GachiMuchi Posted October 2, 2023 Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 (edited) Japan boyband agency admits founder Johnny Kitagawa's sexual abuse The president of Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates has admitted that its late founder sexually abused young aspiring stars (Photo: AFP/File/Kazuhiro NOGI) 07 Sep 2023 03:37PM TOKYO: The president of Japan's biggest boyband agency admitted on Thursday (Sep 7) that its late founder sexually abused young aspiring stars, decades after the allegations against him first emerged. Johnny Kitagawa died of a stroke aged 87 in 2019, having engineered the birth of J-pop mega-groups including SMAP, TOKIO and Arashi that amassed adoring fans across Asia. Allegations of abuse surfaced in Japanese media in 1999 but it was not until this year that they ignited full-on soul-searching, following a BBC documentary and denunciations by victims. "Both the agency itself and I myself as a person recognise that sex abuse by Johnny Kitagawa took place," said Julie Fujishima, a niece of the accused music mogul who died in 2019. "I apologise to his victims from the bottom of my heart," she told a packed news conference in Tokyo while announcing she was stepping down as head of Johnny & Associates "to take responsibility". "I take seriously what happened." New president of Johnny and Associates Noriyuki Higashiyama (left) and outgoing president Julie Keiko Fujishima speak to the media at a press conference about allegations of sexual abuse by the group's late founder, at a hotel in Tokyo…see more Fujishima, who said she had stepped down on Tuesday, named singer and actor Noriyuki Higashiyama, a veteran member of the talent agency, as her successor. "It will take an enormous amount of time before we can regain trust," Higashiyama said. "I will stake the rest of my life on addressing this problem." Fujishima said she will remain in the agency's leadership to help "compensate" victims. DEFAMATION Before his death, Kitagawa had successfully sued for defamation over the claims, although the verdict was partially overturned on appeal. He was never criminally charged. A panel of experts last month released the results of its first, in-depth probe into the allegations against Kitagawa, concluding that his abuse went as far back as the 1950s, even before the company was founded. Over the years, aspiring boyband idols collectively dubbed "Johnny's Juniors" sought his tutelage, and the panel estimated that at least "a few hundred" of them had been victimised. The report also quoted former recruits alleging in graphic detail how Kitagawa would perform oral sex on them, fondle them in their genitals or force his way into their beds at night. The panel said Fujishima, who was named Kitagawa's successor after his death, had been "remiss" in her duties because she failed to probe the allegations despite her knowledge of them. Her attitude perpetuated the leadership's tendency to look the other way, the report said. Fujishima, for her part, offered an apology in May but denied she had known about her uncle's predatory history. She chalked her ignorance up to what she framed as the extremely opaque, family-run nature of the boyband empire. "We do not believe there was no problem," she said in May, expressing her regret that she had let herself grow inured to the "abnormalness" of the agency's inner workings. Her apology came after Japanese-Brazilian singer Kauan Okamoto spoke publicly of his experience of being sexually assaulted repeatedly by Kitagawa. Source: AFP/ga Japan boyband agency Johnny & Associates to rebrand after sex abuse scandal President of Japanese boyband empire Johnny & Associates, Noriyuki Higashiyama (second right), speaks during a press conference in Tokyo on Oct 2, 2023, to announce the new company name "SMILE-UP". (Photo: AFP/STR/JIJI Press) 02 Oct 2023 06:53PM TOKYO: Japan's top boyband agency said on Monday (Oct 2) it will rebrand, erasing vestiges of its late founder who was accused of sexually abusing recruits over decades, by launching a new firm to manage its stars. Boyband empire Johnny & Associates admitted last month that founder Johnny Kitagawa had sexually assaulted teenage boys and young men seeking stardom over decades. The music mogul died aged 87 in 2019, having engineered the birth of J-pop mega-groups that amassed adoring fans across Asia. The agency will be renamed "Smile-Up" and dedicated solely to redressing survivors of Kitagawa's abuse, before being shuttered, officials said on Monday. It will also transfer its talent to a newly formed management company. The agency will "follow through on thoroughly compensating victims and then shut down its business", agency head Noriyuki Higashiyama told reporters. Higashiyama had hinted last month that he was disinclined to change the agency's name. But such an attitude "just went to show how inward-looking we were", he said on Monday, adding he intends to become president of the new management agency. Its name will be decided by suggestions from fans, another official said. Allegations that Kitagawa abused young men who wanted to be stars surfaced in Japanese media in 1999. But it was not until this year that they ignited full-on soul-searching, following a BBC documentary and denunciations by victims. "I want to eradicate traces of Johnny Kitagawa off the face of the earth," Julie Keiko Fujishima, Kitagawa's niece who will spearhead efforts to compensate victims, said in a statement released Monday. "As a family member of the offender, I consider it my duty to