Japan Male Pop Group Tokio Disbands

   Tokyo, June 25 (Jiji Press)--Japanese male pop group Tokio broke up Wednesday, after member Taichi Kokubun indefinitely halted his entertainment activities Friday over compliance violations.
   The group found it difficult to regain fans' trust and support under the current circumstances, its management firm said.
   The disbandment came amid heightened criticisms over insufficient explanations by parties involved about what Kokubun actually did.
   Tokio debuted in 1994 with a CD release. In addition to their musical activities, its members were featured in many television programs, notably Nippon Television Network Corp.'s "The Tetsuwan Dash" variety show, as well as in TV commercials to promote products made in Fukushima Prefecture, which was severely damaged by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami and the ensuing meltdowns at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant. They also individually built acting careers, amassing a wide fan base.
   Tokio had been active as a three-member group comprising leader Shigeru Joshima, 54, Masahiro Matsuoka, 48, and Kokubun, 50, since Tomoya Nagase, 46, bolted from the group for a private reason in 2021 following the departure of Tatsuya Yamaguchi, 53, amid a scandal in 2018.

(2025/06/25-19:13)

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