Tsuyoshi Kusanagi arrested for stripping down in public!

panda♥ · #1 23rd April 2009, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Google

TOKYO (AFP) — A pop star with ageing Japanese boy band SMAP was arrested for public indecency, police said, amid reports he was naked, drunk and acting erratically in a central Tokyo park.

Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, 34, was arrested early in the morning near the Roppongi nightclub district after a local resident alerted police, a police spokesman said.

Television stations reported the arrest by flashing bulletins usually reserved for earthquakes and other major events, while television helicopters filmed the park from the air after sunrise.

Public broadcaster NHK placed a breaking news headline over its live footage of a parliamentary session on Japan's measures to fight Somali pirates.

"What's wrong with being naked?" Kusanagi reportedly yelled at a police officer who approached him.

The incident infuriated Communications Minister Kunio Hatoyama, whose ministry has featured Kusanagi in its campaign to promote the 2011 start of nationwide terrestrial digital broadcasting.

"If the report is true, I'm immensely angry... I'll drop him off everything related to terrestrial digital broadcasting," he told reporters. "I'll never forgive him."

Boy band SMAP gained fame from the early 1990s and became hugely popular in Japan and elsewhere in Asia with a string of chart-topping hits.

Its members have used their fame to get roles in television dramas and movies, and Kusanagi has starred in films and featured in many commercials.

In South Korea, he is better known as "Cho Nan Kang" and liked for his good command of the Korean language.

SMAP, one of many successful pop groups formed by Japanese talent agency Johnny and Associates, is an acronym for "Sports Music Assemble People."

LOL!

Amrai-chan · #2 23rd April 2009, 09:06 PM

Haha! Wow.

Larisa-chan · #3 23rd April 2009, 09:13 PM

Lollllllllllllllllll that's hilarious XD

Yum!Fruit_Salad! · #4 23rd April 2009, 09:26 PM

Yea, what's wrong with being naked? xD

rookies · #5 23rd April 2009, 09:43 PM

Woah, I am quite shocked by the news. o_O

Kingdom · #6 23rd April 2009, 09:43 PM

i hope he enjoys getting naked in jail! scum!!

brand new love · #7 23rd April 2009, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by juicy

i hope he enjoys getting naked in jail! scum!!

i agree. what a weirdo.

Hazuki · #8 23rd April 2009, 09:52 PM

BUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH BEING NAKED.
Oh gee. Kusanagi. I can't believe he did that -_-
I actually laughed my ass off when I saw this on MSN Today .__.

SunshineSlayer · #9 23rd April 2009, 11:37 PM

WHAT?! lol. I'll repeat again, WHAT?!?! This sounds like a KATTUN scandal, not a SMAP one!

"Television stations reported the arrest by flashing bulletins usually reserved for earthquakes and other major events, while television helicopters filmed the park from the air after sunrise."

On a serious note - I hope there isn't a SMAP backlash over this. But man, poor Tsuyoshi.....he must be dying of embarrassment right about now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by brand new love

i agree. what a weirdo.

I think its pretty obvious he was drunk.

panda♥ · #10 24th April 2009, 01:03 AM

I actually saw this on perezhilton.com first. I was scrolling through the page and remembered Kusanagi's face from when Ayu was on SMAP! and performed UNITE! with them so I just had to post it here.

If the news reports flashed warnings only used in dire situations like earthquakes, I wonder what they'd do if something like this happened to Ayu! LOL!

**ayumisrael** · #11 24th April 2009, 01:54 AM

Why wasn't I there to see it?

Though yeah there are things he should do at home in private (like getting drunk and strip in front of his girlfriend/boyfriend whoever he wants)

kendelle · #12 24th April 2009, 01:59 AM

Quote:

Television stations reported the arrest by flashing bulletins usually reserved for earthquakes and other major events, while television helicopters filmed the park from the air after sunrise.

OMFGLOL

This just brightened my day ;D

**ayumisrael** · #13 24th April 2009, 02:10 AM

Here's a news report about it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2rCdMHJ8eg

They removed every billboard of him.
The incident is a bit funny but he's really poor, he should take better care next time. =\

SunshineSlayer · #14 24th April 2009, 05:34 AM

Just watched the video. Poor Kusunagi.

Should be a lesson not to drink, especially if you are a member of SMAP! Arashi - take note!

ll moments ll · #15 24th April 2009, 05:53 AM

i love how alcohol's the reason of the current "big" JE scandals. LOL.
....that or a car (LOOKIN' AT YOU RYO NISHIKIDO).

i also love how this story was posted 3 times on OH NO THEY DIDN'T!

