Japanese idol Momoka Tojo ordered to post solo ‘good night’ photos for 1 year after ‘boyfriend error’
Momoka Tojo, a member of the Japanese idol group KATACOTO*BANK, has been instructed by her management to post a solo “good night” photo every day for a year after accidentally sharing a picture with her boyfriend.
On Saturday (27 July), Tojo apologised on her X account for the unintended post from Friday (26 July), which featured her with her boyfriend.
Source: @ayakakaganbalu on X
The photo, which Model Press reports was taken during Tojo’s 20th birthday celebrations on 23 July, was mistakenly included in an announcement for an upcoming live performance.
It was quickly deleted after causing a commotion.
Must ‘maintain distance’ & post ‘solo good night photos’
KATACOTO*BANK’s management later disclosed that the man in question is “a regular person [Tojo] is currently dating”.
They also announced the following measures:
- Tojo must “maintain a certain distance” from her boyfriend
- As punishment, she must post a “solo good night photo” every night for a year
- Fans are encouraged to report any suspicions of her boyfriend appearing in these photos
Tojo subsequently posted a handwritten apology on social media, expressing regret for her “careless action” and vowing to be more mindful of her responsibilities as an idol.
一読いただけますと幸いです。 pic.twitter.com/5ISJf34CNB
— 東条 百々花 KATACOTO＊BANK (@10_momo23) July 27, 2024
Thanked fans in ‘goodnight’ photo post
Tojo began her ‘punishment’ with her first “good night” post on Saturday.
In her caption, she wrote: “Good night. I’ll do my best again starting tomorrow, so please continue to support me.”
Source: @10_momo23 on X
Her post the next day included a special message to her fans.
“Over the past two days, I’ve received many words of encouragement from so many people, and it has made me realise once again how blessed I am with the people around me,” she wrote.
“It’s because of all the wonderful people around me that I’m still here. Thank you so much. Good night!”
Source: @10_momo23 on X
Tojo appeared notably more cheerful in her second post, where she was smiling and holding a doll next to her face.
Joined idol group a month before incident
KATACOTO*BANK was formed on 27 Feb 2021 in Tokyo, Japan and currently has seven members.
Source: @katacoto_bank on X
Tojo joined the group in June 2024 — just a month before the incident with the photo.
In the Japanese idol industry, public dating is often prohibited to maintain an image of “purity” for fans.
A notable case was Minami Minegishi of AKB48, who shaved her head in 2013 as an apology after being caught spending the night at a male singer’s apartment.
Although she stayed with AKB48 until May 2021, she has since left the group and, as of 2022, is married to YouTuber Tetsuya Oyaizu.
Also read: Cultural boo-boos, body image struggles: Why this former S’porean J-pop idol quit after 2.5 years
Cultural boo-boos, body image struggles: Why this former S’porean J-pop idol quit after 2.5 years
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Featured image adapted from @10_momo23 on X and @ayakakaganbalu on X.
