TOKYO (TR) – Former television star Keisuke Tachihara, 72, best known as a “detective” on the hit variety show “Tantei! Knight Scoop,” has resurfaced after a decade-long absence from the public eye.
According to Oricon News (Sep. 13), he has endured a debilitating nerve disorder and the collapse of his marriage.
Launching his own YouTube channel in August, the veteran actor and television personality broke his long silence to explain his sudden vanishing from the airwaves.
“I can’t appear on terrestrial TV or radio anymore,” Tachihara admitted in his debut video. “I haven’t been on television or radio for about 10 years, not at all.”
“My wife left”
The former star confessed to suffering from dystonia, a severe neurological disorder that affects muscle control. The condition has left his nervous system ravaged and causes intense leg pain, limiting his ability to stand to a mere five minutes at a time.
Adding to his physical decline, Tachihara revealed that his personal life crumbled alongside his broadcasting career. “When the work disappeared, my wife left,” he said bluntly, acknowledging that his past workaholic lifestyle likely destroyed his marriage.
It is a stark contrast to his peak years. During his tenure on Knight Scoop, which ended in April 2005, Tachihara was a massive presence in the Kansai entertainment scene. He boasted 16 regular weekly programs, enduring a grueling schedule where he woke at 4 a.m. and didn’t return home until 1 a.m.
Now marking his 50th year in show business, Tachihara says he is ready to begin his “end-of-life preparations” for his career. However, he refuses to fade away quietly.
“I want to take the pent-up feelings from the last 10 years and make them explode at this age,” he stated, noting that his speech remains unimpaired. Hoping his battle with autonomic nervous system disorders can help others, he has kicked off his new YouTube venture with a series of back-to-back interviews featuring 108 Buddhist monks.
