After scandals, ex-actor Takahisa Maeyama is now a Roppongi host

Former actor Takahisa Maeyama updated his Instagram on December 12, revealing that he’s now working at a men’s lounge in Roppongi.

He shared a video of himself smiling as he strolls through Roppongi at night. He also attached a link to the TikTok account for Century Tokyo, the club where he works.

In a TikTok video, he revealed his new professional name of Manato and the name of the host club where he is now employed.

This is the latest chapter in a roller-coaster period for Maeyama, who was originally scheduled to make an acting comeback in a play in November last year. The production was ultimately canceled after numerous other members of the cast withdrew.

The productions’s official social media account announced: “After consulting with all parties involved, we have determined that it has become difficult to ensure safety, and we have decided to cancel the performance.”

Maeyama subsequently uploaded acting videos on social media, but deleted them all after receiving a flood of negative comments.

He had nominally retired from the entertainment industry in June 2022. He launched a new YouTube channel and Instagram, posting content and declaring a new chapter in his life. “I hope to share some wonderful times with everyone,” he said in one video in which he walked around Odaiba. He also opened a paid fan club.

The controversy stems from his relationship with Sayaka Kanda, an actor and singer, and child of actor Masaki Kanda and pop singer Seiko Matsuda. Kanda took her own life in December 2021 aged 35 while touring in a musical costarring Maeyama, with whom she was in a relationship. Fans of Kanda blamed Maeyama for her death, alleging mistreatment and infidelity on his part with a previous girlfriend (rumored to have been the gravure idol Miyu Kojima).

His latest pivot into hosting is not going to do his reputation as a “bad boy” any favors, not least because it comes at a time when the reputation of host clubs is at a low due to allegations that they exploit vulnerable young women, pushing them into prostitution to cover their debts with the clubs.