would be happy to see Kimutaku naked. As would about 20 million Japanese women.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I feel sympathy with Kusanagi. If I had to be a johnny's boy and were forced to sing that trash he produces, I would end up drunken and naked in the park nearby every night...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

tkoind2,

SMAP sucks, this guy was the worst of the lot before this little adventure. Now he is currently the most noticed. Sounds like a PR scheme to me.

You obviously haven't heard Nakai-kun sing a capella, have you?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Nakai is the worst singer and a bad actor as well. Kusanagi at least took the trouble of learning Korean, even if it was in order to gain fandom in Korea.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

A source in the entertainment industry comments, “Kusanagi was forbidden from leaving his home during the detention. His meals were either deliveries or brought by staff of his agent. After 20 years of being a pop icon since his teens, this was, ironically, his first long vacation.”

Errr... I think this is illegal imprisonment. Kusanagi should sue whoever forced him to stay indoors.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Just curious , what if we performed such act , will we get the same treatment as him too..or go to jail ?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Just curious , what if we performed such act , will we get the same treatment as him too..or go to jail ?

punky, of course we would go to jail if we performed such a poor musical act!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

EU Girl, did you poll personally all 20 million Japanese women you mention, or just take that number out of thin air. Perhaps you need to speak for yourself and not millions of people you have never met. You also sound like a stalker, you might want to turn off the CD player, take down the SMAP posters, and meet some real people.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Is that an earring on his ear?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I would be happy to see Kimutaku naked.

Too skinny!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

what was the big deal after all?

Wow talk about a paid cover up, the media is just taking the money to write articles like this.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Wow talk about a paid cover up, the media is just taking the money to write articles like this.

Wow. Talk about pure, unsubstantiated speculation.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

My issue with bands like SMAP is that why are these talentless singers making so much money while singers who can actually sing are not. What happened to music being about music and not about some image fops?

But SMAP's appeal isn't their music, and everyone knows this. Their appeal is through their tv shows, their dramas, their movies. I don't think Japan could care less if SMAP can sing on key these days, especially when every hour of the day you're guaranteed to see Shingo Katori pimping some English School or a instant lunch meal or Kimutaku on a new drama or Kusanagi on Waratte Ii Tomo participating on the stupid games nearly everyday.

SMAP is Japanese media.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I feel sympathy with Kusanagi. If I had to be a johnny's boy and were forced to sing that trash he produces, I would end up drunken and naked in the park nearby every night...

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

ptolemy: I base my estimate on the fact that for several years Japanese women's mag reader poll Sexiest Man in Japan winner was Kimutaku, and for just hearing some of their opinions. An don the fact that any Tv drama starring Kimutake takes an automatic 30+% Nielsen rating, higher than anything else on TV.

I don't own any SMAP posters. I am not even a huge fan of them, but still, I would not mind seeing Kimutaku naked. If saying like this half-humorously makes me and millions of Japanese women stalkers, then be it.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites