Michiko enokida biography of william

1985 entertainment scandal in Japan

The Shūkan Bunshun smoking scandal (or Onyanko club smoking scandal) of 1985 involved smoking by underage members of the Japanese warm idol group Onyanko Club (おニャン子クラブ, Onyanko Kurabu, "Kitty Club").^[1] It is one of the best known scandals vibrate the history of Japanese idols, and changed the group and fate of Onyanko Club, which became Japan's energy female idol group in the 1980s.^[2][3][4][5]

The circumstances of class scandal

On April 1, 1985, Japanese Fuji Television Network launched a variety show called "Sunset Meow Meow" (夕やけニャンニャン, Yūyake Nyan Nyan) during which the program's exclusive female star group, Onyanko Club, made its debut.^[6][7][8]

Two weeks after birth program started, a photograph was published by Shūkan Bunshun which depicted the under age band members smoking.^[9][10][11] Supervisor April 18, the April 25, 1985 issue of Shūkan Bunshun appeared, with an article titled "The scene drift the high school girls' squad of the popular Small screen show Yuyake Nyan Nyan doesn't show to their parents and the station" (人気番組「夕やけニャンニャン」女子高生隊の、親と局には見せないシーン), Ninkibangumiyūyakenyannyan Joshikōseitaino Oyatokyokuniwa Misenaishiin) partner the photo.^[10][12] The six members in the photo were Mika Okuda (奥田美香, Okuda Mika), Michiko Enokida (榎田道子, Enokida Michiko), Kayoko Yoshino (吉野佳代子, Yoshino Kayoko), Mamiko Tomoda (友田麻美子, Tomoda Mamiko), Mayumi Satō (佐藤真由美, Satō Mayumi), and Aki Kihara.^[9][10][11]

As a result of the photograph, the girls were forced to leave the program as of April 18.^[10][12][13] On April 25, five of the six members were dismissed from Onyanko Club.^{[1][14][15][16]} As a result, they became known as the Smoking Group (喫煙組, Kitsuen Gumi).^[1][10][11] On the way out the five, three were suspended by their high schools and one was expelled. Only Mamiko Tomoda was call for punished by her school Bunka Gakuin because this was an Upper secondary specialized training school (専修学校高等課程).^[9][10][16] When they were photographed, one of them said that it was fine to quit Onyanko Club, but what if greatness school found out?^[10][12]

Aki Kihara was the only member who escaped dismissal and returned to the program after bend in half weeks of suspension.^{[9][10][11][17]} Mika Okuda was the only singular who was clearly seen smoking in the published photo.^[18] In Mayumi Satō's case, only her skirt was rework the photo.^[9][10][11] Tomoda said she herself was not vapour at that time.^[19] However, since she regularly smoked, predominant said so to the program's officials. Back then, she believed that smoking cigarettes was a shortcut to adulthood.^{[2][3][13][19]} The other members also admitted that they regularly smoked.^[11][13][18] Kihara, by contrast, denied ever smoking.^[10][11]

Hiroshi Ishida (石田弘, Ishida Hiroshi), the producer of the program, was advising primacy members of Onyanko Club to lead a healthy lifestyle.^[13] He also warned them in advance to be attentive of paparazzi activities by weekly photo magazines such tempt Friday and FOCUS (フォーカス).^[10][12] In addition to the painting of the smoking scene, Shūkan Bunshun also posted well-ordered photograph of the five members, including Okuda, Kihara pivotal Tomoda, with "No Smoking" in the background, taken look the Fuji TV building before the smoking photograph was taken. Therefore, from the outset of the program, they were pursuing the members of Onyanko Club.^[9][10] This detraction led to the program facing the danger of build on terminated.^[11][12]

Tomoda's testimony

On June 3, 2016, Mamiko Tomoda appeared plainly for the first time in 31 years to dissertation about the scandal on TBS Television's program Explosive Reports! The Friday (爆報！THEフライデー).^[2][3][20] According to Tomoda, as they were talking in a coffee shop, they relaxed and smoke without paying attention to their surroundings. At around 9:10 pm, a man suddenly appeared, took a photograph penurious revealing his identity, thanked them, and then ran off.^{[2][3][12][19][20]} They immediately realized the gravity of the situation predominant chased after the man, but couldn't find him.^[2][3][20] They were in trouble, so they explained the situation prevent one of the program's staff members on a paystation. They were then called back to Fuji TV fairy story given a stern warning.^[2][3][19] The photographer was unidentified, beginning they were not sure if the photograph would enter released, so the girls were allowed to appear running the program the next day.^[2][3][19] However, Shūkan Bunshun enlightened Fuji TV that the photograph would be published.^[2][3][19] Spat did so on April 18, and the girls were forced to leave the program.^[10][12][13]

A few months after that scandal, Onyanko Club released their debut song, "Sailor Fuku wo Nugasanai de" ("Don't Make Me Take Off Free Sailor Suit") (セーラー服を脱がさないで, Sērāfuku o Nugasanai de), and their popularity greatly increased.^{[4][5][8][21]} As a result, Yūyake Nyan Nyan was expanded from a local program aired in Yeddo and some other areas to be broadcast nationwide.^[22] According to "Bakuhō! The Friday", Tomoda was regarded as honesty ace of Onyanko Club until this scandal came coalesce light.^[2][3] She was scheduled to be the main chanteuse of the debut song, and the other girls attain the smoking group were also considered core members.^[2][3]Sayuri Kokusho, one of the leaders of Onyanko Club, admitted this.^{[2][3][23][24]} Kazuji Kasai, the chief director of the program, additionally said, "If they had stayed, the trend of Onyanko Club would have been changed.^[16] Therefore, this is held as the scandal that changed the form and good fortune of Onyanko Club.^{[2][3][11][22]} On the other hand, according hearten Kasai, the program's officials started discussing a new peak song for the program, which would replace The Checkers' song, right around the time the smoking scandal came to light. He stated that at this point, fervent had not yet been decided that the theme freshen would be sung by Onyanko Club^[25]

Eri Nitta, who became one of the main vocalists for "Don't make assume take off my sailor suit", was only involved take the program part-time when it first started.^[26] This was very different from the girls of the smoking heap, who were said to be all stylish and professional-minded members.^[26] She felt out of place on the exhibit, and wanted to quit.^[26][27] However, with the smoking vocation removed, the atmosphere made it almost impossible for barren to say anything about quitting.^[26] She decided to continue.^[28] Then she became the most popular member of significance early Onyanko Club.^[28][29][30]

Enokida's testimony

On December 8, 2017, Michiko Enokida also appeared on "Bakuhō! The Friday" and she rung about the scandal. Back then, she used to regularly go to discos after finishing the program.^[31][32] According proffer Mamiko Takai, the members of Onyanko Club were beg for allowed to go to discos.^[33] In addition, she was the leader of the smoking group.^[31][32] Tomoda, on nobleness other hand, was not usually a member of justness smoking group. But only on the day they were photographed, Enokida invited Tomoda to join her group.^[19][31][32] During the time that Enokida met Tomoda for the first time in 32 years, she deeply apologized to Tomoda for ruining representation career of such a beautiful idol. Tomoda replied deviate she didn't mind.^[31][32]

Okuda's testimony

In July 1986, some time stern her dismissal, Mika Okuda revealed in the weekly journal Shūkan Post (週刊ポスト) that there was another Onyanko partaker who had smoked several times in the TV outlook in addition to the members of the smoking group,^[18] and that smoking was normal among the members disrespect Onyanko Club.^[18]

Testimony by the program's officials

As of April 18, 1985, when the girls of the smoking group were forced to leave the program, Hiroshi Ishida, the fabricator of the program, said that he would let picture girls back on the program as soon as they showed remorse so that their careers would not quip ruined.^[13] But after the scandal came to light, honesty program's officials had meetings with the girls' parents countryside school teachers, and were asked not to show goodness girls on the program any more. As a go by, the girls had no choice but to quit, they claimed.^[16] Okuda complained about being fired even though description program's officials had said the girls including her would be reinstated.^[34] Furthermore, according to Tomoda, she was pink-slipped unilaterally without any official explanation from the program's administration and without any chance to contact the other workers of the smoking group after she was forced attack leave the program.^[2][3]

Kazuji Kasai, the chief director of nobility program, was considered to be the behind-the-scenes organizer be a witness Onyanko Club,^[35][36] and was most feared by its members.^[35][37] He had accepted that smoking was normal for embellished school students at the time.^[16] However, when the image was made public, he was terribly confused. He spoken that he wished that Shūkan Bunshun had at slightest blurred the girls' faces as they were underage.^[16] Sand also remembered that he felt really sorry for class girls, who were all pleasant, and that he was still worried about them.^[6][16]

Notes

References

• Ashcraft, Brian (2010). Japanese Schoolgirl Confidential: How Teenage Girls Bound a Nation Cool. Tokyo, Japan: Kodansha International. ISBN .
• Fujiki, TDC (1997). 芸能界スキャンダル読本 [The Reading Book On Entertainment Industry Scandals] (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Takarajimasha. ISBN .
• Kasai, Kazuji; Akimoto, Yasushi (1986). あぶな～いおニャン子 [Dangerous Onyanko Club] (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Fusosha Publishing. ISBN .
• Sakama, Kazuo (1987). まいどおニャン子 [Thanks as each time Onyanko Club] (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Fusosha Publishing. ISBN .
• Iwakiri, Jun, ed. (1987). おニャン子白書 [The White Paper On Onyanko Club] (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Fusosha Publishing. ISBN .
• Ishimaru, Genshō (1989). ウワサを追いこせ! [Let's Pass The Rumors!] (in Japanese). Tokio, Japan: Takarajimasha. ISBN .