The H!P Musings/Rants Thread

[Amped]

Notice about Kishimoto Yumeno taking a break from activities

Kishimoto Yumeno complained of poor health at the end of last week, as a result, she was diagnosed as having an "adjustment disorder" (stress, anxiety) that requires about a month of rest and in-patient hospital treatment,
Therefore, her activities with Tsubaki Factory will be suspended for a while.

She will be absent from the following events this Summer

7/16 - SPARK 2023 in YAMANAKAKO (Idol Festival)
7/17 - LuckyFes2023 (Major Music Festival)

7/22, 7/29 - The start of the Hello! Project Summer CITY CIRCUIT concert tour

We will seek a doctor's diagnosis and consider when to resume her activities.


http://www.helloproject.com/news/16116/

Update notice on Tsubaki Factory Kishimoto Yumeno

Thank you for your continued support of Tsubaki Factory.
Kishimoto Yumeno, who has been out of action due to an adjustment disorder, has been diagnosed as requiring more further in-patient treatment, although she has been getting better since last month.
Therefore, she will not be performing at the following shows.

August 4th TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL 2023
August 9th "Tsubaki Factory Major Debut 6th Anniversary Live: Moment" Special Screening vol.1
August 19th UP-T presents Kagayaki Fest 2023
August 24th Tsubaki Factory's Summer Festival 2023 -Scorching Heat
August 26th @JAM EXPO 2023
August 30th "Tsubaki Factory Major Debut 6th Anniversary Live: Moment" Special Screening vol.2
Hello! Project 2023 Summer CITY CIRCUIT "Tsubaki Factory CONCERT TOUR ~Shunkan~ Encore", All performances


http://www.helloproject.com/news/16265/

She miss the entire month of August.

August is over now, so an update on Kishimoto Yumeno.

She will continue to take a leave of absence due to adjustment disorder. She will miss these events :

9/9~9/10 Hello! Project 25th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT
9/17 Ikuze! Tsubaki Factory Autumn Public Recording Event