dismantle the Johnny's agency," she added. As of now, 325 people are demanding compensation for Kitagawa's abuse through a hotline set up by an external panel of experts, according to the agency. Compensation will start in November. Scrutiny of Johnny & Associates intensified as a host of brands, including McDonald's Japan, automaker Nissan and beer giant Kirin, dropped the company's stars in recent weeks over the abuse. Japan's national broadcaster NHK also announced it will "suspend making new offers" to the agency, meaning its top stars may not appear in the TV station's popular year-end music show. The backlash though has garnered the agency's talent some sympathy, with Masakazu Tokura, chairman of Japan's most influential business lobby Keidanren, calling them "more of victims than offenders". Edited October 2, 2023 by GachiMuchi Quote http://gachimuchi2008.blogspot.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GachiMuchi Posted October 2, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 (edited) Johnny Kitagawa: Hundreds seek compensation over J-pop agency founder's abuse Published 4 hours ago Share IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES Image caption,Victims of J-pop mogul Johnny Kitagawa will be entitled to compensation, his agency says By Frances Mao & Jean Mackenzie BBC News More than 300 people are seeking compensation for being sexually abused by Japan's top talent agent, the late Johnny Kitagawa, his agency says. Allegations against Kitagawa, who died in 2019, came into prominence again after a BBC documentary inspired more victims to come forward. In September, an independent inquiry concluded that the music mogul had abused hundreds of boys and young men over a six-decade career. It also urged compensation for victims. The Johnny & Associates agency on Monday revealed 478 people had responded to a website it had set up for recompense- 325 of whom were seeking compensation as victims. The agency said 150 of these people were former talents. The pop agency renamed itself -SMILE-UP- and said the newly named entity would deal solely with identifying and compensating victims. A new company will be created to manage the talent. The agency has said it will determine financial pay-outs for each victim on a case-by-case basis. Earlier this year the agency had apologised to victims and following the inquiry's findings, the then chief executive Julie Fujishima - Kitagawa's niece- stepped down. She has been replaced by Noriyuki Higashiyama, a television star and singer in Japan who has also been accused of sexual misconduct - allegations he denied on Monday. "I have never sexually harassed anyone. Some people may have felt I was power-harassing them, but it was 35-40 years ago, and I probably wouldn't have been able to understand what sexual abuse is," he said. Johnny Kitagawa's sexual abuse: Japan's worst kept secret The BBC investigation which led to a J-pop reckoning Upon taking the leadership mantle in early September, Higashiyama said the agency was not sure if it would depart from the Johnnys name. The restructure is believed to be an attempt to win back public acceptance - major Japanese companies such as Nissan, Asahi and Suntory dropped the agency's talent after the inquiry. The Kitagawa scandal in Japan has drawn comparisons with Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein who was convicted of rape and sexual assault. However Kitagawa never faced criminal charges and he remained a revered figure until his death at age 87 in 2019 - with his passing also drawing public condolences from Japan's prime minister at the time. The J-pop industry titan was seen as one of the richest and most powerful men in Japan. For decades, he was responsible for launching the country's most famous boybands and artists. His abuse was also considered an open secret in Japan's music industry. He faced allegations for much of his career and some cases against him were even proven in civil court- however he also successfully sued for defamation over those reports and always denied wrongdoing. Most mainstream Japanese media also did not cover the allegations for decades, prompting accusations of an industry cover-up. Then in March, the BBC's documentary Predator: The Secret Scandal of J-Pop which detailed Kitagawa's abuse was aired, sparking national discussion and calls for a full investigation. Several victims told the BBC they thought their careers would be harmed if they did not comply with Kitagawa's sexual demands. The broadcast led to more victims coming forward - including a former J-pop idol Kauan Okamato- who deliberately held his press conference at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Tokyo for international media. He revealed he had been sexually abused by Kitagawa for four years, from the age of 15. He and several other victims spoke out after the resignation of Ms Fujishima last month. Her resignation also marked the agency's first public acknowledgement of Kitagawa's crimes. One man who identified as a victim spoke at a press conference held by the Johnny's Sexual Assault Victims' Association. "I've learned that if you decide to act, you can change things. We don't have to walk looking down - we can look forward," he said. Edited October 2, 2023 by GachiMuchi Quote http://gachimuchi2008.blogspot.