U.N. human rights group to probe Johnny's agency sex abuse scandal

Kitagawa was one of the most revered figures in Japan's entertainment industry, 

Please, stop sugar-coating it! He wasnt as much "revered" as he was feared, for all the power he held over his minions and others in the industry. The rumors of his sexual abuse go back decades, but no one, including the media, ever said anything publicly out of fear of retribution from him.

Yes UN send your investigators and also clean up your own act if you genuinely feel so strongly about this issue- https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/women-and-girls/united-nations-sexual-misconduct-rape-assault-allegations/

Recently, I really get angry when I see some of these high profile Johnny's members on TV hosting shows, doing commercials, knowing that many young men were exposed to terrible things by this monster Johnny Kitagawa and they benefitted from it and are now stars, while these other poor boys were cast aside.

U.N. human rights group to probe Johnny's agency sex abuse scandal

The UN as per usual, overstepping in its non-elected capacity, to intrude where it has no business doing so. Johnny’s agency and practices however foul, are not the UN’s problem to solve.

I thought the UN had much more urgent matters to attend to such as the war in Ukraine and global warming rather than probing into the dead pervert.

I thought the UN had much more urgent matters to attend to such as the war in Ukraine and global warming rather than probing into the dead pervert.

Because it's impossible to do all of these things, right?

Although you'll have to explain to me what logically makes this impossible, as I'm not seeing it. I'm just trying to give you the benefit of the doubt.

The UN has major issues with their own troops involved in human trafficking so don’t think they should be investigating anything, who investigates the investigators?

The head of Johnny’s had a history of abuse, but the j-government chose to look the other way. The English government did the same with Jimmy Savile. If you don’t think powerful people don’t get away with serious crimes your very foolish. Heck we still don’t know who was on Epsteins list.

Crazy world we live in for sure.

Japan in the Global news AGAIN for having perverts and now as a company that made some famous using perverted acts. That is going to upset some Japanese for not being seen as perfect!!! Every time someone mentions Johnny's, instantly everyone thinks of a pervert manipulating young boys for fame. And anyone from Johnny's has that hanging over them and people wander 'Did he become famous that way too?'

The real question to be investigated is not "was there abuse?" but "why, when everyone knew their was abuse, was it allowed to continue for decades?"

Shut this filthy operation DOWN.

This may not be a guarantee everything will come to light, but at least is shows how it is being taken seriously and that the whole thing no longer can be just sweep under the rug after enough time passes.

Hope to see a change in the showbusiness in Japan, but not optimistic enough to expect it for sure.

As with Harvey Weinstein and other Hollywood top

producers, rumors of his sexual misconduct were rife and suspected for decades. But it takes multiple whistle blowers to blow the lid off.

Even before this “scandal” it was common knowledge to most people, except for the willfully-blind boyband groupies that Johnny “test tasted” the goods.

There might possibly be a rush to hang a dead man twice because otherwise the obvious question(s) to every tv producer and big time “talent” is (are):

What did you know about the victimization of other talent including minor children?

When you found out, what did you do? Whom did you tell?

If you were a victim, and you were too scared to speak out (and this is very understandable) what threats were made and by whom and against whom to secure your silence?

And for the TV stations and producers, was it worth your reputation to become in a massive human trafficking operation? (And how do you look in the mirror?)

Give out some suspended sentences to these groomers!

U.N. human rights group to probe Johnny's agency sex abuse scandal

Seems that a different agency, maybe like the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, ought to be all over this, not a United Nations group?

The company set up an external special probe team to look into alleged sexual abuse by the founder and compile measures to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents

Again, maybe any probes into the alleged abuse ought to be conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, not the company accused of the alleged crimes? Of course I'm no expert but the fox investigating the chick coop raid seems fishy ya think?

Looks like everyone and their gran is looking into it except the j police... I wonder why that is...

One would think that Japan would be able to solve its own sexual scandals according to Japanese law-obviously not…

Part of the reason I like living in Japan is because the people by and large are apathetic and complacent. Cynically, you could say the Japanese have no will to fight. If this was any country, Johnny’s would be irrevocably damaged and would have collapsed long ago. It’s amazing Japan is technically a democracy since the Japanese don’t question anything. The Americans did a good job!

