In Plain Sight: The Johnny’s Scandal and Japan’s Culture of Silence on Sexual Assault
This past year, the annual Japanese New Year’s Eve show Kouhaku Utagassen, a musical TV special and a Japanese staple, seemed a little different: no male J-pop groups were featured.
In mid-2023, a former member of the talent agency Johnny’s and Associates came forward to accuse the late president and founder, Johnny Kitagawa, of multiple sexual assaults following a BBC documentary on the topic. As the agency holds a virtual monopoly over J-pop boy bands, the documentary was more than a takedown of a singular talent agency: it unveiled the ugly underbelly of the entire industry to the rest of the world. The ripples of the controversy massively affected Japanese pop culture, visible even in small aspects such as the 2023 Kouhaku lineup. But perhaps more importantly, it illuminated a larger structural issue with Japan’s culture of institutional silence and suppression of sexual assault.
For decades before his death, Kitagawa’s assaults were an open secret in Japan — repeatedly surfacing, yet ignored by the media and society. In 1988, a former idol published a book accusing Kitagawa of exploiting his position of power to make sexual advances on young boys. In 1996, another former idol who witnessed Kitagawa’s predatory behavior made similar allegations. Again in 1999 and 2000, the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun published articles detailing the abuse happening in the agency — this time, Johnny’s sued the magazine for defamation. The Tokyo district court ruled the sexual assault allegations to be false, but when brought to the Tokyo High Court and Supreme Court, the allegations were affirmed.
Only the initial denial gained media coverage while the subsequent reversals received little reporting. Only when the BBC released a documentary on the agency’s abuses was domestic media pressured into covering the topic in 2023. Other victims have also come forward following the initial statements, and currently over 900 people are seeking redress after the company agreed to compensate Kitagawa’s victims.
These revelations, alongside the lack of transparency for the third-party inquiry, prompted the U.N. Human Rights Council to open an investigation on the topic during its routine visit to Japan. They concluded the government needed to act, and must “ensure transparent investigations of perpetrators and that victims obtain effective remedies.” The mounting pressures from outside Japan pushed Julie Fujishima, Kitagawa’s niece and then president of Johnny’s, to directly address the rape allegations and step down from her position.
The Japanese media began to increasingly cover the situation as well, pulling away from the agency. As sponsors and TV shows dropped their idols en masse, the company scrambled to address its faults and reconcile its image. The agency changed its name to Smile-Up, and plans to close and start anew after compensating all victims. Before she left the company, Fujishima stated in a letter to the public, “I believe closing down Johnny's is something I must do as a relative of the perpetrator. I want to erase every trace of Johnny Kitagawa from this world.”
Despite these reforms, one key question remains: how was it possible for such a predator to remain in the limelight despite his actions being exposed on multiple occasions? A male-dominated media space, Kitagawa’s monopoly on the J-pop boy band industry, and the general culture of silence in Japan regarding sex crimes could be to blame. Toko Tanaka, professor of media and culture studies at the University of Tokyo, told the newspaper Asahi Shimbun, “There was likely a low awareness about sexual violence because mass media continues to hold a value set heavily distorted toward a male-centered one.” Rape is often seen as a female issue, and thus was seen as unimportant in the male-dominated entertainment industry. Tanaka also states that especially in the 1980s and 90s, when many of these idols initially raised concerns, “there was no recognition then about the seriousness of sexual abuse in general. Regarding sexual abuse of men, the general perception was that men could not be victims of sex[ual] assault because they were not thought to be weak.”
The iron grip Kitagawa had on the J-pop industry is another factor. As the head and namesake of the biggest talent agency in the Japanese boy band space, he was able to leverage his position of power not only to victimize more people but squash dissent. This made it exceedingly difficult for victims to come forward, as their success hinged on being associated with the agency. Johnny’s was more than simply the biggest talent agency, it was practically the only talent agency for male idols if they wished to have a chance at stardom.
When victims decided to come forward despite these factors, the media rarely covered their stories due to Kitagawa’s power in the entertainment industry. “There appeared to be a silent agreement within the company to avoid the sexual abuse topic,” said Yoshitaka Yoshino, a former TV producer, to Asahi Shimbun. “I believe the company refrained from reporting on what was happening because it would have been hurt [sic] if members (of Johnny & Associates) refused to appear in our programs,” he said.
In his 2005 book, former Johnny’s member Shogo Kiyama wrote, “Ever since I made the accusations, the fight against Johnny’s was like an ant trying to bite an elephant. We just came to realize how powerless we are and how the evil power of Johnny prevailed.” Though accusations were made in books and interviews, few media reports were made, as the entertainment titan was too large of a foe for individuals to fight against. Only after his death were victims able to raise their voices.
This scandal highlights not only the problematic aspects of the entertainment industry, which exist virtually everywhere, but also the uniquely Japanese environment of systematic silence, indifference, and disparagement regarding sexual abuse and assault. The fact that foreign intervention from the BBC and the U.N. was required for Japanese media to cover these topics is evidence of this phenomenon. Additionally, Japanese celebrities criticized the foreign media outlets and the U.N. for investigating and exposing a rapist. Japanese TV personality Dave Spector tweeted “I watched the Johnny Kitagawa BBC documentary. I was surprised at the reporter, who was only here for a short time,’s insistent Western-style ‘sense of justice,’ victim mentality, and difference in perspective from those actually involved. I think everyone would think if they watched it: if you’re so mad, you should have done this while Mr. Johnny was alive!”. This statement blatantly disregarded the fact that many did indeed come forward when he was alive, only to be shunned and ignored.
Such disregard, wherein outside forces must pressure media to cover these topics, and such defenses, where celebrities come to the aid of a man whose sexual assault was highlighted by the Supreme Court, elucidate what researcher Machiko Osawa calls the “rape myth” of Japan. According to her, “there is a widespread assumption that the victims of rape and sexual assault are at fault.” This institutionalized skepticism is part of the reason why only 5-10% of victims report the crime, and the police record less than half of these cases. The legal system does not favor victims: rape sentences are often lighter than those for robberies, and “evidence of force” was needed for a conviction until 2023.
Japan’s systems of education, social security, and employment systems are based on a gendered division of labor. This, combined with norms of social conformity, mutually reinforces the creation of a culture of invisibility for victims. Cycles of shame and self-doubt plague people who live in such an environment. The circumstances and reaction to the Johnny Kitagawa scandal, which seem so unthinkable to Western eyes, are rooted in this culture of victim-blaming and silencing.
However, the tides may be turning for the nation. The #MeToo movement took root in Japan, where it was rebranded as #WeToo. Individually coming forward was difficult in Japan, but unified, it became possible. As mentioned above, the government revised its 1907 sexual assault law to define rape as “nonconsensual sexual assault,” removing the previous requirement of force. Though the long-term impacts of the Johnny’s controversy are yet to be seen, the fact that Japanese society did, to some extent, hold the company accountable shows that there may be hope to overcome this culture of complacency and silence.
News of Johnny Kitagawa’s passing hits Tokyo in 2019. After his death, the media mogul was accused of hundreds of cases of sexual assault.
