Controversies
Voyeurism
On September 24, 2000, Tashiro was sent to the prosecutor's office for filming up a woman's skirt with a camcorder in Tōkyū Tōyoko Line Toritsu-Daigaku Station in Meguro, Tokyo. When asked why he had done it at a news conference on October 4 of the same year, he claimed that he had been producing a comedy film called Mini ni tako ga dekiru (ミニにタコができる),[2] a pun on the similar Japanese pronunciations for "mini" (ミニ, miniskirt) and "mimi" (耳, ear) and the two meanings of "tako" (callus and octopus) based on the Japanese saying "mimi ni tako ga dekiru" (耳にタコができる, literally "I have a callus in my ear [from hearing something so often]"). The "mini ni tako" remark became infamous in the Japanese news media.[3]
In December 2000, Tashiro was fined 50,000 yen (about US$430) for the voyeurism.[4] He was barred from working in the entertainment industry temporarily by his entertainment agency, MTM Productions, and his comment was "I wish miniskirts were obliterated from the Earth." While he was barred, Tashiro did volunteer work such as carrying the wash and serving meals in a nursing home 3 days a week. On June 28, 2001, he announced his return to the entertainment world by saying, "Please take care of Masashi Tashiro again." (もう1度だけ田代まさしを、よろしくお願い致します)[2]
In July 2001, Tashiro appeared as a guest on television programs such as Downtown DX, Guruguru Ninety-Nine (ぐるぐるナインティナイン) and Mecha-Mecha Iketeru!. He also returned as part of the regular cast in "Shimura Ken no Bakatono-sama" (志村けんのバカ殿様). To become a regular in another program, "Hamada Company Dangan! Heroes" (HAMADA COMPANY 弾丸!ヒーローズ), he was challenged to travel from Tokyo to Okinawa without being discovered by anyone. He lost the contest when he was found out in Kyoto and 100 pictures of him were taken, but the public liked his stunt and his popularity soared back.
On July 6, 2015, Tashiro was sent to the prosecutor's office for filming up a woman's skirt with his mobile phone in Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line Futako-Tamagawa Station in Setagaya, Tokyo.[5][6][7]
Tashiro once hosted a combative sport program, Fuji Television's SRS, with actress Norika Fujiwara. It was later found out that he was warned many times by the staff, who became irritated with his habit of sneaking into the ladies' bathroom (possibly with camera equipment) and not emerging again for hours afterwards. Additionally, it was revealed that Fujiwara and other female television stars changed their clothes in the ladies' toilet during the time Tashiro was hiding inside. The staff associated with the show were suspicious that Tashiro did set up a small, transmitting camera in the toilet room.[8]
Drug use
First trial
On December 9, 2001, Tashiro was arrested for peeping through the bathroom window of a man's house near his home in Kita-senzoku, Ōta, Tokyo by Den-en-chōfu police.[9] According to the police, the 32-year-old man spotted Tashiro and ran after him for 300 meters wearing only a bath towel around his waist, eventually catching him and delivering him to the station. An eyewitness reported that Tashiro put on a cap like a ski cap, spoke loudly "Forgive me" (許してくれ, yurushitekure) and "It was a misunderstanding" (勘違いだ, kanchigai da) when he was caught, and that there was a camcorder in the vicinity of the scene recording. He was released on bail without punishment.[10]
However, Tashiro was arrested for possession and use of amphetamine on December 12, 2001.[11] Seven police detectives carried out a home search in Tashiro's house as a corroborative investigation into the peeping incident and discovered a bag containing 0.4 ~ 0.9g of speed. Tashiro stated that, "I bought it", but how he used it was unknown because a syringe used to inject drugs was not discovered in the home search. He was detained as a suspect at the police station after his arrest until February 1 of the next year. As a result, he was dismissed by MTM Production on the same day because of the repeated scandals.
On December 28, 2001, Tashiro was prosecuted for violation of the Stimulant Drugs Control Law.[4] He testified that, "I used drugs to get rid of stress and tension before appearing on a TV program" for the investigation by the Tokyo District Prosecution Office. He also said, "I lived confined to the house and I began to worry. From about this April, I used it once every few days". According to an indictment, he warmed amphetamine over a fire and absorbed it in his home's video room. His first trial for drug use and other crimes was in Tokyo District Court on February 1, 2002. Judgement was given on the case in the same court on February 8, 2002, where he was found guilty. He was given a three years suspended sentence of two years imprisonment.[11]
In spring 2002, Tashiro returned to the entertainment world as director of V-Cinema series such as The Way of the Whales (鯨道, kujira-michi). In 2003 he made a recorded guest appearance in TBS's Sunday Japon (サンデージャポン, sandē japon) on New Year's Eve. This is his last public appearance in a television program to date.
Second trial
After 10 p.m. on September 20, 2004, Tashiro was arrested for violation of the Firearms and Swords Control Law in a street in Nakano because he had a butterfly knife with a blade 8 centimeters long.[12] He shared his car on the street with a female acquaintance then and the police questioned them. After the investigation, it was learned that he had about 2g of amphetamines and about 4g of marijuana in a rucksack. As a result, he was arrested on the evening of the next day because a woman with him said "This rucksack is his" and he admitted it. After this incident, former Rats & Star member Masayuki Suzuki apologized for Tashiro's crimes in his place.[13] Tashiro stated that the pressure of stardom contributed to his addiction to drugs.
Following this arrest, Tashiro was harshly criticized by many of his former co-workers, who said:
We want him to get out from the entertainment world because what he did was despicable
The damned fool! I'd like to slap him!
I don't want to be associated with such a man.
Tashiro was virtually retired from the entertainment world and was treated like he never existed. From here on, the media would refer to him as the "former entertainer", and all the recordings and pictures taken when he was a Chanels/Rats & Star member were almost never broadcast anymore, and if they were, Tashiro's voice would be lowered to a hush or removed entirely, and no part of his body would be shown. Newspapers and magazines tacitly agreed not to talk about him at all. In an episode of a comedic duo Bakusho Mondai, host Hikari Ota accidentally said his full name. In The God of Entertainment (エンタの神様, enta no kami-sama), Sayaka Aoki, while displaying only part of his name, said "I put a camera in the chest drawer", which caused a general laugh. On the other hand, the part of Ken Shimura's commemorative speech held for the DVD release of one of his programs where he said "Have you disappeared like Takafumi Horie when you were knocked-out? I wanted to release this five years ago" was not broadcast.
Tashiro was arrested for possession of amphetamines on September 21, 2004. On February 7, 2005, he was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months imprisonment.[15] On June 26, 2008, he was released from prison.[16][17]
Cocaine incident
On September 16, 2010, Tashiro was arrested along with a 50-year-old woman in a parking lot at Red Brick Park in Yokohama for possession of cocaine. According to police he was in possession of two bags of cocaine, and admitted "It is for my own use".[18] Tashiro said he bought cocaine from a DJ.[19][20][21][22] The Yokohama District Public Prosecutors' Office indicted him on October 6, 2010.[23]
This incident outraged and disappointed his former co-workers and friends again, and many of them made comments publicly regarding this incident. His bandmate Masayuki Suzuki expressed his disappointment and frustration, stating "I have no idea what to say about this affair. I just wanted him to remember the very hard time not only his family and those around him but also that he himself has had. He really is a bonehead."[24]
Torata Nanbu, leader of Tokyo Shock Boys, one of the people who had been supporting Tashiro for the sake of his comeback, said "My heart is aching very much. I don't mean to beat him up, but he makes me feel empty inside. I wonder if the drug might be more fascinating for him than the feeling of returning to the entertainment industry," and concluded, "I cannot take any more. Regrettably, this is the end. It is no longer possible for him to restore his reputation."[25] Tashiro had been scheduled to appear on a radio program named Tashiro Nakamura Nanbu Akua-Chan, broadcast by Rainbowtown FM, aimed at supporting his comeback, but the program was cancelled.
Tashiro was released on parole on July 20, 2014. Thereafter, he began his stay at DARC Jeanne (DARC stands for Drug Addiction Rehabilitation Center. Ironically, with Masashi Tashiro being known for his puns, the name of this rehab center is also a pun on Jeanne D'Arc). He appeared at a press conference on March 18, 2015, announcing the opening of the Asagaya Loft A.
2019 arrest
Tashiro was arrested again on November 6, 2019, on suspicion of drug use.[26]
Car accident
There was a rumor that Tashiro would be coming back to the public screens in spring 2004. However, he once again found himself in legal trouble for causing a car accident on the Ōme road in Suginami. According to news reports, at about 1 am on June 16, 2004, he crashed into an 18-year-old vocational school student on a motorcycle after making an illegal U-turn.[27] The victim had his left thigh broken and suffered an injury that would take 2 years to heal completely.
