entertainment damage in Japan

The Shūkan Bunshun vapor scandal (or Onyanko club vapor scandal) of involved smoking close to underage members of the Altaic female idol group Onyanko Club (おニャン子クラブ, Onyanko Kurabu, "Kitty Club").^[1] It is one of dignity best known scandals in illustriousness history of Japanese idols, trip changed the form and destiny of Onyanko Club, which became Japan's biggest female idol fly-by-night in the s.^[2][3][4][5]

The circumstances submit the scandal

On April 1, , 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 idol group, Onyanko Club, made its debut.^[6][7][8]

Two weeks after the program started, shipshape and bristol fashion photograph was published by Shūkan Bunshun which depicted the underneath directed by age band members smoking.^[9][10][11] Means April 18, the April 25, issue of Shūkan Bunshun emerged, with an article titled "The scene that the high educational institution girls' squad of the accepted TV 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) with primacy photo.^[10][12] The six members be bounded by 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 probity photograph, the girls were least to leave the program laugh of April ^[10][12][13] On Apr 25, five of the sextuplet 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] Pageant the five, three were hanging by their high schools significant one was expelled.

Only Mamiko Tomoda was not punished unreceptive her school Bunka Gakuin owing to this was an Upper noncritical specialized training school (専修学校高等課程).^[9][10][16] Conj at the time that they were photographed, one female them said that it was fine to quit Onyanko Billy, but what if the high school found out?^[10][12]

Aki Kihara was justness only member who escaped expulsion and returned to the promulgation after two weeks of suspension.^{[9][10][11][17]} Mika Okuda was the solitary one who was clearly rum typical of smoking in the published photo.^[18] In Mayumi Satō's case, nonpareil her skirt was in high-mindedness photo.^[9][10][11] Tomoda said she mortal physically was not smoking at think about it time.^[19] However, since she offhandedly smoked, and said so draw attention to the program's officials.

Back substantiate, she believed that smoking cigarettes was a shortcut to adulthood.^{[2][3][13][19]} The other members also familiar that they regularly smoked.^[11][13][18] Kihara, by contrast, denied ever smoking.^[10][11]

Hiroshi Ishida (石田弘, Ishida Hiroshi), distinction producer of the program, was advising the members of Onyanko Club to lead a restorative lifestyle.^[13] He also warned them in advance to be chary of paparazzi activities by broadsheet photo magazines such as Friday and FOCUS (フォーカス).^[10][12] In particularly to the photograph of magnanimity smoking scene, Shūkan Bunshun further posted a photograph of primacy five members, including Okuda, Kihara and Tomoda, with "No Smoking" in the background, taken strike home the Fuji TV building a while ago the smoking photograph was charmed.

Therefore, from the outset produce the program, they were the members of Onyanko Club.^[9][10] This scandal led to nobility program facing the danger very last being terminated.^[11][12]

Tomoda's testimony

On June 3, , Mamiko Tomoda appeared artless for the first time bargain 31 years to talk reposition 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, importation they were talking in orderly coffee shop, they relaxed present-day smoked without paying attention however their surroundings. At around foremost, a man suddenly appeared, took a photograph without revealing culminate identity, thanked them, and so ran off.^{[2][3][12][19][20]} They immediately existing the gravity of the outcome and chased after the person, but couldn't find him.^[2][3][20] They were in trouble, so they explained the situation to skin texture of the program's staff associates on a payphone.

They were then called back to Fujinoyama TV and given a ascetic warning.^[2][3][19] The photographer was unfamiliar, and they were not run off if the photograph would do an impression of released, so the girls were allowed to appear on blue blood the gentry program the next day.^[2][3][19] Nonetheless, Shūkan Bunshun informed Fuji Goggle-box that the photograph would aside published.^[2][3][19] It did so stay April 18, and the girls were forced to leave nobility program.^[10][12][13]

A few months after that scandal, Onyanko Club released their debut song, "Sailor Fuku wo Nugasanai de" ("Don't Make Finish Take Off My 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 well-organized local program aired in Yeddo and some other areas prompt be broadcast nationwide.^[22] According make sure of "Bakuhō!

The Friday", Tomoda was regarded as the ace objection Onyanko Club until this wrongdoing calumny came to light.^[2][3] She was scheduled to be the essential vocalist of the debut inexpensively, and the other girls grounding the smoking group were too considered core members.^[2][3]Sayuri Kokusho, ambush of the leaders of Onyanko Club, admitted this.^{[2][3][23][24]} Kazuji River, the chief director of influence program, also said, "If they had stayed, the trend help Onyanko Club would have bent changed.^[16] Therefore, this is viewed as the scandal that denaturized the form and fate constantly Onyanko Club.^{[2][3][11][22]} On the upset hand, according to Kasai, high-mindedness program's officials started discussing graceful new theme song for class program, which would replace Integrity Checkers' song, right around ethics time the smoking scandal came to light.

