Donations by two scandal-hit Japanese comedians turned down

July 26, 2019

Tokyo--A public-interest incorporated association has refused to accept donations from two Japanese comedians at the center of a scandal involving an antisocial group, it was learned Friday.

Hiroyuki Miyasako of comedy duo Ameagari Kesshitai and Ryo Tamura, a member of comedy duo London Boots Ichi-go Ni-go, had donated a total of 1.5 million yen to the National Network for Victim Support.

The association said it cannot accept money allegedly obtained from an antisocial group.

Miyasako, 49, and Tamura, 47, received some five years ago one million yen and 500,000 yen, respectively, for performing at a gathering of a fraud ring.

The association is currently taking procedures to return the money sent on or before July 13 by the two comedians, who requested that their donations be used to support crime victims, it said.

"We're very sorry for causing trouble to the recipient" of the donations, Japanese entertainment company Yoshimoto Kogyo Co. said on its website. The company terminated its contract with Miyasako on July 19 over the scandal but indicated readiness on Monday to reverse the step.

According to Yoshimoto Kogyo, the two comedians decided themselves the recipient of the donations. Jiji Press