Japan’s Shame: The sexual abuse scandal rocking the J-pop world

The world of J-pop was left stunned and shocked after the chief of the most powerful pop talent agency in Japan issued an apology over sexual assault allegations against its late founder, Johnny Kitagawa. Julie Fujishima, the president of talent agency Johnny & Associates and also the niece of Kitagawa, released a statement and a video on 14 May (Sunday), acknowledging sexual assault claims and apologising to those who stepped forward. In her ‘sincere’ apology, she said, “This is not the kind of occasion where you can be forgiven by saying ‘I did not know.’ But the truth is that I did not. I would like to express my deepest, deepest apologies to those who allege.” In a written statement later, she added, “Obviously, we do not believe there was no problem. As a business and as an individual, I absolutely do not tolerate these acts. On the other hand, it is not easy for us to simply declare by ourselves whether individual allegations can be recognised as facts or not, when we cannot confirm with the individual directly concerned, Johnny Kitagawa.” Here’s what we know about the sexual abuse scandal and the dark world of J-pop. Sexual abuse claims against Kitagawa Stories of alleged sexual assault at the hands of Johnny Kitagawa have been reported for a long time – the first such instance was reported 20 years ago. For the unaware, Johnny Kitagawa, before he passed away at the age of 87 in 2019, was considered as one of the most powerful men in the Japanese music industry. The man behind powerful Johnny & Associates talent agency, he launched a succession of boy bands, including Tanokin Trio, SMAP, Arashi, Kinki Kids and KAT-TUN. He was responsible for 232 number one singles between 1974 and 2010 and was recognised three times by Guinness World Records for his achievements in pop music. The first abuse allegation came in 1988 when Koji Kita, a member of one of the agency’s earliest successful boy bands wrote a book detailing his horror. His account prompted a string of similar accusations from other former trainees. [caption id=“attachment_12602842” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A woman walks past a roadside television screen reporting the death of Johnny Kitagawa, founder of Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates Inc, in Tokyo. Kitagawa built an entertainment empire and broke records with his acts. File image/AFP[/caption] In 1999, Japanese magazine Shukan Bunshun had published accounts of young men and boys who claimed they were sexually abused by Kitagawa. He sued the magazine for libel and was awarded damages, according to local media. A Tokyo High Court partially overturned the earlier decision in 2003, ruling the published sexual abuse claims were not libelous. An appeal brought by Kitagawa was later dismissed by the Supreme Court in 2005. But he was never charged with a crime. In March, the BBC released a documentary titled Predator: The Secret Scandal Of J-Pop in which journalist Mobeen Azhar explored detailed allegations from several teenage victims who worked for the all-male agency. They detailed a pattern of exploitation, with the abuse taking place at Kitagawa’s luxury homes, and often witnessed by other boys. In April, the abuse at Johnny & Associates was made more open when Japanese-Brazilian singer Kauan Okamoto said he had been abused by Kitagawa for four years, from the age of 15. In a press conference, Okamoto recounted in great detail the abuse he suffered at the hands of Kitagawa – he alleged that he was sexually abused at least 15 times over a four-year period from 2012, when the pop hopeful was aged 15. Okamoto was part of Johnny’s Jr, a group of trainees who also worked as a talent pool for Johnny & Associates, an agency managing male idol actors and singers. [caption id=“attachment_12602932” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Kauan Okamoto, a musician and former member of Japanese pop group Johnny’s Jr, speaks about his sexual assault by Johnny Kitagawa. File image/AP[/caption] Okamoto said the abuse began at Kitagawa’s penthouse apartment in Tokyo, where large numbers of boys were invited to spend the night. He stated that he believed that almost all the boys who resided at Kitagawa’s house had been victims. “If you stayed there, you were unlikely to evade him. I would say 100 to 200 boys stayed there on a rotation basis during my four years at the agency,” he then said. Okamoto outlining his first instance of abuse said that Kitagawa approached his bed, removed his clothing and lay down next to him. The 26-year-old said, “He began massaging my feet, and his hands came up and touched my genitals through my underwear. He then removed my underwear and performed oral sex on me. I pretended to be asleep. The next day, when we were in the elevator together, he gave me ¥10,000 (Rs 6, 051).” “There were things I saw. In some instances it happened right next to me because we were sleeping in the same room. I would say three other members for sure, but to be honest I think that almost everyone fell victim to him because as long as we stayed at his place it would be very rare that someone would be unscathed,” he said, adding that he believes “the majority of the 100 to 200 during my time experienced that.” For a long time, Okamoto said he couldn’t talk about his experiences. “There are others… who have decided to stay anonymous. I chose to show my face. But that might change as well. That is the hope that I have,” he said in the April press conference. [caption id=“attachment_12602952” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The logo of Johnny & Associates seen at its office building in Tokyo, Japan. Reuters[/caption] A demand for action Fans and activists aren’t happy with the apology from Julie Fujishima and Johnny & Associates. A fan group called Penlight said that the company’s decision to issue online statements, rather than holding a press conference, had left many questions unanswered. “We ask for the company to fully investigate and recognise the facts of the matter, to take responsibility as a corporation and apologise to the victims of sexual violence,” it said, according to an AFP news report. On Change.org, they have begun a petition urging the company to take more action and conduct a deeper investigation. “Although Mr Kitagawa has passed away, we believe that the [sic] Johnny’s office is responsible because they continued to tolerate sexual assaults and failed to take measures to prevent its recurrence,” read the petition, which has already received more than 19,000 signatures. However, Fujishima has rejected the call for an independent investigation, claiming that it would require the participation of people who may not want to be associated with the case or deal with the stress. She added that the company had already taken measures to increase the scrutiny of the company. Fans are also upset with how Fujishima could say she was unaware of the abuse. Ryu Takahashi, who used to be at the talent agency, told the Asahi Shimbun he thought Fujishima’s denials did not pass muster. “It does not make sense if someone who was a director and later succeeded [Kitagawa] as president says she did not know,” he said, as per a BBC report. The sexual assault allegation once again puts the spotlight on the dark side on J-pop industry. In the past, Japanese pop idols have revealed how they are bound by strict rules, including not being allowed to date or seeking permission to marry. 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