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Japan talent agent Johnny Kitagawa sexually assaulted hundreds of teens, investigation finds

  • The Johnny & Associates founder sexually assaulted and abused boys as far back as the 1950s, a three-month investigation concluded
  • Kitagawa, who died in 2019 and was never charged, raped boys aged 14 or 15 and gave them about US$100 in hush money afterwards, the report said

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A passer-by watches a news report in Tokyo on the death of Johnny Kitagawa, founder of Johnny & Associates talent agency, in 2019. Photo: Kyodo News via AP
Associated Press
A team investigating sexual assault allegations by the late founder of a powerful talent agency for boy bands in Japan has found the charges credible, calling for compensation for the victims and the resignation of the current chief executive.
The three-month investigation, which included speaking with 23 victims, concluded on Tuesday that Johnny Kitagawa sexually assaulted and abused boys as far back as the 1950s and targeted at least several hundred people.

The investigative panel said Johnny & Associates must apologise, strengthen compliance measures and educate its ranks about human rights. Julie Keiko Fujishima, the agency’s chief executive officer, must resign for not taking action over the years, according to the special team. Kitagawa died in 2019 and was never charged.

Makoto Hayashi (centre), investigative team leader into sex abuse at Johnny & Associates Inc., speaks at a press conference in Tokyo on Tuesday. Photo: Kyodo
Makoto Hayashi (centre), investigative team leader into sex abuse at Johnny & Associates Inc., speaks at a press conference in Tokyo on Tuesday. Photo: Kyodo

“The company’s cover-up led to the sexual abuse continuing unchecked for so long,” investigative team leader Makoto Hayashi told reporters in Tokyo. “There were many opportunities to take action.”

Critics say what happened at Johnny’s, as the Tokyo-based company is known, highlights Japan’s lagging awareness about rape, sexual harassment and human rights. Public opinion has often been unsympathetic towards people who say they were targeted by sexual predators.

In the Johnny’s case, about a dozen men have come forward in recent months to allege sexual abuse by Kitagawa, the agency’s founder, while performing as teens. More people are expected to come forward, the report said.

Fujishima has so far only apologised in a brief online video for “disappointment and worries” over the case. It is unclear whether she will resign.
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