http://www.helloproject.com/news/16391/

~~~~~

Kishimoto Yumeno posted a blog after a long time after the news was posted :

I will not be attending this concert and event.

Sorry for keeping you waiting.

If you will be attending, please support Tsubaki Factory.

Recent Activity :

For the first time in about three months, I met with two of my best friends.
We used to see each other at most 4 times a week and at least 3 times a month, so it had been several years since I had seen them for such a long period of time.

We have not seen each other for a long time, but we are still the same person, and I am still the same person, so I feel as if we are back together again.

Tonight's dinner is...
My best friend served me nameko mushroom rice at her house and it was so impressively delicious that I made it myself and now I'm going to eat it.

You want to squeeze your overly pampered body.
Take it easy~ Yeah, yeah.

We all need a little bit of a push, and I'm not going to be reckless!
You shouldn't either.

Well then, see ya later

Kishimoto Yumeno


https://ameblo.jp/tsubaki-factory/entry ... 23031.html

[JonCC]

Wasn't completely sure where to put this, but it pertains to Oha Suta.
I've put it under a spoiler cut as it contains details that might make people uncomfortable.
(Couldn't find an official translation yet, so I'm working w/ DeepL here. Sorry if there's mistakes.)

https://bunshun.jp/articles/-/65422

Spoiler: show

Ike Nwala (37) was suspended from "Oha Suta" for bringing an underage "Oha Girl" to his home, even though he explained he did nothing indecent.

On August 28, it was announced that comedian Ike Nwala (37) had graduated from TV Tokyo's children's variety show "Oha Suta." Shukan Bunshun has learned that behind his sudden departure from the program, Nwala had brought an underage co-star, "Oha Girl," to his home, which became a problem.

Nwala got his breakthrough with his jokes that mix American jokes with fluent English and Japanese culture.

"He is a member of the comedy group Choshinjuku. Originally from Seattle, USA, he came to Japan to become a comedian because he was shocked by Japanese comedy he saw at a video store by chance. While working in the IT field at Goldman Sachs, a major foreign securities firm in the U.S., he taught himself the Japanese language and the arts, and then entered the entertainment industry. Currently, he is also active as an MC. He is a regular on several TV programs." (Sports Reporter)

Nwala's sudden "graduation" from "Oha Suta." TV Tokyo ostensibly explained that it was for "production reasons." Nwala himself announced on X (formerly Twitter), "I will be graduating from Oha Suta, which I have been a part of for about 7 years!! THANKS SO MUCH for your support so far!!" etc., but there was so little information that it led to speculation.

But... An "Oha Suta" insider reveals in a hushed voice.

Although it is ostensibly a "graduation" from the program, the reason for the resignation is not due to "production reasons. The direct cause is Nwala's own words and actions. In mid-July of this year, it was discovered that Nwala had taken "Oha Girl A," a minor who appeared on "Oha Suta," to his home unaccompanied by a guardian for the purpose of "consulting with her about her work." Moreover, this was not the first time Nwala had taken Ms. A to his home. As far as the program knows, he has brought her home five times since the beginning of this year, at a frequency of about once a month.

When Ms. A's parents learned of this, they complained to the program. Nwala was interviewed by his office,

Nwala apparently explained that he had been consulting with her about her work problems and that he had invited her to his home, but that he had not done anything indecent. (see above)

The agency and the program had held discussions, but "some parents (of the co-stars) said they did not want their children to appear in the same program, so it was decided to let them graduate" (see above).

When asked by TV Tokyo's Public Relations and Investor Relations Department whether it is true that Nwala invited Ms. A to his home and received protests from her parents, he replied, "We have no answer for you." As for whether or not this is the reason why Nwala is leaving the program,

he replied, "We do not answer questions about the production process of the program."

We also sent a letter of inquiry to Watanabe Entertainment, Nwala's agency, to confirm the facts. When we asked if it was true that he invited Ms. A to his home, he replied, "It is true that I invited her to my home for lunch because I would listen to any problems she had, but it was daytime, not late at night." When asked if the reason for Nwala's graduation was that he invited Ms. A to his home and received protests from her parents, he replied, "I heard that it was for the convenience of the program's production."

However, the aforementioned "Oha Suta" official testified confidently:

"We were told that Ms. A went to Nwala's home between 9:00 and 11:00 PM. Not only did he bring her in, but the time of day was at night, which is why the parents saw it as a problem."

Even if he was just consulting with Ms. A about her work at home, is there any problem with inviting a minor to one's home? Attorney Yoshikazu Arai of the Cresfort Law Office says, "The parents saw it as a problem because he was only consulting with Ms. A about her work at home."

