TOKYO (TR) – Sixteen years ago, the pristine facade of Japan’s premier idol group, AKB48, was severely shaken when an original member’s plunge into the adult video (AV) industry triggered a wave of scandals.
The revelations in 2010 ultimately exposed deep-seated hypocrisy within the group’s management, reports Nikkan Gendai (Oct. 24).
The initial shockwave came when a core, first-generation member of the group released a full-frontal nude photo book under the alias “Riko Yamaguchi.” The situation escalated on August 27 of that year when she made her highly anticipated debut, marketed as a “national idol’s AV debut that all of Japan has been waiting for.”
“Panic ran through all of AKB,” an insider from that time revealed. “She had been there for the very first theater performance in Akihabara and was an ace in the early days. Members tried to reach out to her, but she had changed her phone number. They were simply left dumbfounded.”
“Studying abroad”
The tremors did not stop there. On July 11, following a concert at Yoyogi National Gymnasium, regular top-tier member Erena Ono suddenly announced her graduation. She cited “studying abroad” to become an actress, leaving close friends in the group in tears. However, her true motives were allegedly far less innocent.
“After announcing her graduation, she was spotted on dates with a man in Tokyo,” the insider said. “At the time, AKB controlled nearly all media outlets, so it didn’t make the weekly tabloids. If it hadn’t leaked to Shukan Bunshun, it never would have come to light.”
Shukan Bunshun soon proved it had an even bigger scoop brewing. In its July 22 issue, the magazine reported a “love scandal” between AKB48’s undisputed No. 1 member, Yuko Oshima, and television personality Eiji Wentz.
When ambushed by reporters asking if she frequented Wentz’s home, a clearly flustered Oshima initially replied, “Yes.” When pressed on what they did there, she nervously backtracked: “N-no, I haven’t been there, hahaha.”
“Focused on work”
Both celebrities later took to their blogs to vehemently deny the relationship. Wentz called the reports false, while Oshima claimed she was “too focused on work for romance.”
Without definitive photographic evidence, Oshima’s scandal was quietly swept under the rug — a move that bred deep resentment among the ranks of the idol group due to the strict “no-dating” rule enforced on lesser-known girls.
“Some members complained, saying, ‘You get forgiven just because you’re popular, right?'” the insider noted.
Ayaka Kikuchi
Just two years prior, Ayaka Kikuchi was effectively fired, and a month before the Oshima scandal, Takami Ishiguro — a trainee who ranked 40th in the general election — met the same fate after photo booth pictures of them with men leaked online. While Kikuchi managed to claw her way back into the group by re-auditioning, Ishiguro never returned to show business.
Because Oshima was the reigning queen of the group’s general election, management turned a blind eye, issuing no punishment. It was a glaring double standard, forcing the mega-group to push forward while harboring deep contradictions behind its glossy smiles.
