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The story
It has been revealed that Yabe Hiroyuki of Ninety-Nine is stepping away from his slot on the long-running late-night radio program “All Night Nippon.” Starting with the broadcast on the night of November 5, Okamura Takashi will relaunch the show solo as “Ninety-Nine Okamura Takashi’s All Night Nippon.” On 5ch, the reported reason — that Yabe wants to host his own solo radio show in a morning time slot — sparked surprise, with reactions split between those lamenting the departure (“but he was the one keeping Okamura’s gaffes in check”) and those taking it in stride (“he was just there to nod along, so it’s no big loss”).
What people said
since he seemed kind of over radio altogether
So he's gonna slip up and say something stupid again then
And the infinite loop continues lol
It's a shame, since having the more grown-up Yabe there balanced him out
Isn't it not even a live broadcast anymore?
What's with Yabe…
If he screws up again, Okamura's done for good
That one's still running today
He'll quit right after the music festival
Oh really
Since this might be the last one, maybe I'll apply for tickets
Gotta catch up on TVer (Japan's free streaming app)
Are they not on good terms?
They weren't really friends to begin with
Once I hit my 40s I stopped wanting to be out past midnight too — basically just go to sleep instead
Apparently young listeners are actually growing, thanks to apps like radiko
For me it's Monday-Tuesday Junk (a late-night radio block)
Before that it was Kosakin (a classic radio duo show)
To people who don't keep listening, it's the same rambling content dragging on week after week, and you wonder what's even funny about it
But it becomes something you "need in your life"
Well, maybe "need" is too strong
More like something that's just… there
What do people like that even do, are they students?
they could cut it even if solo Okamura says something stupid
Audrey barely reads any postcards or emails and won't play a single song unless the station forces them to
Some say Alco & Peace's "DC Garage" segment is their reason to keep living
Some say as long as they have Minami Kan Yamazato's Junk, they need nothing else in life
But to non-listeners, none of it makes any sense as to why it's funny
It really is a strange kind of medium
• Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026 — Doors 15:00 / Start 16:30
• Venue: Yokohama Arena, Main Arena
• Performers: Ninety-Nine, Akiyama Ryuji (Robert), Shimizu Michiko, DA PUMP, Haraguchi Akimasa, Fujii Fumiya
• Price: All reserved seating ¥9,200, Stage-side seating ¥9,200, Standing ¥9,000 (all tax included)
Background and key points of this topic
“All Night Nippon” is a late-night radio slot that began in 1967, and Ninety-Nine’s segment has been a flagship corner for roughly 30 years since 1996. The core fact here is that once Yabe steps away, Okamura Takashi will relaunch the show solo as “Ninety-Nine Okamura Takashi’s All Night Nippon” starting with the November 5 late-night broadcast. What split the thread was how people valued Yabe’s role: some saw him as “just the guy nodding along, so he’s not needed,” while others viewed him as “the minder keeping Okamura’s past gaffes in check” — with the latter camp even raising the possibility that Okamura’s next slip-up could mean retirement. There was also the question of “who even listens to radio these days,” countered by comments noting that young listeners are actually growing thanks to apps like radiko — reflecting a dynamic unique to long-running radio shows, where non-listeners can’t see the appeal at all, while for regular listeners it’s simply become part of daily life. The All Night Nippon Music Festival is scheduled for October 24 at Yokohama Arena, and whether Yabe would appear there was also part of the discussion.
※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Looks like Yabe from Ninety-Nine is leaving All Night Nippon📻!!“.
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