The Working Group on Business and Human Rights is expected to arrive in Japan between late July and early August and conduct interviews in Tokyo and Osaka with former members of the agency who say they were abused by Johnny Kitagawa

another nice little 5-star junket for the annointed.....

I could be naive, but I believe that if a real heavy-hitter talent like Kimura or any member of Arashi (but especially newscaster in development Sakurai) were to speak out and say "I was a victim of Johnny. I had to do some things to please him in order to be successful that I really did not want to do. This is what happened to me, this is who knew and this is why I was too afraid to speak out earlier.", THAT would blow the doors off the last of the rear-guard know-nothingism.

("I regret my decision not to speak sooner." would also be very much appreciated, but I understand the fear and I don't think that victims should be shamed.)

I can't get past the fact that this is company is literally named after a known serial child rapist, yet even the idea of maybe changing that doesn't seem to be on the table.

I mean, I get that it is hard for organizations that have spent most of their existence as little more than personal grooming factories for serial child rapists to embrace change, but still, this is ridiculous.

Kitagawa was one of the most revered figures in Japan's entertainment industry,

I agree with Yubaru above that this word is so off the mark in describing him. Nobody ever said they liked or respected him. The media always acquiesed to whatever he wanted or else none of the Johnny boys would ever appear on their channels again. Pure blackmail.

They also knew about his pedophilia, and even worse, so did the news agencies and the government who chose to let this scumbag continue doing this till he died and a former boy member publicly said something.

He was a right scumbag too, calling people "You" rather than by their names. He was a fluent English speaker having lived in the US, so he knew how condescending this was. Everything about him was vile and I hope this whole organization gets taken down. Maybe we'll get better entertainment on TV as a result. (Well, maybe not.)

The UN has far more urgent matters, even among their own staff. This is a typical UN shakedown, to pressure Japan to give more money. Disgusting. Kitagawa was a scumbag criminal, and his whole organization should be shut down. But it's way outside the UN's purview.

*Kitagawa was one of the most revered figures in Japan's entertainment industry,*

”feared” is a more accurate descriptor.

“loathed/tolerated/yakked-up” could be accurate as well.

Having the UN investigate any sexual scandal is laughable. That organisation has been involved in so many over the years and probably is. Their's are swept under the table and the guilty party gets posted elsewhere.

The reality is many more victims of Kitagawa will suffer relive his predatorial behavior suffer in silence, through fear of career reprisals.

Some even contemplating suicide.

It is the power of people in positions of influence to apply fear to feed the need of a predatory instinct to satisfy an insatiable perverted depravity.

MarkXToday  07:20 am JST

Recently, I really get angry when I see some of these high profile Johnny's members on TV hosting shows, doing commercials, knowing that many young men were exposed to terrible things by this monster Johnny Kitagawa and they benefitted from it and are now stars, while these other poor boys were cast aside.

It appears to be another case of long term abuse by a fatcat that has been shoved under a rug for far too long. It's now time to lift the veil and punish the offenders. Do the crime, now they must PAY and do the time!

Great. This will highlight other areas of crime in Japan that go under-reported and contribute to the dangerous false image of 'low-crime' Japan.

> How about investigating the epidemic of sexual assault and sexual deviancy crimes that most Japanese are ignorant of (unless you're a young woman), most politicians don't care about, and statistics fail to capture on a massive scale (based on research both within and outside Japan more than 95% of sexual assault including rape go unreported).

False claims.

If this was any country, Johnny’s would be irrevocably damaged and would have collapsed long ago

Kpop got tons of scandals still going strong because certain people raking in the cash same as here.

Can you just imagine being the kind of person who considers this guy innocent ? Even if they're saying it to be contrary for attention ?

The UN has no authority in Japan and can only question people if they are willing. Just like IAEA over the problem of wastewater release.

one_consciousness

I cannot debate with posters without archives.

You state you are Japanese but live in New Zealand. Are you Japanese or New Zealander? You removed your children from Japan because of your fear.

None of your comments is on the topic or connected with the post of the UN investigation into Johnny's Agency.

In all countries, rape and sexual assaults are always underreported because of the fear of the victims. It's not unique to Japan.

Your long list of links has nothing to do with the post.

one_consciousness

in a post today you accused me of being off-topic when you are doing the same.

How do you think you help Japan from New Zealand?