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.
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 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.
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.
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
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Featured image adapted from @10_momo23 on X and @ayakakaganbalu on X.
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