Yoshimoto chief retracts punishment of scandal-hit comedians

Bowing and at times teary, the president of Japanese entertainment powerhouse Yoshimoto Kogyo Co. said Monday he wants to withdraw punishment of two popular comedians over their paid appearance at a party for a group of swindlers and apologized to them for mishandling the aftermath.Akihiko Okamoto said at a more than five-hour-long press conference in Tokyo he had "caused pain" to Hiroyuki Miyasako and Ryo Tamura by not listening to their concerns, and that he hoped they would come back.Miyasako, 49, and Tamura, 47, alleged in a joint press conference Saturday that Okamoto had threatened to…READ FULL ARTICLE