Former KAT-TUN member Koki Tanaka has made his first public appearance since being released from prison, opening up about his recovery from drug addiction and expressing remorse toward his younger brother, SixTONES member Juri Tanaka.

Koki Tanaka recently appeared on popular Japanese streamer KoreKore’s YouTube channel, “KoreKore Channel KoreTube.”

Koki Tanaka prison release

During the interview, the former idol revealed that he was released from prison five months ago and is currently staying in a closed psychiatric ward as part of his treatment for drug addiction. The appearance marked his first public update since completing his prison sentence.

Tanaka also commented on recent personal news involving his former KAT-TUN bandmate Kazuya Kamenashi, who recently announced his marriage to former announcer-turned-actress Minami Tanaka, along with the couple’s pregnancy. “I want to congratulate him,” Tanaka said, offering his best wishes to his former bandmate.

During the interview, Tanaka became emotional while speaking about his younger brother Juri Tanaka, who is currently active as a member of the STARTO Entertainment group SixTONES. He admitted that his own legal troubles had negatively affected his brother. “I caused problems for him. I’m sorry.” His heartfelt apology drew attention from fans, as Juri has continued his entertainment career despite the public scrutiny surrounding his older brother’s repeated drug-related arrests.

Tanaka has faced multiple drug-related incidents over the past several years.

  • In May 2017, he was arrested for marijuana possession but was not indicted.
  • In February 2022, he was arrested on charges of possessing stimulants.
  • In June 2022, he received a sentence of one year and eight months in prison, suspended for three years.
  • After being arrested again on similar charges, he was ultimately sentenced in December 2023 to two years and eight months in prison.
  • He began serving the sentence in February 2024.

Following his release earlier this year, Tanaka says his current priority is overcoming his addiction and rebuilding his life.

Sources: Nate