Johnny Kitagawa's death in Tokyo has generated significant media coverage. Credit: Yuichi Yamazaki/Getty Images AsiaPac
When legendary Japanese music mogul Johnny Kitagawa died in 2019. Politicians, business leaders and the dozens of boy bands he created filled the stadium in Tokyo to pay their respects.
A preeminent figure in Japan's music industry, Kitagawa was respected for building the careers of many of the country's most famous artists and for promoting J-Pop, Japan's unique take on pop music, to an international audience.
But after singer Kauan Okamoto this week opened up about his experience at the hands of Kitagawa, accusing him of sexually abusing 200 boys who dreamed of fame, the Japanese entertainment industry, the media and the public have been forced to confront the allegations that have long swirled around the manager. on working with talents.
Industry insiders have compared the culture of silence that has helped Kitagawa get away with his crimes for decades to the cases of Harvey Weinstein and Jimmy Savile, who abused their positions in the entertainment industry. However, they told The Telegraph that they fear the tycoon's fall is unlikely to bring about significant change.
Although it was widely reported in the international media, Japanese news outlets covered Mr. Okamoto's press conference in which he claimed to have been sexually assaulted by Kitagawa 15 or 20 times in four years before leaving his Johnny and Associates talent agency in 2016. carelessly.
Kauan Okamoto accused Johnny Kitagawa of abusing 200 boys. Photo: Yoshio Tsunoda/AFLO/Shutterstock
Yomiuri Shimbun, a daily newspaper with a circulation of seven million, devoted just seven paragraphs to Mr. Okamoto's experience.
The lack of media coverage in Japan has raised fears that everyone the case will be quietly smeared under the carpet.
“Other media outlets have said they will never be able to confirm the allegations against Kitagawa, but they really didn't try very hard. said Shiro Saito, a journalist for the weekly news magazine Shukan Bunshun. In 1999, the magazine challenged Kitagawa's taboo with a series of articles about 10 abused youth «talents».
Kitagawa sued for libel and was ultimately awarded less than £9,000 in damages for alleging that his agency supplied alcohol and cigarettes to minors. none of the teenagers wanted to file a formal complaint with the police, and Kitagawa went back to work.
“The problem was that the agency was so powerful that all the media companies were worried that they wouldn’t be able to attract top stars to their programs or arrange interviews if they publish negative stories about Kitagawa,” Mr. Saito told The Telegraph. “They reported the result of our court case, but that’s it. They just dropped it again.”
Other members of the Japanese media regret not speaking out against Kitagawa.
“He had so much power that the media companies were afraid to upset him. '' said a producer from national broadcaster NHK, who requested anonymity. “But yes, we and the rest of the showbiz world should have done more. We knew these stories and it was wrong to ignore them.”
Due to limited media coverage of Mr. Okamoto's conference, the producer said that he expects Japan's entertainment world to «return to business as usual» as soon as possible, and did not learn the lesson.
«Everywhere in the entertainment industry such a relationship between boss and servant, and we saw the same thing in Hollywood with Harvey Weinstein, ”he said. «So yes, it could happen here again.»
Companies are untouchable
Makoto Watanabe, professor of media and communications at Hokkaido Bunkyo University, says that too many Japanese companies and institutions «dominate the country to the point where they become untouchable, and everything they want is gone.»
< p>He said that. Tokyo Electric Power Co, operator of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, was not questioned about disaster precautions until it was too late when a March 2011 earthquake caused three reactors to melt down and financial scandals linked to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, just getting started. ignite.
«It's the same with the idol business, and Kitagawa was able to intimidate everyone to the point where they stopped resisting him,» said Mr. Watanabe, referring to the way Japanese music companies create stars.
< p>“The media was silent, and the Japanese society turned its back on these boys. And they let Kitagawa keep his empire until he died. It's terrible for me.»
There is some hope that Mr. Okamoto's press conference might encourage other victims to speak up,» Mr. Saito said.
«Kitagawa was the main guy in the agency for 40 years, so there would be a lot of boys,” he said.
But his death means there is now no one to charge, and in many cases the statute of limitations has expired.
«I don't even think it will really hurt his reputation since what was going on was public knowledge,» said Mr. Saito.
Even the agency will largely remain unaffected as it remains a key player in providing a pipeline of young performers for Japanese television, he added.
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