Japanese comedians turn to yakuza patrons to dodge agency fees

A series of scandals in the Japanese entertainment community have centered on comedians performing off-the-books shows for groups tied to organized crime.

Japanese entertainment company Yoshimoto Kogyo Co. suspended several of its comedians in June due to their receiving pay from such groups without involving the agency.

Many comedians, however, rely on these sometimes-shady performances to make a living, as the fees taken by the entertainment agency for arranging ‘legitimate’ performances is exorbitant.

Once a comedian has become widely-known, it is impossible to take side jobs in the public eye without being recognized and thus risking agency backlash.

Non-agency performances are not in themselves illegal, although they may serve as a form of money-laundering for organized crime affiliated to them.