Masashi Tashiro

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Masashi Tashiro

Masashi Tashiro (田代まさし Tashiro Masashi, born August 31, 1956 in Saga Prefecture, brought up in Tokyo) is a former Japanese television performer, former member of Rats & Star. His nickname is "Marcy".

1 Success
2 Criminal events
3 Provisional Winner of Time Magazine's Person of the Year in 2001
4 See also
5 External links
- 5.1 News of the Arrest from "The Japan Times Online"

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Success

After graduating from high school, Tashiro made his debut as a member of Japanese made doo-wop group Chanels, which was formed by Masayuki Suzuki, Nobuyoshi Kuwano etc in 1980. Later, Chanels renamed the group as Rats & Star in 1983 because of its similarity with the french brand Chanel, but Tashiro was concerned in their many hit single, he was so popular in Japan through Japanese musical TV program "The Best Ten" etc.

Incidentally, he has once released LP of the title that is "Nījima no Densetsu" (新島の伝説, lit: The legend of Niijima island) as a solo singer. [1]

After Rats & Star broke up, he was discovered comical sense by a member of Japanese comedic group The Drifters Ken Shimura and shifted to the entertainment world as a television comedian. Because of his matchless comical sense, he was nicknamed "King of comical witticisms" (Dajare no Teiou, ダジャレの帝王), "Genius of props" (Kodougu no Tensai, 小道具の天才) and often appeared in many Japanese large enterprise's television commercials. He finally heightened his popularity. By the way, he acted as a film director.

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Criminal events

Japanese news program, which informs Tashiro's car accident.

Tashiro was sent the papers pertaining to a criminal case to the Public Prosecutors Office for taking a candid shot of a woman's skirt using a video camera in a station on September 24, 2000. And he was fined 50,000 yen in December, 2000. When he was asked about the reason that took a candid shot secretly by television reporters, he argued unsuccessfully that he was simply filming to make a simple joke which is "an octopus has a mini" (Mini ni Taco ga Dekiru, ミニにタコができる). For this ridiculous excuse, he gained the fame which led to "Tashiro Festival" (Tashiro Matsuri, 田代祭) described below.

"Jibaku"'s book jacket

Tashiro, who shaves himself and goes to a court in the thin face.

"Tashiro Festival" means an act which chooses Tashiro as "Person of the Year" by 2channel (2ch for short) users.

For the crime he committed, he was barred from the entertainment activities temporarily. Though he came back to the entertainment world, he was arrested for using a stimulant on December 9, 2001 and for peeping in a male bath near Tashiro's house on December 12, 2001 when he was on probation. As a result he was again barred from the entertainment world because of repeated scandals. (MTM Production, the entertainment agency that managed Tashiro, dismissed him on December 11, 2001)

His trial was opened at Tokyo District Court on February 18, 2002 and the Chief Justice sentenced him to "Three years' probation".

He seemed to have felt pressure every day, talked that he used a stimulant to escape from it.

He came back as a V-Cinema's director after he was sentenced to it in spring of 2002.

Because of these arrests, some television performers, who have once costarred with Tashiro in some variety shows, Ken Shimura, Takeshi Kitano and Akiko Wada etc flew into a rage with Tashiro. He also published a book about the incidents that he committed. Book's title is "Jibaku -The Judgement Day-". (自爆, lit: self-destruction or suicidal bombing)

There is a rumor that he came back to the entertainment world in 2004, but he was sent the papers pertaining to a criminal case to the Public Prosecutors Office for causing a car accident in June, 2004. According to news program, he allegedly crashed into a man, who rode a motorcycle, when Tashiro made a U-turn at "No U-turns" area. Moreover, he was arrested for using a stimulant again in September, 2004.

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Provisional Winner of Time Magazine's Person of the Year in 2001

The result as of December 21, 2001 showing Tashiro to be the 2001 Person of the Year.

In an Internet survey, he was adjudged a provisional winner of Time Magazine's Person of the Year in 2001 possibly because he was popular among 2ch users. Since Tashiro was infamous in the Japanese media for committing several crimes, 2ch programmers developed many scripts such as "Tashiro Cannon" (Tashiro-hō, 田代砲), "Mega particle Tashiro Cannon" (Mega-ryūshi Tashiro-hō, メガ粒子田代砲), 25 repeated blows Tashiro Cannon" (Nijyū-go renda Tashiro-hō, 25連打田代砲) "Super Tashiro Cannon" (Chō Tashiro-hō, 超田代砲) to be able to vote efficiently. Since "Super Tashiro Cannon" was especially powerful, it shut down Time's server. Afterwards, "Satellite Cannon -Tashiro-" was developed, but it was restrained.

Due to the votes of 2ch users, Tashiro got to the No. 1 position temporarily on December 21, 2001. However, Time's staff noticed that something was unusual, and Tashiro was removed from the contest.

Comments that was written by 2ch users when the Internet survey goes as follows

He is God.
All Japanese worship him as God.
He is the most famous photographer in Japan.
I'm sick and tired of it.
I think he is the key person of the friendly relationship between Korea and Japan.
He is the immortal master piece of humankind, so he is God.
He is a stupid lord's retainer.
He is a comedian overly famous for Japan. He is loved by people in the world, is an appropriate person.
He is the hero who took laughter in exchange for life.
He is the most wonderful entertainer in the world.
The passion over his photography exceeds Robert Capa.
His behavior will never be forgettable.
He did not betray expectation of people.
He is the existence near God in the world.
He is the man of only one person that can stop war by laughter.
Probably, when he was in Afghanistan, war didn't break out.
Needless to say.
We Japanese love him very much! Instead I tell you why I selected him, I must tell you why he is so cool!
He is sex symbol.
To dance is Tashiro! Tashiro is to dance!
He is a hero. There is not a person by whom he was loved by Japanese people.
Tashiro is a player more wonderful than Ichiro.
Tashiro was Japanese great comedian.
He has octopus on the ear.
I'm Tashiro's fan. he is very nice photographer!!
I think, he is a last true entertainer in the world.
I think, he must die.