He stated wind at this point, it abstruse not yet been decided go off the theme song would adjust sung by Onyanko Club^[25]

Eri Nitta, who became one of prestige main vocalists for "Don't bring into being me take off my navigator suit", was only involved bank on the program part-time when levelly first started.^[26] This was extremely different from the girls be bought the smoking group, who were said to be all … la mode and professional-minded members.^[26] She change out of place on illustriousness show, and wanted to quit.^[26][27] However, with the smoking calling removed, the atmosphere made encouragement almost impossible for her inherit say anything about quitting.^[26] She decided to continue.^[28] Then she became the most popular colleague of the early Onyanko Club.^[28][29][30]

Enokida's testimony

On December 8, , Michiko Enokida also appeared on "Bakuhō!

The Friday" and she beam about the scandal. Back corroboration, she used to frequently sneer at to discos after finishing representation program.^[31][32] According to Mamiko Takai, the members of Onyanko Truncheon were not allowed to improved to discos.^[33] In addition, she was the leader of nobility smoking group.^[31][32] Tomoda, on prestige other hand, was not as a rule a member of the ventilation group.

But only on influence day they were photographed, Enokida invited Tomoda to join team up group.^[19][31][32] When Enokida met Tomoda for the first time enclose 32 years, she deeply apologized to Tomoda for ruining authority career of such a pretty idol. Tomoda replied that she didn't mind.^[31][32]

Okuda's testimony

In July , some time after her expulsion, Mika Okuda revealed in description weekly magazine Shūkan Post (週刊ポスト) that there was another Onyanko member who had smoked a few times in the TV address in addition to the personnel of the smoking group,^[18] prosperous that smoking was normal in the middle of the members of Onyanko Club.^[18]

Testimony by the program's officials

As nigh on April 18, , when depiction girls of the smoking company were forced to leave loftiness program, Hiroshi Ishida, the director of the program, said ramble he would let the girls back on the program chimpanzee soon as they showed grief so that their careers would not be ruined.^[13] But puzzle out the scandal came to illumination, the program's officials had meetings with the girls' parents topmost school teachers, and were recognizance not to show the girls on the program any improved.

As a result, the girls had no choice but elect quit, they claimed.^[16] Okuda complained about being fired even scour through the program's officials had blunt the girls including her would be reinstated.^[34] Furthermore, according hug Tomoda, she was fired onesidedly without any official explanation escape the program's officials and keep away from any chance to contact prestige other members of the ventilation group after she was negligible to leave the program.^[2][3]

Kazuji River, the chief director of decency program, was considered to put pen to paper the behind-the-scenes organizer of Onyanko Club,^[35][36] and was most the collywobbles by its members.^[35][37] He confidential accepted that smoking was insignificant for high school students encounter the time.^[16] However, when character photograph was made public, why not?

was terribly confused. He oral that he wished that Shūkan Bunshun had at least unclear the girls' faces as they were underage.^[16] He also godlike that he felt really remorseful for the girls, who were all pleasant, and that subside was still worried about them.^[6][16]

Notes

References

• Ashcraft, Brian (). Japanese Schoolgirl Confidential: How Teenage Girls Made a Nation Cool.

  Yeddo, Japan: Kodansha International. ISBN&#;.

• Fujiki, TDC (). 芸能界スキャンダル読本 [The Reading Tome On Entertainment Industry Scandals] (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Takarajimasha. ISBN&#;.
• Kasai, Kazuji; Akimoto, Yasushi (). あぶな～いおニャン子 [Dangerous Onyanko Club] (in Japanese).

  Tokyo, Japan: Fusosha Publishing. ISBN&#;.

• Sakama, Kazuo (). まいどおニャン子 [Thanks by reason of always Onyanko Club] (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Fusosha Publishing. ISBN&#;.
• Iwakiri, Jun, ed. (). おニャン子白書 [The White Paper On Onyanko Club] (in Japanese).

  Tokyo, Japan: Fusosha Publishing. ISBN&#;.

• Ishimaru, Genshō (). ウワサを追いこせ! [Let's Pass The Rumors!] (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Takarajimasha. ISBN&#;.