KarenPang · #16 24th April 2009, 05:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

Just watched the video. Poor Kusunagi.

Should be a lesson not to drink, especially if you are a member of SMAP! Arashi - take note!

it's

you imagine the after effects/back lash of this incident & yes I wouldn't deny it , I was laughing so hard when I 1st found this out but not anymore

heck even the local news & in today's papers talked about it O_O

SunshineSlayer · #17 24th April 2009, 06:30 AM

^ Well Goro was arrested in the past for something that I would consider more serious and SMAP came out of it fine. But really so far this incident is showing just how out of proportion scandals can get blown in Japan. I mean already starting to blacklist him? You'd think he killed someone or something.

KarenPang · #18 24th April 2009, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

^ Well Goro was arrested in the past for something that I would consider more serious and SMAP came out of it fine. But really so far this incident is showing just how out of proportion scandals can get blown in Japan. I mean already starting to blacklist him? You'd think he killed someone or something.

Goro was arrested a few years ago for a hit and run incident & I think group activities were continued as per normal during the time when that happened

I don't know this time round for Kusanagi's case & it reminds to be seen how forgiving or not Johnny will be

SunshineSlayer · #19 24th April 2009, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarenPang

Goro was arrested a few years ago for a hit and run incident & I think group activities were continued as per normal during the time when that happened

I don't know this time round for Kusanagi's case & it reminds to be seen how forgiving or not Johnny will be

Goro's incident did have repercussions, one of which was SmapxSmap being taken off the air for a month.

The question isn't just Johnny being forgiving, but everyone in the entertainment industry. And the police as well. "As he is one of the industry's biggest stars, the incident is likely to have a big impact. He is already being pulled from several advertisements, including commercials promoting Japan's transition to all-digital broadcasts by 2011.

One of the most recent reports says that he has lost his somewhat regular role on NHK's "PythagoraSwitch." Fuji TV will likely have the toughest decision to make, as Kusanagi is a regular on four of the network's popular shows.

Kusanagi also has a starring role with Yui Aragaki in the movie "Ballad: Namonaki Koi no Uta" (directed by Takashi Yamazaki). Filming has already wrapped up and the picture was scheduled for a September 5 release, putting distributor Toho in a difficult spot. TV Asahi is also considering their options, as it had planned to run some TV specials about the film on weekends from April 25 to May 18."

btw, this is even being reported on the BBC now.

Another article: "Kusanagi's Arrest to Cost Billions

The media have been busy for the last day or so analyzing the aftermath of Kusanagi Tsuyoshi's arrest. Some big numbers are being thrown around as estimates of the cost to the companies that have a financial stake in him. At the time of his arrest he had 7 commercial contracts, 8 regular TV and radio shows and a movie due for release in September. Columnist Himura Masaaki (59) said, "With SMAP being probably Japan's top talentos, Kusanagi alone would get about ¥50 million for an ad. As a group, their guarantee would be ¥120-150 million. Even just a music tie-up would bring in ¥50 million at a bare minimum." He estimated that the cost to Johnny's Jimusho agency just in terms of this lost income would add up to about ¥420 million. But on top of that, with the cost of posters, TV, magazine and newspaper ads, those companies would be looking at losses of ¥500 million each. So Johnny's could easily be faced with having to compensate sponsors to the degree of ¥5 billion. And then of course there's disgruntled TV networks and the ongoing effect on future earnings as well. All in all, it turns out to have been a pretty expensive naked romp in the park.

Meanwhile fans and commentators have been questioning why police decided to search Kusanagi's Tokyo apartment after the arrest. As he tested negative for drugs and the incident took place elsewhere, the search should not have been part of the investigation. Lawyer Osawa Takayuki said, "It's very unusual in such a case. As he's a celebrity and the impact of the arrest is very wide, they may have decided to do it just in case." Nihon University law professor Itakura Hiroshi said, "The prosecution of this case may be unexpectedly harsh. But I think he will be released soon. Even if he's indicted, he should face a fine of les than ¥300,000. I certainly don't see him getting a prison sentence."

I think most of Japan is so uptight they should all go for a naked romp in the park.

KarenPang · #20 24th April 2009, 07:38 AM

earlier on when my dad was watching the daily chinese news bulletin , they even talked about it O_O

If it's an average Joe that did such a thing , I suppose the Japanese will not make such a big hoo ha over it but the fact that this was committed by 1 1/5 of Japan's best selling Johnny's boyband , it's saying something otherwise

Maybe to us it's not such a big deal but it's to the Japanese & frankly I think they're judging him too harshly

it's not that everyone's perfect & etc . That's the harsh reality in being an Idol in Japan ugh , you get put down waay too hard & fast