Lately, I haven’t been able to feel motivated, and my mood often sinks. The advertisements I see at gas stations or convenience stores feel like an endless cycle of discomfort to me. Tire ads are everywhere because tires have low production costs and high profit margins, so those ads will probably never disappear. It really makes me realize how much “money” drives everything in society. People who can work without thinking about these things might actually be fortunate.
Amid all this, I saw the news about the Yokohama Rubber president’s alleged involvement in compensated dating. Yokohama Rubber has been performing well, especially in North America, with record-high sales and profits. President Masataka Yamasaki is known as a strict cost-cutter, and his executive compensation exceeds 100 million yen.
However, according to a report by Shukan Bunshun, Yamasaki had been engaged in a “papa-katsu” relationship with a woman more than 30 years younger for over five years. They reportedly stayed at luxury hotels in Japan and abroad, and he bought her expensive brand-name items such as Fendi and Dior. During a trip to Okinawa, he was seen purchasing high-end goods for her at a major duty-free shop. The woman was a university student at the time, and they met at a club in Ginza.
When confronted by Bunshun, Yamasaki explained that she had been struggling with tuition and living expenses, and he helped her. He said she told him about trends among students and hiring tendencies, and that the brand-name gifts were “a token of appreciation” rather than cash. He insisted that there was no physical relationship and stated that he would end the relationship immediately to avoid causing trouble for the company.
This came right after he told new employees that “safety and compliance are the most important things,” which made his explanation feel strangely ironic. The situation reminded me of the broader pattern seen in the entertainment industry, such as the issues surrounding Johnny’s—how organizations hide things because maintaining an image is financially valuable.
As for me, I’m in a difficult economic and mental state, and working has become hard. Sometimes I wish advertisements and celebrity promotions would decrease. I even find myself wondering whether anyone ever used female celebrities “for my sake,” or what kind of actions actors like Masaki Suda were actually taking. Seeing people continue in situations where most would be forced to quit makes me think about many things.
Still, I feel that spending time watching videos or doing things that help me relax might be better for me. The Yokohama Rubber president’s case was a story that made me reflect on many things, but in a way, he is an oddly interesting figure.
