Music

Pop Group TOKIO Disbands After Problematic Acts by Kokubun on Popular Nippon Television Show ‘The Tetsuwan Dash’

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
TOKIO members, from right; Taichi Kokubun, Shigeru Joshima and Masahiro Matsuoka in May 2018

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:09 JST, June 25, 2025

The male pop group TOKIO said Wednesday it was disbanding, announcing the decision on the website of its management company of the same name.

Band member Taichi Kokubun had been suspended indefinitely from TOKIO on Friday, after being removed from “The Tetsuwan Dash,” a popular variety show on Nippon Television Network Corp. Kokubun was found to have committed compliance violations.

“We confirmed with each other that, given our current situation, it would be difficult to continue TOKIO and gain support and trust again. So we decided to bring our activities to an end,” the band stated in the announcement.

TOKIO made its debut in 1994.