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GachiMuchi Posted October 2, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 Johnny Kitagawa: J-pop agency's new boss Higashiyama also faces abuse allegations Published 8 September IMAGE SOURCE,EPA Image caption, Noriyuki Higashiyama has taken over the running of Johnny & Associates but has also been accused of sexual abuse By Kelly Ng and Shaimaa Khalil in Singapore and Tokyo The new boss of a J-pop agency disgraced by the extensive sexual abuse committed by its late founder Johnny Kitagawa has also been accused of sexually assaulting young boys. Noriyuki Higashiyama said he could not remember the reported acts which he said may or may not have occurred. He was named the new boss of Johnny and Associates after Kitagawa's niece stepped down on Thursday. He will lead the agency's efforts to compensate victims and seek amends. Japan boyband boss resigns over mogul Kitagawa's abuse However, on Thursday at a press conference announcing Julie Fujishima's departure and his appointment, he was also faced with questions about his own reported abuse. Journalists asked him if allegations published in a book saying he massaged the crotches of boys, exposed his genitals and told them to "eat my sausage" were true. He replied: "I don't remember clearly. Maybe it happened, maybe it didn't. I have trouble remembering." Alluding to claims that he had bullied younger performers, the 56-year old added it was possible that he had been stricter with them, and that he may have done things as a teenager or in his 20s that he would not do now. Mr Higashiyama, a household name in Japan, was one of the first talents recruited by Johnny and Associates. Online, many users have criticised his appointment, noting his long history with the company. "It will take time to win back trust, and I am putting my life on the line for this effort," he said. He added that he had never been a victim of Kitagawa's abuse but had been aware of the rumours. "I couldn't, and didn't, do anything about it," he admitted to the news conference. Mr Higashiyama's decades-old ties to the Johnny and Associates brand have also led many to question how he can change the company and, more crucially, protect its talent. On Friday, Kauan Okamoto, one of Johnny's victims who went public, broke down while speaking to the media, and said the person hurting the most is his mother. "She has to live through it over and over and hear things that were done to me. There are things I can't even say to her. I don't want her to have to go through this ever again," he said. He also said he "respects" Mr Higashiyama and considers him "brave for taking this job that nobody wants". While Mr Okamoto said he hated Kitagawa for what he did, he is still "grateful to Johnny" for introducing him to the world of music. "I know some would say this is grooming but this is how I feel," he added. Kitagawa was arguably the most influential and powerful figure in Japan's entertainment industry. His agency has for decades been synonymous with J-pop culture, and was the gateway to stardom for many young men. But Johnny and Associates now bears the name of a sexual predator. At Thursday's press conference, when asked if there were plans to change the company's name, Mr Higashiyama said there were none. On social media, a user questioned how he would be able to "rebuild the agency when everyone will be looking at you with coloured lenses?" "Is this the end for the company?" the user added. IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Johnny Kitagawa (pictured on screen) was a J-pop titan who used his immense power to sexually abuse aspiring boyband idols Last week, an independent inquiry found the pop mogul abused hundreds of boys and young men over six decades, including while head of the boyband agency. He died at 87 in 2019, having never faced charges and always denying wrongdoing. Kitagawa's death was a national event - with even the then prime minister sending condolences. Although reports of his abuse were an open secret in the industry, for decades mainstream Japanese media did not cover the allegations. But a BBC documentary this year about Kitagawa and the J-pop industry sparked national discussion and prompted more victims to come forward. It led to the independent investigation, which last week recommended that the agency's boss resign. The BBC investigation that led to long-awaited abuse admission Outgoing chief executive Ms Fujishima acknowledged Kitagawa's abuse for the first time on Thursday. She said the pop mogul had been so powerful that many in the agency, including herself, kept silent. The company also has considerable power over many media outlets, said Soichiro Matsutani, a journalist who has covered the Japanese entertainment industry for years. He told local media in May that declining revenue for TV stations and magazines have made them overly dependent on Johnny and Associates' idols for ratings. In 2019, for example, a Japanese regulator issued a warning to Johnny and Associates after it found that the agency had pressured TV stations not to showcase idols who had left the company. Mr Matsutani added that unless the root of the problem is addressed, similar things could happen at other talent agencies. Additional reporting by Derek Cai and Akane Furukawa Quote http://gachimuchi2008.blogspot.