Actor and comedian Hiroyuki Miyasako, who featured as supporting character Tsuyoshi Nagumo in Sega’s Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, has been suspended by his talent agency for an alleged link to an organised crime group. It is reported that he, along with some other comedians, were entertainers at a party hosted by the group.
As spotted by VG24/7, the Japan Times reports that Miyasako, along with 10 other actors also suspended by the Yoshimoto Kogyo Co. agency, has recently been discovered to have attended a party hosted by a “purported organised crime group without consulting with the company”. The agency believes the comedians attended the party five years ago and received payment from the group for entertaining.
The group in question are allegedly linked to money transfer fraud, according to the agency – however, it looks like the comedians weren’t aware of this. The company states that while the actors “were not aware it was a gathering hosted by an antisocial group”, it “still consider[s] it a very serious matter that they accepted money from such a group”.
The Japan Times reports that Miyasako has publicly apologised for taking payment from the group: “I deeply regret accepting the money, even if it was indirectly”.
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However, it looks like Japanese broadcasters have started responding to this issue by cutting the scenes and taking down or putting the shows on hiatus in which the comedians feature. Whether Sega will do the same for Miyasako’s character in Yakuza 6 is unclear. Perhaps if the game makes it to PC, as indicated by a leak nearly a year ago, Sega could decide to re-cast his part or cut out. We’ll just have to wait to find out if it does.