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| Kikkoman Ends Kei Tanaka Campaign, Removes All Content from Website |
Looks like Kikkoman is cleaning house — and actor Kei Tanaka is no longer part of the sauce.
On 1 May, fans noticed that all of Kei Tanaka’s appearances, including commercials and images, had quietly disappeared from Kikkoman’s official website.
Naturally, eyebrows were raised.
When asked about it, the soy sauce giant told Sports Nippon that it was nothing scandalous — just that their spring promo campaign wrapped up at the end of April.
“The campaign ended, so we removed the materials. That’s all there is to it,” they said, adding that his CM for Wagaya wa Yakinikuya-san had its final run on air in late April too.
But of course, the timing’s got people talking.
The cleanup came hot on the heels of a tabloid bombshell from Shukan Bunshun last month, claiming that 40-year-old Tanaka may have been involved in an affair with actress Mei Nagano (25).
Both their agencies have strongly denied it — Kei Tanaka’s reps say there’s “no such affair,” and Mei Nagano’s team insists the two are just industry friends.
Following the rumours, he issued an apology to fans via his paid blog, stating: "I deeply reflect on my careless actions, which caused misunderstanding due to inappropriate behaviour while out with friends."
Additionally, an advertisement featuring Tanaka Kei as the brand ambassador was taken down entirely from the company’s official website on the 1st.
The brand commented that "a decision has not yet been made regarding whether Tanaka will continue as ambassador."
Still, Mei Nagano’s camp admitted they’ve told her off for behaviour that “could be misunderstood.” Oof.
As for whether Kikkoman plans to work with Tanaka again?
That’s still up in the air. They simply said, “Nothing has been decided.”
So, was this just a routine end-of-campaign wipe... or a quiet distancing move? Fans are left to wonder — and scroll through their receipts while sipping soy sauce.