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.
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 Chairperson and CEO Eiji Hashimoto, at a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday. The acquisition is valued at $55 per share, or $14.1 billion. 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.
Japan Sees Another Record Number of Foreign Visitors for May
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.”
