TOKYO, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- A famous Japanese TV personality abruptly announced his immediate retirement over ties with organized crime.
Shinsuke Shimada, 55, made the announcement at a last-minute 10 p.m. news conference at the Tokyo office of the company that owns his agency, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
Shimada had hosted six different shows broadcast in Osaka and Tokyo, and his sudden exodus Tuesday left TV stations scrambling to edit or cancel the programs.
The newspaper reported Shimada mentioned a senior member of an organized crime group in cellphone text messages sent to a boxing champion facing prison for attempted extortion.
He admitted he had met the unnamed gang member four or five times.
"I didn't feel I was doing something wrong. To me it [the relationship with the gang member] was 'safe,' but I was told by my agency the day before yesterday that it was 'out' and against the rules of the [entertainment] industry," Shimada said at the news conference.
