Overview
- Appearing live on November 1, the 62-year-old comedian resumed work on the newly launched paid streaming service DOWNTOWN＋ after a 1 year 10 month hiatus.
- He apologized to fans, television staff and fellow comedians, saying he could not keep people waiting and expressing remorse for causing trouble.
- He had sued publisher Bungeishunju in January 2024 for ¥550 million at the Tokyo District Court over articles by Weekly Bunshun, then withdrew the case in November 2024.
- On the stream he said the matter was settled through discussion and noted he found it unrealistic to continue performing comedy while litigating.
- The service plans to offer past Downtown programs alongside new content produced by and featuring Matsumoto.