At the beginning of the month, Japanese male star Takuya Kimura, who held a press conference in Taiwan for a Taiwanese health food brand, made headlines when he unveiled an endorsement advertisement he shot for the Chinese brand Huawei in Shibuya, Tokyo on the 24th, sparking controversy. Some Japanese media pointed out that this move by Takuya Kimura may jeopardize the career of his daughter Koki Kimura.
According to a report by “Nikkan Gendai,” despite the decent box office performance of the movie “Star Harvesting Chef: Paris Dream,” in which Takuya Kimura starred last year, the Japanese industry still cannot overlook the impact of the sexual harassment scandal involving Johnny Kitagawa, the founder of the talent agency Takuya Kimura was once affiliated with two years ago. This has led to a lack of growth in advertising invitations for him in Japan.
An industry insider interviewed mentioned, “Since Takuya Kimura’s domestic advertising demand in Japan is not optimistic, it is only natural for him to take more proactive actions in the Chinese-speaking realm where he is more readily embraced.”
It is well known that Huawei has a tainted reputation due to its unethical practices such as technology theft and being exploited by the Chinese Communist Party for global data collection. In 2019, the U.S. Department of Commerce blacklisted Huawei for export control, and with Trump returning to the White House, tensions escalating in the U.S.-China trade war, advertising industry professionals believe that Takuya Kimura may not have fully realized the risks of endorsing Huawei, especially at a time when global sentiments towards the Chinese Government are negative and distancing from Huawei. Takuya Kimura’s decision seems “naive.”
Furthermore, some insiders bluntly stated that Takuya Kimura could be politically manipulated, and accepting endorsements that other artists may discreetly decline could be due to being blinded by exorbitant endorsement fees.
This incident also brings to mind the cautionary tale of popular actress Masami Nagasawa, who received backlash when she endorsed the Chinese car brand BYD instead of a domestic car brand in Japan. Many Japanese people expressed dissatisfaction, questioning the decision to promote a Chinese car brand over a Japanese one and accusing China of exploiting Japanese celebrities to capture the Japanese market.
The report suggests that Takuya Kimura’s endorsement for Huawei may have repercussions beyond himself, affecting his daughter Koki, whose recent movie “Goddess Descends,” adapted from a Korean comic, received decent reviews but struggled at the box office. Despite the best efforts of her mother Shizuka Kudo, who is also a producer, to propel her daughter into the international scene, media analysis indicates that Hollywood producers may hesitate due to the political sensitivity of the brand endorsed by Koki’s father, Takuya Kimura, potentially leading to self-censorship.
“NIkkan Gendai” even earnestly advises in the report, “Takuya Kimura should not jeopardize his daughter’s future by endorsing Huawei.”