The ‘mastermind’ of Japanese pop culture who was accused of sexual abuse of minors

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A new documentary questions how Johnny Kitagawa – the high priest of Japanese pop – was able to sexually abuse young boys for so long descriptions that might be considered disturbing Johnny Kitagawa was the architect of Japanese pop culture. His all-male talent agency Johnny & Associates produced successful boy bands and Kitagawa held the world record for number one artists, number one singles and shows produced by a single individual. But allegations of sexual exploitation scarred Kitagawa’s career. The allegations weren’t just discussed behind closed doors – they made their way into the national press and some were proven true in court. But that didn’t stop Kitagawa from maintaining his status until his last days. Even in death he is revered. “He is God,” says a young man about Kitagawa on the streets of Tokyo. Many people in Japan feel the same way. Kitagawa’s funeral in 2019 was a national event. The then prime minister, Shinzo Abe, sent a message of condolences. Tear-eyed Japanese celebrities and boy band members bid farewell at a memorial event at the Tokyo Dome. But for someone so famous, there are few pictures of Kitagawa. He rarely made public appearances, gave interviews or allowed his pictures to be taken. He also controlled the photos of his stars that were circulated. Four years after his death at the age of 87, the faces of the young people he mentored are still plastered on billboards and giant TV screens in several Japanese cities. Beardless and with bangs draped over their faces, these J-pop idols don’t just sell albums, they advertise anything from real estate to contact lenses. It’s as if Kitagawa’s sexual abuse allegations never really had an impact, despite stories circulating for decades. For a new BBC documentary, I’ve been looking at how denial and media silence allowed Japan’s most powerful pop music mogul to exploit teenagers for decades. The new recruits – known as ‘juniors’ – worked as backup dancers until Kitagawa decided they were ready to debut BBC Thousands of boys and men went through the Johnny & Associates machine while Kitagawa was alive. All of them had direct contact with the businessman himself, who sought out and nurtured talent over a career spanning nearly six decades. The system created by Kitagawa allowed him unsupervised access and control over the boys. Known as “juniors”, the new recruits worked as backup dancers for other bands until Kitagawa decided they were ready to debut – and enter the world of management and public relations. This could take years. Hayashi (not his real name) was 15 when he submitted his resume to Johnny & Associates. His first impression of Kitagawa, who he met at his audition, was that he was “kind and considerate”. But things quickly changed. Hayashi has never spoken publicly about his experiences before and is understandably nervous as he relates what he’s been through. Just a week after the first meeting, Hayashi was invited to stay at one of Kitagawa’s houses, known as a “dormitory” because many boys slept there. “After a while, Johnny said to me, ‘Go take a shower.’ He washed my whole body like I was a doll,” he says. Visibly shaken, he remembers Kitagawa then performing oral sex on him. Hayashi (not his real name) claims that Kitagawa abused him as a teenager BBC Hayashi tells us that the abuse happened on another occasion as well. He further states that it was clear that the other boys knew what was going on. “They all told me, ‘You have to stick it out or you won’t make it.’ No one around me gave up. Johnny was the only adult. So it wasn’t a situation where we could talk to anyone.” As an adult, Hayashi believes that his silent acceptance of abuse was partly linked to his dreams of success. “The lives of the boys who were successful, thanks to Johnny, changed the moment they entered the agency. I think they are very grateful. This is a different thing from those sex crimes. I only lived in Japan and thought it was a great country . But maybe I’m wrong.” Stories similar to Hayashi’s have been reported before. In 1999, two reporters for the respected weekly current affairs magazine Bunshun met a teenager who claimed to have been abused by Kitagawa. The boy joined the agency when he was in high school and the sexual abuse began soon after. He introduced the journalists to other boys and young people who shared similar experiences. His accounts fitted together so well that reporters were able to draw a map of the “dorm” in Kitagawa’s home, where many of the abuses took place. The investigation resulted in a series of articles documenting allegations by more than a dozen aspiring J-pop idols who said they were sexually abused as teenagers. Some were as young as 12 at the time of the abuse. Graphic testimonials include references to penetrative sex and coercion. In an account published by the magazine, one survivor said he believed that refusing Kitagawa’s advances would harm his career. “If you disobey Mr. Johnny, your position on stage will be compromised.” In another account, Kitagawa is said to have had sex with a junior in the boy’s own home. “I wish I could forget. My parents put his futon in the same room as mine. That night he put my genitals in his mouth. You wouldn’t believe it. My parents were sleeping in the next room.” Despite the overwhelming testimonies, the series of articles barely registered in the public consciousness. The codependent relationship between the Japanese press and the Kitagawa empire may go a long way to explaining why the story was ignored. An artwork of Johnny Kitagawa’s face hangs in the main reception area at Johnny & Associates BBC Stories ‘Erased’ Ensuring access to Johnny & Associates talent attracts viewers, readers, listeners and advertising