Tokio pop group member removed from TV show over past conduct

A member of Japanese all-male pop group Tokio has been removed from a popular TV program due to past conduct that breached compliance rules on multiple occasions, a TV network said Friday.
Taichi Kokubun, 50, was removed from "The Tetsuwan Dash," a variety program aired by Nippon Television Network Corp. and fronted by the members of Tokio. Neither Kokubun, his company nor the TV network has elaborated on what the breaches entailed, but according to a source close to the matter, they involved behavior that could be considered sexual harassment.
The decision to remove Kokubun was approved at an extraordinary board meeting, based on findings from a third-party probe headed by lawyers. Kokubun has accepted the decision, the network said.
In remarks to reporters, Hiroyuki Fukuda, the network's president, declined to elaborate further on the cases, citing a need to "protect privacy." He said it was not a criminal matter.
According to Fukuda, the probe was established after the misconduct came to light in late May.
"The Tetsuwan Dash" will continue broadcasting, the network said.
Following the announcement, Kokubun said he is indefinitely suspending his activities in a release on the Tokio company website.
In a statement of apology, he said that "my lack of awareness for the situation I am in, my naivety, my arrogance and my inappropriate behavior have caused everything."
Kokubun debuted with the then five-member Tokio in 1994 and has an extensive career in television and radio. After the Fukushima nuclear crisis in 2011, he helped promote local farming produce by appearing in commercials.
His removal from the Nippon Television program comes amid increased scrutiny of Japan's entertainment industry following recent revelations such as a sexual misconduct scandal that emerged at Fuji Television Network Inc. involving popular former TV host Masahiro Nakai.
Tokio's former agency Johnny & Associates Inc. also renamed itself and a separate agency was established after hundreds of sexual abuse allegations against its late founder Johnny Kitagawa.
© KYODO

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