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The story
Yasu, one half of the comedy duo Nightingale Dance, has had his management contract with Yoshimoto Kogyo terminated as of October 31, 2026, the agency announced on November 1. The reason given is that he organized a comedy show on his own without going through the agency; his side has only said, “We have nothing further to say going forward.” His partner, Nakano Nakarutin, remains with Yoshimoto, and the duo itself will reportedly keep performing together. On the 5ch “Geisoku+” (entertainment/sports news) board, discussion ranged from whether this technically counts as an “under-the-table gig” (yami eigyou) to speculation about possible tax evasion given the cash-only payments and gag order, with some questioning whether the punishment was too harsh compared to past under-the-table-gig scandals.
Yasu of the comedy duo Nightingale Dance had his management contract with Yoshimoto Kogyo terminated as of October 31, Yoshimoto announced on its official website on November 1. Yasu himself also reported the news on his own Instagram.
Nightingale Dance was formed in 2017 by Yasu and Nakano Nakarutin. Yoshimoto Kogyo stated: “Regarding Yasu of Nightingale Dance, who is signed to our company,
we are reporting that his management contract was terminated as of October 31, 2026.” Regarding the duo’s activities, the statement added: “Nightingale Dance will continue to be active as a duo, with partner Nakano Nakarutin remaining signed with our company and continuing his work as a talent.”
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
a 'rich and highly-educated' heel duo on quiz shows?
Putting Nakarutin on 'Nika Game' (a quiz/game show) sounds like it'd suit him well
only women with a nursing background should get to use that name.
And Nakano's nickname 'Nakarutin' is a mouthful too —
I bet Sandwichman's Date would have trouble pronouncing that 'tin' sound.
Maybe it's named after the bird, not the nurse.
Nightingale's the name of a bird, you know.
Nightingale's Yasu. (Comedy duo Zun also has a member named Yasu)
Strong dollar, weak yen (pun: 'yasu' sounds like 安, 'cheap/weak')
Why wouldn't they let it slide, I wonder —
was he a repeat offender?
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HWAmuwlaIAARFCL.jpg
I can feel the sheer under-the-table-organizer resolve here — like "it's bad if I'm fully caught, so I just won't get caught."
If you host it yourself and go out of your way to rent a venue, of course it's gonna leave a trail.
Getting fired seems about right.
Wait, this was a tax-evasion show?
Is there actual evidence of tax evasion?
The gag order is sketchy, sure, but…
Doesn't that one actually do bits? Kumada Masashi was on it, and isn't he a guy who can only do his bit?
Miyasako just sang a song.
they're both in the wrong.
You'd get in trouble at any other agency for this too
Re: #128
It is a situation where tax evasion was possible —
payment was apparently cash-only, including tip-like extras, so there's no way to prove how much income there actually was.
Actually, that's pretty generous compared to other agencies.
the agency just never noticed?
Well, he did it specifically so they wouldn't notice —
an under-the-table gig meant to dodge taxes.
So the under-the-table show was the trigger, huh.
Crazy that even Nakano's solo show got cancelled, even though Yasu's the one who left.
Back during the [2019] under-the-table scandal too, wasn't it a comedian bragging about his connections who linked other comedians to organized crime?
Even if this "theater boss's" unauthorized solo hosting is small-scale for now, it's probably giving Yoshimoto nothing but bad vibes.
Even just the theater show fees add up bit by bit into something big —
throwing that away so carelessly, really…
Yoshimoto has theaters all over the country.
Whether or not you're signed with them makes a huge difference, I think.
Personally I prefer comedians from agencies like Maseki or Jinriki-sha though.
But his partner is staying with Yoshimoto, so he'll still get work, no?
The Nightingale Dance thing isn't about organized crime or anything.
Why didn't he just go through the agency to do a talk show?
Because the agency takes a cut of the earnings, obviously.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HWAmvevbMAAyqLc.jpg
If so, shouldn't they be free to work elsewhere?
At the very least, shouldn't that mean they can't be cut or blacklisted just for that?
Someone with legal knowledge, please explain!
If it's an agent-style contract, wouldn't that make it okay [for them to restrict outside work]?
Background and Key Points of the Discussion
The term “yami eigyou” (under-the-table work) originally referred to gigs involving organized crime, but after the 2019 scandal involving Hiroyuki Miyasako and others, it also spread as slang for any direct booking done without going through one’s agency — and the thread was divided over which definition applied here. In this case, no ties to organized crime have been reported; some pointed to the cash payments and gag-order clause as grounds for suspecting tax evasion, though it’s worth noting this remains speculation rather than confirmed fact. It’s also easy to overlook that his partner, Nakano Nakarutin, remains with Yoshimoto and that the duo itself will keep performing together. Since Yoshimoto controls a large share of its talents’ work — theater shows especially — the question of how much unauthorized solo activity should be tolerated also emerged as a point about the power balance between comedians and their agency.
*This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Geisoku+) thread “[Comedian] Nightingale Dance’s Yasu — Contract with Yoshimoto Kogyo Terminated… Reason: “Organized a Comedy Show on His Own — I Can’t Discuss Anything Further”“.
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