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9 June 2023
In light of the sexual abuse allegations against the late Johnny & Associates founder Johnny Kitagawa, former idols are calling for more action, submitting a petition with close to 40,000 signatures to ruling and opposition parties this week demanding a revision of the child abuse prevention law.
The online petition was set up on May 26 by three former idols who have come forward with accusations, including Yasushi Hashida, 37, Kauan Okamoto, 27, and Akimasa Nihongi, 39. As of Wednesday, the petition has garnered more than 40,000 signatures.
Revisions to the law could help prevent future cases of sexual abuse, the former Johnny’s idols told lawmakers from the Liberal Democratic Party and other parties.
“If the law is revised, it can create an environment that protects not only those in Johnny & Associates and the entertainment industry, but the future generation as well,” Hashida said.
The government plans to hold a ministerial meeting to discuss the issue as early as next week with the child policy minister Masanobu Ogura leading the discussion, Kyodo reported.
The petition asks lawmakers to revise the law so it covers cases in which individuals — such as teachers and mentors — use their position of authority to take advantage of and sexually abuse children. The current law only covers cases of child abuse involving parents and guardians. They also urged lawmakers to make it mandatory for people around children to report suspected child abuse cases to the authorities.
Hashida first announced his plan to gather signatures at a news conference on May 26, asserting that the current anti-abuse legislation does not do enough to protect children, as it only covers sexual abuse inflicted on a child under 18 by a guardian.
Following the submission of the petition on Monday, Sho Sakurai, a member of the pop idol group Arashi, also broke his silence on the sexual abuse allegations directed at the late founder, urging the talent agency to investigate the matter thoroughly.
“I want the agency to investigate exactly what happened without forcing people to speak up, and to ensure the privacy (of those who do),” Sakurai, who is an anchor for the Nippon TV program “News Zero,” said during a broadcast. He also advised the public to be mindful of survivors who do not wish to speak about it.
In early May, Penlight, an organization consisting of fans of Johnny’s idols, gathered around 16,000 signatures and submitted a petition to the talent agency, urging an investigation into the allegations.
The agency’s current president, Julie Keiko Fujishima, who is also the niece of Kitagawa, made a public apology the same month to victims, fans and business partners, while avoiding confirming the validity of the claims made by the victims. She also said she was unaware of the abuse, which drew public criticism.
“I think that this is a very serious case, and if something like that is happening, I think it has to be properly examined,” said a representative of Penlight who goes by the name Asumi Takada when speaking to the media, adding that a probe should look at why the abuse happened and why it has been overlooked.
The group stopped collecting signatures on its second petition on Sunday and is planning to submit it by mail once the number of signatures has been finalized.
Last month, Johnny’s actor Noriyuki Higashiyama, 56, and Masahiko Kondo, 58, a veteran singer previously employed by Johnny & Associates, also commented on the allegations, urging the company to take responsibility for the actions of the late founder.
The sexual abuse allegations against the late boy band mogul Kitagawa, who died at the age of 87, garnered both domestic and international attention after the BBC aired a documentary featuring survivors’ accounts in March. #
Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/07/national/johnnys-petition-law-changes/