revenue. Those who promote the agency’s boy bands can gain favors, including access to bigger, more established names. And saying something negative about pop idols or the company can have the opposite effect – being cut off from the empire and all the revenue it can attract. Maybe that’s why most media outlets didn’t even acknowledge the story about Kitagawa’s misconduct. When the reports were published, Johnny & Associates barred Bunshun and its sister publications from speaking to any of his talent. And in 2000, a year after the magazine’s investigation, Kitagawa and his company sued the vehicle for defamation. The process took four years and featured testimony from many of the men who said that Kitagawa had abused them as children. The Tokyo High Court eventually ruled that nine of the 10 allegations made in Bunshun’s article were in fact true, including the allegation that Johnny was sexually abusing minors at his agency. Only the allegation that Kitagawa supplied them with cigarettes and alcohol was found to be untrue. But the verdict was met with more silence, and the defamation case did not lead to a criminal trial. Kitagawa was never formally charged and went on to serve as his company’s president until he died in 2019. The way their story was “erased” still makes one of the reporters, Ryutaro Nakamura, very angry. “I’ve been desperate about this for 23 years,” he says. But Nakamura also thinks prejudice played a role in the denial. “In Japan, love affairs or sexual relations between men – it’s like people don’t believe it,” he says. Japan is a nation that prides itself on politeness. Being impolite is not only seen as annoying or rude, it is socially unacceptable. Many Japanese people believe that inconvenience to others is to be avoided at all costs. This can create a climate in which raising concerns about sexual abuse is seen as a burden. Furthermore, the national age of consent is still 13. Until recently, men and boys were exempt from being recognized as victims of rape in the eyes of the law. Rape of a man was simply not possible in statute prior to 2017. All of these factors contribute to a society in which the sexual exploitation of men and boys is not just taboo, it is often invisible. It’s no surprise, then, that many of the men who experienced Kitagawa’s sexual overtures as teenagers still find it difficult to recognize that what happened to them was wrong. Ryu joined Johnny & Associates in 2002 and was a backup dancer for 10 years. Like Hayashi, he has never spoken about his experiences publicly before. “When I went into the bedroom, Johnny came in and said something like, ‘You’ve been so busy. I’m going to give you a massage.’ He started on my shoulders and worked his way down. At one point he went too far and I said, ‘Don’t do anything else’. He said, ‘Sorry, sorry’ and went into a different room.” Ryu was 16 at the time. Kitagawa was in his seventies. Today, as an adult, Ryu does not condemn Kitagawa. “I don’t dislike Johnny. I love him. Johnny was really a wonderful person and I owe him a lot. I still think we were treated with a lot of love. It wasn’t that big of a problem for me, and that’s probably why I can smile and talk about it.” this now.” Other former juniors we spoke to also defended their former mentor. Ren worked with Johnny & Associates until 2019, when Kitagawa died. He remembers his introduction to the company fondly. “When Johnny & Associates first contacted us, my mother was in tears of happiness. My family thought, ‘Wow, he can earn so much.’ We weren’t rich. It felt like a dream,” he says. Ren, who now works at a bar in Osaka, says he understands the transactional nature of the relationship Kitagawa has had with some of the aspiring stars. “There were rumors that if this [assédio sexual] If that happened, you would have succeeded,” he says. When asked if he would have complied with Kitagawa’s sexual demands in exchange for a career, he replies, “My dream is to become famous, so I guess I would have accepted.” Today, Johnny & Associates continues being an extremely powerful agency in the world of J-pop, and Kitagawa is still celebrated as its great figure. A giant artwork of his face – based on one of the few photos of him – hangs in the reception of the headquarters in Tokyo. Company president Julie Fujishima is Johnny’s niece. Following multiple requests for comment, Fujishima issued a statement: “Since the death of our former representative in 2019, we have been working to establish highly transparent organizational structures, adapting to the times and compliance with laws, regulations and governance reinforced with unbiased experts. We are planning to announce and implement new structures and systems in 2023.” She did not respond directly to the allegations of sexual abuse. There has been no public acknowledgment that Johnny Kitagawa sexually abused boys and young men. Many men do not want to talk about their experiences. How As a result, we may never know how many of these aspiring J-pop stars have been sexually abused.”For survivors to go public is a very brave thing,” says Nobuki Yamaguchi, one of the few therapists in Japan who specializes in helping male sexual abuse survivors. . “Japan has a culture of shame. If you have a personal problem, don’t talk about it.” But that stigma and silence can be exploited by abusers, he says. “Sexual abuse creates this special bond. That’s what grooming is all about. These are the things that make sexual trauma so complex and so confusing,” he says. “The first step in recovery is really acknowledging that the abuse happened.” For many survivors of Kitagawa’s abuse, and for Japanese society at large, this The first step still needs to be taken. The documentary Predator: The Secret Scandal of J-pop, is available on BBC iPlayer. This text was originally published in

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