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GachiMuchi Posted October 2, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2023 (edited) Johnny Kitagawa: Ex-pop star Kauan Okamoto details sexual abuse by famed producer Published 13 April IMAGE SOURCE,EPA Image caption, Kauan Okamoto said he was sexually abused by Johnny Kitagawa from the age of 15 By Nicholas Yong BBC News, Singapore Another former J-pop star has said he was the victim of sexual abuse by Johnny Kitagawa, a revered Japanese music producer who died in 2019. Kauan Okamoto said he was abused up to 20 times from 2012-2016, beginning when he was 15 and in a boy band. Mr Okamoto said he believed as many as 100 boys had been abused. Kitagawa denied all accusations during his life and never faced charges. A BBC documentary in March detailed allegations from several victims. Mr Okamoto said he had been compelled to speak out after the BBC released Predator: The Secret Scandal of J-Pop documentary. Multiple accusers told the BBC they feared their careers would be harmed if they refused Kitagawa. In Japan, he was viewed as one of the music industry's most powerful figures. When he died in 2019 at age 87, his legacy as the architect of J-pop idol culture was widely celebrated in the country. However allegations of his sexual exploitation were ignored for decades. The BBC's investigation into Japan’s J-pop predator On Wednesday, Mr Okamoto said the abuse he experienced occurred about 15 to 20 times at Kitagawa's penthouse in Tokyo. The 26-year-old Japanese-Brazilian singer and songwriter said that Kitagawa would come to his bed at night and remove his clothes before performing oral sex on him. Okamoto pretended to be asleep as the abuse occurred. "[Kitagawa] never explicitly said that if you don't put up with [the abuse] you won't be a success," he told reporters . "But Johnny's favourite first picks would make it." He had been picked to join the Johnny's Jr group in 2012 - which was a talent pool of male idols in training at Kitagawa's agency Johnny & Associates. Mr Okamoto said he knew of at least 100 boys who had stayed over at Kitagawa's home and he believed all of them had been abused. On Wednesday Johnny & Associates issued a statement after Mr Okamoto's press conference saying the company was working to "strengthen our governance system". It did not address Mr Okamoto's allegations or make any other reference to its founder. The agency remains Japan's top male talent manager and production company. It has produced some of the country's biggest boy bands, such as SMAP and Arashi. Allegations that Kitagawa groomed and sexually abused minors go as far back as the 1960s. In 1999, local magazine Shukan Bunshun published accounts from six former idols detailing alleged abuse by Kitagawa. Most Japanese media however did not cover the allegations - prompting accusations for years of an industry cover-up. This silence persisted even when Kitagawa lost the lawsuit he launched against the magazine, with a court finding that Shukan Bunshun had sufficient reason to publish the sexual assault allegations. In his press conference, Mr Okamoto said he had not considered taking legal action against Johnny & Associates. Instead he expressed hope that telling his story would inspire more victims to speak out. "I hope everyone will come forward because it is an outrageous number of victims," he told reporters on Wednesday. "I believe that what he did to me, performing sexual acts when I was 15, and what he did to other boys, was wrong." He said he had been compelled to speak out after the BBC documentary was released last month. He first detailed his allegations to Shukan Bunshun on 5 April, and he was invited to speak at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Tokyo on Wednesday. "Japanese media are extremely reluctant to cover this issue, but [I have heard] foreign media, like the BBC, might report on it," he said. Johnny Kitagawa: Calls for probe after J-pop agency abuse apology Published 15 May IMAGE SOURCE,EPA Image caption, Kauan Okamoto said he was sexually abused by Johnny Kitagawa from the age of 15 By Yuko Kato & Vibeke Venema In Tokyo and London The CEO of Japan's most powerful pop talent agency, Johnny and Associates, has apologised to alleged victims of sexual abuse committed by its late founder, Johnny Kitagawa. A BBC documentary spoke to several victims and prompted a J-pop star to come forward with his story of abuse. Thousands of fans of Japanese boy bands have since signed a petition calling for a full investigation. Japanese media have long been accused of a cover-up. Kitagawa was arguably the most influential figure in Japan's entertainment industry - his agency has held a near-monopoly on Japanese boy bands for decades. Disturbing reports of Kitagawa sexually abusing teenage boys in his agency were first published 20 years ago. A libel case subsequently found the claims Kitagawa sexually abused minors in his agency were true. Despite this, the pop mogul never faced charges and continued recruiting and training teenage boys until his death four years ago, at the age of 87. His death was a national event, and even the prime minister at the time sent condolences. IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES Image caption, TV bulletins announcing Johnny Kitagawa's death in 2019 A BBC documentary in March, Predator: The Secret Scandal of J-Pop, 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. Several victims told the BBC they thought their careers would be harmed if they did not comply with Kitagawa's sexual demands. The BBC's coverage prompted another of the agency's former J-pop stars to come forward - in April, the Japanese-Brazilian singer Kauan Okamoto said he had been abused by Kitagawa for four years, from the age of 15. Okamoto said he knew of at least three others who had gone through similar ordeals, and thought as many as 100 boys had been abused. Allegations of abuse go as far back as the 1960s. IMAGE SOURCE,JOHNNY