Entrepreneur Takafumi Horie (堀江貴文), widely known by his nickname “Horiemon,” has come to the defense of Atsuhiko Nakata (中田敦彦), one half of the comedy duo Oriental Radio, after the YouTuber’s family faced online backlash over their return to Japan from Singapore.
In a video posted to his YouTube channel on July 8, 2026, Horie addressed criticism that had been building since July 5, when Nakata’s wife, TV personality Moe Fukuda, announced on Instagram that the family had “permanently returned” to Japan after living in Singapore since 2021. The announcement triggered speculation on social media that the move was driven by a desire to avoid Japanese taxes, with some also suggesting the family returned to dodge Singapore’s military conscription requirements for their child.
Horie said he found the pile-on “pitiful” for Nakata. He speculated that the real reason behind the move was a decline in the view counts on Nakata’s YouTube videos compared to previous years, which would have reduced his taxable income. According to Horie, this likely led Nakata to conclude he could return to Japan, take on other work, benefit from a lower cost of living, and spare his child from conscription obligations.
Horie then turned his criticism toward the people attacking Nakata online, arguing that most of them have not paid nearly as much in taxes as Nakata has over the years. “If you’re talking about the total amount, almost 100% of the people criticizing him probably haven’t paid as much in taxes as Atsuhiko Nakata has,” Horie said, according to the report. “Do you really have the right to say that?”
He added that he suspects the backlash is less about the substance of the criticism and more about the public simply finding a new target, saying, “It feels like people just decided it’s fine to attack Nakata right now.” Horie predicted the controversy would fade quickly as critics move on to a new subject.
Who are Atsuhiko Nakata and Takafumi Horie?
Atsuhiko Nakata is a member of the Japanese comedy duo Oriental Radio and has built a major second career as a YouTuber, known for his educational and self-help-oriented channel breaking down business and history topics. He relocated his family to Singapore in 2021 before their return to Japan this month. Takafumi Horie is a prominent entrepreneur and media personality who founded the internet company Livedoor and remains a highly followed commentator on business and internet culture through his own YouTube channel.
