Kazushige Nagashima faces criticism over remarks about late actress Yuri Nakamura

Television personality Kazushige Nagashima has faced public criticism following remarks made on the TV Asahi program ‘Morning Show’ regarding the late actress Yuri Nakamura. During a segment paying tribute to Nakamura, who passed away from rectal cancer on September 1, Nagashima recounted an incident from the 2015 film ‘Happy Landing,’ which he executive produced and in which Nakamura starred.

Nagashima stated that during filming, Nakamura’s wig had come off, leading him to believe at the time that she was wearing it for another role. He later reflected that this was likely due to her undergoing chemotherapy. While Nagashima intended to praise Nakamura’s strength and ability to maintain a smile despite her illness, viewers on social media criticized the comments as insensitive. Critics noted that Nakamura had gone to great lengths to keep her cancer diagnosis private from the public, and that revealing details about her use of a wig may have violated her privacy and the dignity she maintained throughout her illness.