"In the absence of parental consent, if it had been after 11:00 p.m., it could be in violation of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Youth Protection and Nurturing Ordinance. Also, if they were taken around for a long period of time, they could be in violation of criminal law, such as kidnapping of a minor." (Watanabe Entertainment responded that they were "not aware of any violation (since it was daytime)" regarding the time Nwala invited Ms. A to his home.)

In the "Shukan Bunshun e-edition" currently being distributed, we report in detail on Nwala's detailed background, how Nwala invited "Oha Girl" A to his home, his inappropriate behavior toward another "Oha Girl" B, his surprising behavior revealed in the interview process, and his "SNS pick-up habit" as revealed by an acquaintance.

(I'm aware of the source, but they did break open the story about the abuse at Johnny & Associates. J&A recently underwent an internal investigation; the results were released just today.)

UF's statement: Goto Hana is not involved in any way.
http://www.up-front-promotion.co.jp/inf ... tail/16401

[Idol Tenshoku Ondo]

^^
I'll wait forever for Yumeno to come back. They're not giving a timeline this time but it doesn't have to have a negative outcome. Kiki was on medical leave for half a year before and came back. I hope for everyone she can come back and graduate properly.

[Nayoko-Kihara]

Sad Yumeno still isn't ready for a return, but I'm glad she's getting all the time she needs. Also hoping for a postponed graduation, I'd really like to see her appear in one more release (even if it's just a bonus song on something) & get her big goodbye moment.

UF's statement: Goto Hana is not involved in any way.
http://www.up-front-promotion.co.jp/inf ... tail/16401

Well thank fuck for that.

[KakureW]

Wasn't completely sure where to put this, but it pertains to Oha Suta.
I've put it under a spoiler cut as it contains details that might make people uncomfortable.
(Couldn't find an official translation yet, so I'm working w/ DeepL here. Sorry if there's mistakes.)

https://bunshun.jp/articles/-/65422

Spoiler: show

Ike Nwala (37) was suspended from "Oha Suta" for bringing an underage "Oha Girl" to his home, even though he explained he did nothing indecent.

On August 28, it was announced that comedian Ike Nwala (37) had graduated from TV Tokyo's children's variety show "Oha Suta." Shukan Bunshun has learned that behind his sudden departure from the program, Nwala had brought an underage co-star, "Oha Girl," to his home, which became a problem.

Nwala got his breakthrough with his jokes that mix American jokes with fluent English and Japanese culture.

"He is a member of the comedy group Choshinjuku. Originally from Seattle, USA, he came to Japan to become a comedian because he was shocked by Japanese comedy he saw at a video store by chance. While working in the IT field at Goldman Sachs, a major foreign securities firm in the U.S., he taught himself the Japanese language and the arts, and then entered the entertainment industry. Currently, he is also active as an MC. He is a regular on several TV programs." (Sports Reporter)

Nwala's sudden "graduation" from "Oha Suta." TV Tokyo ostensibly explained that it was for "production reasons." Nwala himself announced on X (formerly Twitter), "I will be graduating from Oha Suta, which I have been a part of for about 7 years!! THANKS SO MUCH for your support so far!!" etc., but there was so little information that it led to speculation.

But... An "Oha Suta" insider reveals in a hushed voice.

Although it is ostensibly a "graduation" from the program, the reason for the resignation is not due to "production reasons. The direct cause is Nwala's own words and actions. In mid-July of this year, it was discovered that Nwala had taken "Oha Girl A," a minor who appeared on "Oha Suta," to his home unaccompanied by a guardian for the purpose of "consulting with her about her work." Moreover, this was not the first time Nwala had taken Ms. A to his home. As far as the program knows, he has brought her home five times since the beginning of this year, at a frequency of about once a month.

When Ms. A's parents learned of this, they complained to the program. Nwala was interviewed by his office,

Nwala apparently explained that he had been consulting with her about her work problems and that he had invited her to his home, but that he had not done anything indecent. (see above)

The agency and the program had held discussions, but "some parents (of the co-stars) said they did not want their children to appear in the same program, so it was decided to let them graduate" (see above).

When asked by TV Tokyo's Public Relations and Investor Relations Department whether it is true that Nwala invited Ms. A to his home and received protests from her parents, he replied, "We have no answer for you." As for whether or not this is the reason why Nwala is leaving the program,

he replied, "We do not answer questions about the production process of the program."

We also sent a letter of inquiry to Watanabe Entertainment, Nwala's agency, to confirm the facts. When we asked if it was true that he invited Ms. A to his home, he replied, "It is true that I invited her to my home for lunch because I would listen to any problems she had, but it was daytime, not late at night." When asked if the reason for Nwala's graduation was that he invited Ms. A to his home and received protests from her parents, he replied, "I heard that it was for the convenience of the program's production."