AND ASSOCIATES Image caption, Julie Fujishima, the CEO of Johnny and Associates apologised to abuse victims in a video On Sunday Julie Keiko Fujishima, the CEO of the powerful entertainment agency and a niece of Kitagawa, apologised to the victims. "I offer my deepest apologies to those who have come forward with the experiences they suffered," she said in a rare statement posted on the company's website. Fujishima said the agency took the allegations very seriously and believed such conduct was "never acceptable". However, she stopped short of saying individual allegations were true, and claimed not to have known about her uncle's actions at the time. Fujishima also said there would not be an independent investigation. Fans have responded saying the apology does not go far enough. On Friday a petition signed by a group called Penlight and signed by 16,000 fans demanded a full investigation. Fujishima was working for the company when the allegations were first reported by the current affairs magazine Bunshun in 1999. Ryu Takahashi, who used to be a talent at the agency and who appears in the BBC film, 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. Image caption, Former backing dancer Ryu told the BBC about his experience at Kitagawa's hands Fans on social media have thanked the BBC for shedding light on the allegations. The Japanese media have long been accused of covering up the story, so as not to lose access to the powerful agency's roster of talent. "The core of the matter is how Japanese media were complicit, knowing about it but ignoring it, for years, and still tried to ignore it were it not for foreign pressure from the BBC," posted one user. Another commented on BBC Japan's YouTube channel: "The power of the press is amazing. They threw a stone into the murky swamp, and the hideous thing that was lurking in the depths is being revealed. Just how many boys' dreams and aspirations were sucked into those dark waters, one wonders." A Japanese media expert told the Asahi he believed the BBC's reporting had also helped educate a wider audience in Japan about the issue of sexual grooming. However other fans have pointed out that the BBC has had its own abuse scandal with the sexual predator Jimmy Savile, a Radio 1 DJ whose crimes were not exposed until after his death. If you are affected by any of the issues in this article you can find details of organisations that can help via the BBC Action Line Edited October 2, 2023 by GachiMuchi Quote http://gachimuchi2008.blogspot.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hate abusers Posted October 3, 2023 Report Share Posted October 3, 2023 This case deserve to have body dug up and then 五 马 分 尸 and any remaining fed to the pigs, racoons, leopards, lions. 才 能 消 心 里 的 冤枉感 和 怨 气 Of course, financial compensation must also follow. Can u ever recover from this type of sexual molestation. You probably need psychological support , therapy and release. The damage may be life long for some. The funny thing about Japan is outwardly they are appear calm as a lake inwardly is a hungry sexual.beast. Makes you wonder the members of the succesful boy man band group . SMAP . DID THEY all get makan ed by that Toad. They are all handsome men , young and fresh at their prime youth. I will link another youtube video of a Japanese female.journalist who was raped by her boss after drinking a drugged alcoholic drinks and nobody believe her and even her mother asked her to forget it ever happened and moved on , otherwise her career will be finished She fought on and after many many difficulty , she won her case it was a watershed case in Japan . Because in Japan women get raped, they want to forget the case , because the whole society is against u alone , you fight alone against a society that tells you , firstly you are bringing shame to you yourself and your family if you report rape , second when you as a woman report rape case at police station, make police officers will use 色色眼光 look you up and down and fantasise gang bang you and bukkake, then tell you you deserve to be raped becos you got drunk , wear too sexy , skirt was above knee, you went to the guys house voluntarily, or walked in a deserted back lane at night.....etc etc. Thirdly, your boss will tell you , your rape accusation court case is bringing negative publicity to the company that it doesnt need and asks you to drop the case or just resign. No support and sympathy from your employers . that is the sad reality female rape victims face in Japan . As a raped victim , you will feel that the whole society is ganging up to rape you once again. Imagine, you hear people on TV saying things that support your rapist and say you are a 不守妇道的女人 after you get raped. The whole society is like accusing you and pointing fingers at you. Whereas the rapist just points to his dick and say , I cant help it and I am just doing what comes naturally and what my dick.is supposed to do. Japanese worship the make penis and its virility. Japanese AV have rape and forced sex theme AV category that is quite wild and cross redline. And torture and beatings and all sorts of out of the ball park themes. western porn cannot depict forced violent real scenario rape, torture and others Japanese censors are more concerned about pixellation and hiding the pubic hairs of male and female performers. But in reality. They fail . The Japanese have seafood insert into orifices . Western porn cannot have animals at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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