Last August, comedian and TV emcee Shinsuke Shimada retired from show business following allegations that he¡¯d been palling around with an underworld figure. His withdrawal came on the eve of the implementation of a well-publicized police crackdown on organizations that work with antisocial elements, such as the yakuza. The media presumed that Shimada had been forced to retire by his management, the powerful Osaka-based production company Yoshimoto Kogyo, which didn¡¯t want the authorities scrutinizing its business.
On Jan. 4, during a press conference to celebrate Yoshimoto¡¯s 100th anniversary, president Hiroshi Osaki said that he hoped Shimada would ¡°come back to the entertainment world someday.¡± It was the first time anyone from the company had mentioned Shimada¡¯s rehabilitation, leading reporters to wonder whether Osaki¡¯s remark was off-the-cuff.
The memory of Shimada¡¯s humiliating departure is still fresh in the public¡¯s mind, and according to the weekly magazine Aera, Yoshimoto subsequently received dozens of telephone calls from people who disapproved of Shimada¡¯s return. Aera says Yoshimoto is predicting it ¡°can make money instantly¡± if Shimada comes back, but isn¡¯t thinking about possible backlash from sponsors and viewers.
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