ASKA Steers Fans Toward Crypto Exchange — 5ch Reacts: ‘He’s Basically a Cult Leader at This Point’

From our other sites

The story

Weekly Gendai reports that singer ASKA has been steering fans toward a Kyrgyzstan-based cryptocurrency exchange, sparking investment trouble among them. ASKA, arrested in 2014 for violating the Stimulants Control Act, has repeatedly made headlines for his conduct in the years since. Reactions on 5ch to the latest report were split: many were coldly unsurprised (“a bit late for this,” “anyone who believed him is the fool”), while others voiced concern for the impact on longtime fans, and some even called for a CHAGE and ASKA reunion.

Singer ASKA caused investment trouble that left fans bewildered — he steered them toward a Kyrgyzstan crypto exchange… (Weekly Gendai, Jiro Chikuwa) | Gendai Business | Kodansha

2026.09.09

A cryptocurrency ASKA promoted has triggered a major uproar, pitting longtime devoted fans against each other. Hidden within it was an unexpected trap of fan devotion.

Source: gendai.media / Read the original article here

What people said

2AnonymousSep 9, 2026 12:47
Just hurry up and get back together as CHAGE and ASKA already.
7AnonymousSep 9, 2026 12:48
Re: #2
If Chage's not into it, Fukikoshi Mitsuru could sub in (an actor famous for his Chage lookalike bit).
18AnonymousSep 9, 2026 12:53
Re: #2
Chage's busy these days doing 'Shishido Chage' with Shishido Kavka, though.
3AnonymousSep 9, 2026 12:48
A bit late for this.
Everyone already knows he's trouble.
5AnonymousSep 9, 2026 12:48
Nah, honestly, anyone who fell for this one is the fool.
6AnonymousSep 9, 2026 12:48
The only one still a fan at this point is Mii-chan, so it's not really an issue.
9AnonymousSep 9, 2026 12:49
It started as 'Gifu-hafu' and somehow turned into 'GiveHub' before you knew it! Nankurunaisa (Okinawan for 'it'll all work out')!
10AnonymousSep 9, 2026 12:51
He didn't even need to do this — he's still got enough fans to make bank off concerts and fan club dues, no?
11AnonymousSep 9, 2026 12:51
Well, he's basically a cult leader at this point, so if fans get swept up and buy in willingly, I guess that's on them? No sane person would go near this stuff anyway.
12AnonymousSep 9, 2026 12:51
Guess even the royalties he raked in during the CD boom years
are finally starting to run dry?
13AnonymousSep 9, 2026 12:51
Somebody should do a proper documentary on ASKA's life story.
14AnonymousSep 9, 2026 12:52
Apparently he's putting out some sketchy cryptocurrency now.
87AnonymousSep 9, 2026 13:24
Re: #14
It even comes with a sketchy chilled crab ramen bundle.
15AnonymousSep 9, 2026 12:52
Look back and there's a con man (riffing on the classic drama title 'Furikaereba Yatsu ga Iru')
70AnonymousSep 9, 2026 13:12
Re: #15
    ___
   / __ \
  ●/ ‥ \●
  ||   ||
  彡|   |ミ
  |∧   / |
  /  \_/ /
`/     /
/      /
16AnonymousSep 9, 2026 12:53
Don't let GiveHub's smear campaign get you down, ASKA!
17AnonymousSep 9, 2026 12:53
What's his partner 'Shake' (a jab at Chage's name) up to?
Isn't he gonna help him out?
24AnonymousSep 9, 2026 12:54
Reminds me of a post saying whoever came up with a phrase like 'Shakariki Columbus' (a CHAGE and ASKA song title)
is either a genius or high.
29AnonymousSep 9, 2026 12:56
So he's sunk to the level of those shady companies and cults
that peddle weird products in disaster-hit areas…
32AnonymousSep 9, 2026 12:57
Big money attracts all kinds of weirdos.
Everyone around him is a yes-man, so nobody can stop him.
34AnonymousSep 9, 2026 12:58
Shabu & Asuka — sounds like Chage was the one on meth.
Chage & Shabu — sounds like Chage was the one on meth.
  ( ⌒ )
   l | /
  ∧_∧
⊂(#・д・)  So what am I supposed to do about it?!
 /   ノ∪
 しー-J ペシッ!
36AnonymousSep 9, 2026 12:58
He's also fixated on totally unrelated people and even his own fans, convinced they're part of some wiretapping/hidden-camera group.
His 'evidence' is just misreading ordinary posts through deliberate misparsing ('ginata-yomi') as proof they're surveilling or mocking him — there's no reasoning with him.
39AnonymousSep 9, 2026 12:59
Back in the day he was just an Akai Hidekazu (actor/former boxer) lookalike — or really, Akai Hidekazu was ASKA's tough-guy 'I'll knock you out' lookalike…
Stop it, Suzu-chan! There's nothing extra needed, is there? (an obscure meme reference)
43AnonymousSep 9, 2026 13:01
It's a GiveHub conspiracy! ASKA was set up!
44AnonymousSep 9, 2026 13:01
What does it say about the fans who let Asuka lead them into this, too?
55AnonymousSep 9, 2026 13:07
Ranking of most-sung artists at karaoke over the past 30 years

1 Mr.Children
2 Ayumi Hamasaki
3 GLAY
4 L'Arc~en~Ciel
5 Porno Graffitti
6 DREAMS COME TRUE
7 SMAP
8 Namie Amuro
9 EXILE
10 Southern All Stars
16 Yutaka Ozaki
17 AKB48
21 B'z
25 Hikaru Utada

CHAGE and ASKA doesn't even make the top 50
69AnonymousSep 9, 2026 13:12
Re: #55
Both Chage's and ASKA's songs are just too hard to sing — that's the only reason nobody picks them at karaoke.
74AnonymousSep 9, 2026 13:13
Fans just need to look past this one.
Keep the music separate from everything else.
80AnonymousSep 9, 2026 13:18
Re: #74
Honestly, ASKA's music since the arrest isn't really 'ASKA music' anymore anyway.
85AnonymousSep 9, 2026 13:22
There's no way he can put out music or performances good enough to make people overlook this 😨
94AnonymousSep 9, 2026 13:26
Re: #85
Chage, maybe — but ASKA's a lost cause.
He's even got a post-arrest song that ripped off The Police, and at this point he's just coasting on royalties from the old CHAGE and ASKA days.

Background and points of debate

ASKA rose to fame as one half of CHAGE and ASKA starting in the 1980s, and his career and relationship with fans changed dramatically after his 2014 arrest for violating the Stimulants Control Act. This latest report centers on trouble that broke out among fans over a cryptocurrency ASKA himself promoted — it’s worth noting that no illegality has been established regarding the investment solicitation itself. Thread reactions split between a self-responsibility camp (“a bit late for this,” “anyone who fell for it is the fool”) and those worried that longtime fans’ devotion was being exploited. Posts noting that CHAGE and ASKA don’t even rank in the past 30 years’ karaoke popularity charts also highlighted the gap between their heyday and the current situation.

*This article was compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Singer ASKA caused investment trouble that left fans bewildered — he steered them toward a Kyrgyzstan crypto exchange….”

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *