Takaoka Sosuke’s Secret Meetup Photo with Gaasii Sparks Buzz — 5ch: ‘What a Small-Timer’

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The story

Former actor Takaoka Sosuke posted a photo on Instagram of himself dining with Higashitani Yoshikazu — the former upper house lawmaker and YouTuber known as “Gaasii” — at a restaurant in Kita-Shinchi, Osaka. Takaoka has a colorful history that includes a legal name change, two divorces, and a switch to mixed martial arts, while Higashitani was expelled from the Diet. The original article praised the pairing, saying “they both know the seedy underbelly of showbiz inside and out” and “this duo together is just too exciting,” but reactions on 5ch were mixed rather than uniformly positive — some users nostalgically recalled the “Takaoka Festival” from the early days of 2channel, while others questioned how his full-body tattoos square with an acting career.

Name change, two divorces, switch to MMA fighter… Takaoka Sosuke’s “covered in tattoos” secret meetup photo draws comments like “they both know showbiz’s light and dark sides inside out” and “these two together is just too exciting”

A name change, two divorces, a debut as an MMA fighter… Takaoka Sosuke’s “secret meetup photo” is making waves.

“Our first one-on-one dinner in a while. We caught up on how things are going for each other! Let’s do it again soon lol,” wrote Higashitani Yoshikazu — the former upper house lawmaker now working as a rakugo performer, known as “Gaasii” — posting an Instagram photo of himself standing shoulder to shoulder with Takaoka at a restaurant in Kita-Shinchi, Osaka.

Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here

What people said

5AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:09
He hasn't even been blacklisted from showbiz — just a small-timer.
7AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:10
The 'Takaoka Festival' from back when I first started using 2channel, like 20 years ago, was hilarious.
9AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:14
He couldn't even beat Okada in a fight.
12AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:17
Re: #9
That's the pathetic part.
11AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:16
I wonder if he got into MMA
out of rivalry with his ex-wife's current husband.
13AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:21
Re: #11
I want someone to say 'Come out and fight on New Year's Eve!' (Japan's biggest MMA/kickboxing galas traditionally air Dec. 31)
14AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:22
2channel back then was something else.
15AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:25
You guys hyped him up like crazy back then, and now you're so cold to him.
17AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:26
Do you feel stronger just because you got a tattoo?
61AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:19
Re: #17
If that's the goal, carrying a metal bat around would keep people away better.
23AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:34
I really don't get what this guy wants.
Getting tattoos, then coming back to acting…
Guess he's still got a lingering attachment to showbiz.
26AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:35
Who was his ex-wife again? Guess she's the '5,000 yen' type? (a dig implying she's cheap)
27AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:36
What does this guy do for income these days?
Streaming or something?
29AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:39
I've got 'coloring book' ink myself — don't underestimate me~ (mocking slang for gaudy, cartoonish tattoos)
30AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:39
Did Gaasii always look like this?
33AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:42
So what if you know that tiny little world.
35AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:43
Re: #1
I thought the Gaasii one was Ayano Go.
39AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:47
Two guys who got kicked out of showbiz talking big, lol
40AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:47
I've got 'coloring book' tattoos too, but what's even the point
41AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:52
Why get tattoos at his age?
That's the kind of thing you do at like 18 as a youthful mistake.
42AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:55
What's the point of getting tattoos?
Just to look tough and scare people a little?
43AnonymousSep 13, 2026 07:57
Re: #1
Are there still people expecting anything from this guy… or is this a self-promo stunt?
46AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:00
It's basically this guy's one comment that sped up Fuji TV's downfall.
47AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:00
The watch Gaasii's wearing is worth 30 million yen, lol
48AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:01
Doesn't he get chills when he glances down at his own arm?
50AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:05
An actor who plays yakuza roles shouldn't actually get tattoos — that defeats the purpose.
80AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:13
Re: #50
Apparently MIYABI said that once he started acting, his tattoos got in the way, and he finally regretted getting them.
51AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:07
He probably got blacklisted because he doesn't actually know the industry's seedy underbelly.
52AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:08
Guess this just proves the tattoo-guy stereotype all over again, huh
54AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:13
He made Kenkoba swallow a marble in the movie Pacchigi, didn't he (a 2004 Japanese film)

Background and Key Points of This Topic

Takaoka Sosuke is a former actor known for a string of headline-grabbing life events — a legal name change, two divorces, and a career switch to mixed martial arts — while Gaasii built his profile as a scandal-exposing YouTuber before becoming an upper house lawmaker, only to be expelled from the Diet. What the two men share is a position outside the mainstream of showbiz, which is the backdrop for comments like “they both know the industry’s light and dark sides inside out.” That said, the photo and Higashitani’s own caption only confirm that the two shared a meal together — neither specifies exactly what it is they supposedly “know inside and out.” On the thread, the contrast was striking: while the original article played up the pairing enthusiastically, 5ch reactions skewed skeptical and biting. The central points of debate were nostalgia from longtime users recalling the “Takaoka Festival” from 2channel’s early days, and questions about the psychology behind getting tattoos and how that squares with an acting career. Note that some posts speculating about the two men’s private lives and personal relationships are based on unverifiable rumor and have not been reflected in the body of this article.

※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Takaoka Sosuke, covered in tattoos… secret meetup photo with Gaasii, “they both know showbiz’s light and dark sides inside out,” “too exciting” comments.”

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