Former teen performers accuse an agent of sexual assault. They're hoping it's Japan's #MeToo moment

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At least a dozen men have come forward this year to say they were sexually assaulted as teenagers by Johnny Kitagawa, a boy band impresario who was one of the most powerful people in Japanese entertainment for decades.

ese entertainment history forced him to have sex while he was part of a troupe of backup dancers managed by the legendary talent agent.

Kitagawa's agency, Johnny and Associates said in response to the AP’s request for comment that all matters had been placed under investigation, and that it will also help with the “mental care” of those who come forward.In 1999, Japanese weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun wrote in a series of articles based on anonymous interviews with former performers that Kitagawa forced boys to have sex.

Mainstream Japanese media almost completely ignored the story. No criminal charges were filed, and Kitagawa and his agency remained popular and powerful. Kitagawa regularly invited dozens of boys to stay at his home, which had a swimming pool, and was stocked with snacks and video games, according to Nakamura and other accusers.

He said that he decided to break his silence after another accuser came forward earlier this year. Kauan Okamoto alleged in a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Tokyo that Kitagawa forced him to have sex repeatedly, a month after the BBC’s documentary aired. Okamoto was the first person in decades to accuse Kitagawa without anonymity.

Hayashi declined to be interviewed for this story, and said he did not have a timeline for completing the investigation.

 

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