Former J-pop Star Alleges Sexual Abuse by Late Japanese Music Mogul Johnny Kitagawa
A former J-pop star trainee came forward with allegations Wednesday that he and multiple other young men were sexually abused by the late Johnny Kitagawa, once a powerful figure in Japan’s entertainment industry.
As reported on CNN, Japanese-Brazilian singer-songwriter Kauan Okamoto alleged during a press conference that over the course of four years, beginning in 2012 when he was 15, he was repeatedly sexually assaulted by Kitagawa, who died age 87 in 2019.
Okamoto said the abuse happened when he would stay overnight at one of Kitagawa’s penthouse apartments in Tokyo, often with other young aspiring musicians who were also signed to Kitagawa’s talent agency, Johnny & Associates.
Okamoto made the allegations during a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan Wednesday, saying he was speaking out now in the hope that other alleged victims will come forward.
During his long career, Kitagawa headed Japan’s biggest talent agency and was known for manufacturing popular boy-bands and launching the music and acting careers of teen idols. He was a powerful and influential figure in the media and entertainment industries for decades.
Johnny & Associates sent a statement to CNN Thursday in response to the allegations.
“Since shifting to a new management team upon the death of our former President in 2019, we have made it our utmost priority to adapt to the changing environment by establishing transparency in our organizational structure and policies in a manner that evokes social trust,” the statement said.
“In January 2023, we announced measures that will ensure strict compliance with laws and regulations without exception by both management and employees as well as the steps we are taking to strengthen corporate governance by consulting with impartial third party experts,” it continued, without directly addressing the allegations.
There have been long-standing allegations against Kitagawa. In 1999, Japanese magazine Shukan Bunshun published accounts of other 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.
Kitagawa was never charged over the allegations. He had reportedly denied all accusations when he was alive.
