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The story
Jun-ichi Kawamoto (51), of the comedy duo “Jicho Kacho,” was discharged from the hospital on October 3 after being admitted for pancreatic trouble, commenting, “I hope to get back to doing comedy once I’ve gradually rebuilt my strength.” On the 5ch Entertainment/Sports News+ thread reacting to the news, comments dwelling on his 2012 welfare-fraud scandal outnumbered simple get-well wishes. Users were split over why his image still hasn’t recovered despite his apology and repayment of the benefits, as well as over his TikTok activity and whether he should keep appearing on TV — with only a handful offering straightforward support for his comeback.
Jun-ichi Kawamoto discharged from hospital: “I hope to get back to comedy as I gradually regain my strength” – Nikkan Sports
October 3, 2026, 11:22 AM
Jun-ichi Kawamoto (51), of “Jicho Kacho,” who had been hospitalized for pancreatic trouble, announced on the 3rd that he has been discharged.
Source: nikkansports.com / Original article here
What people said
He should've just ignored the internet.
How far back did the repayment go? Didn't know that detail.
After the welfare fraud ("namapo," slang for illegally claiming welfare) got exposed, lashing out on Twitter was the fatal mistake.
That's what finished him off for good.
Did he really get away with it though? He's just barely scraping by — there's no way he can ever show his face again in front of anyone who knows him from the mainstream entertainment world. I'd say he just fell into the shadier side of the business, that's all.
Is eating too much tanmen (ramen-style noodle soup) bad for your pancreas?
Makes you wonder if ignoring it even works in the internet age. It doesn't blow up into a huge firestorm, but your image just quietly rots and shrinks instead. Still, apology press conferences almost never actually succeed either, so maybe ignoring it really is the best option after all.
It's just bottom-feeders who want to screech online. Not that many of them — just leave them be.
Background and Key Points of the Discussion
In 2012, it was reported that Jun-ichi Kawamoto’s mother, whom he lived with, had been receiving welfare benefits while he himself was earning a substantial income; he subsequently apologized and repaid the benefits received. The point of contention on the thread was why criticism still hasn’t died down even after the apology and repayment — some argued that mishandling the fallout on social media is what dragged it out, while others argued he should have simply ignored the online backlash from the start, leaving opinions divided on what the “correct” response to the firestorm would have been. Meanwhile, the news itself is simply a report of his discharge and recovery from pancreatic trouble, with no direct connection to the old welfare issue. What’s easy to miss from the article alone is that most of the thread’s criticism isn’t actually aimed at his current illness, but at events from more than a decade ago.
※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Jun-ichi Kawamoto discharged from hospital: “I hope to get back to comedy as I gradually regain my strength””.
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