However, the aforementioned "Oha Suta" official testified confidently:

"We were told that Ms. A went to Nwala's home between 9:00 and 11:00 PM. Not only did he bring her in, but the time of day was at night, which is why the parents saw it as a problem."

Even if he was just consulting with Ms. A about her work at home, is there any problem with inviting a minor to one's home? Attorney Yoshikazu Arai of the Cresfort Law Office says, "The parents saw it as a problem because he was only consulting with Ms. A about her work at home."

"In the absence of parental consent, if it had been after 11:00 p.m., it could be in violation of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Youth Protection and Nurturing Ordinance. Also, if they were taken around for a long period of time, they could be in violation of criminal law, such as kidnapping of a minor." (Watanabe Entertainment responded that they were "not aware of any violation (since it was daytime)" regarding the time Nwala invited Ms. A to his home.)

In the "Shukan Bunshun e-edition" currently being distributed, we report in detail on Nwala's detailed background, how Nwala invited "Oha Girl" A to his home, his inappropriate behavior toward another "Oha Girl" B, his surprising behavior revealed in the interview process, and his "SNS pick-up habit" as revealed by an acquaintance.

(I'm aware of the source, but they did break open the story about the abuse at Johnny & Associates. J&A recently underwent an internal investigation; the results were released just today.)

UF's statement: Goto Hana is not involved in any way.
http://www.up-front-promotion.co.jp/inf ... tail/16401

Stardust Production (agency of another Oha Girl Emily Hijikata) also put out a statement that Emily isn't involved either. So that leaves just the third Oha Girl, and her agency hasn't said anything yet as far as I can see so...

I don't watch much telly in Japan so I don't really know who this dude is, but he has f**ked up big time. Now he is saying he wasn't with the girl as late as 23:00 after previously saying he was with her during daytime, so Bunshun's source in the Oha production team was correct. This guy swears he didn't do anything improper, but he already got busted on the time of the day lie, so he better have really solid evidence to back up his innocence. Also, as mentioned, having a minor without supervisor consent at that late in the night is probably already afoul of minor protection laws.

Slightly off topic, but seems tabloids like Bunshun do much better investigate journalism than most main stream news channels and publications in Japan. Granted they also do a lot of the garbage celeb gossip and stuff, but hey, you gotta sell to help keep the business afloat.

[Amped]

Ohagirl Emily Hijikata's staff statement :

Thank you for your continued support of Emily Hijikata.

Recently, there was a report in a weekly magazine regarding a program (Ohasuta) in which Hijikata is currently a regular performer.
We have confirmed that there have been many untrue speculations about Hijikata and other co-stars have been circulated until today in connection with this report.
We sincerely apologize for any concern this may have caused.

Hijikata is not involved in any of the matters reported in the media.
She is still seriously engaged in her daily entertainment activities with her co-stars and the program staff.

We would appreciate it if you would refrain from making speculations that are not based on facts, as we are always discussing our work with our office manager.

We would like to thank all of our fans for their continued support and understanding.

From the Staff

https://www.instagram.com/p/CwmmlGjr5I2/

[Idol Tenshoku Ondo]

This is all pretty messed up so I'll spoiler.

Spoiler: show

Yeah, does not matter how much he claims that he did nothing. Having a minor alone in your house like that is completely and totally inappropriate and it's pretty much safe to assume anything bad about it. Guy is not her guardian and I would personally not give the benefit of a doubt. I hope this whole thing doesn't haunt the Oha Girls for forever. Punish the guy harshly and let the girls move on with their lives.

[Amped]

Avex has made the third Ohagirl Kaho Kawamura and newest member of SUPER☆GiRLS, vaguely and apologize late for "something"

I am sorry for the trouble I have caused you and for the concerns I have caused you.

I will do my best to show my growth and to earn the support of our fans.
https://twitter.com/SG6_KAHO_avex/statu ... 7681525796
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/e1a2e ... f06dd64a49

They don't deny it.

She is the one that went to Ike Nwala's house and got in trouble with the tabloid.

[Zunu]

I suppose she had to acknowledge her role to quell any rumors but at least they didn't take her off the show. No reason the victim should be punished.

[Amped]

Morning Musume. '23 Sakurai Rio had coughs and a fever, and as result, she tested positive for coronavirus. She will absent from the live broadcast of the Utacon performance on September 19th.
http://www.helloproject.com/news/16466/