The “Godfather Of J-Pop” Slept with Male Trainees In Exchange For Making Them Stars

But I mean, but I boom. Johnny Kitagawa is who we're talking. about today. He is said, if you've never. heard this name, he is said to be the. godfather of J-pop. Have you heard of. this man? No. At his prime, he was considered to. be the combination of JYP and YG and. Bang PD all in one man. Really? He was the godfather of J-pop. He was. the man that could pull a nobody from a.

crowd of millions of people and turn. them into an international sensation. A. freaking star maker. That's what this. guy was. He could take one look at. someone and be like, "This guy is going. to be a star one day. You are going to. be the next sensation." He would have. people circling buildings, waiting in. lines to see his stars. Just to get a. glimpse of his stars. Global. corporations. would send email after email trying to. book his stars. Like he had the power to.

do all of that. And if you were a guy, because he only. accepts male stars, he's often credited. as pioneering boy groups in Japan. So, being an idol, I mean, we know this. We've heard all the K-pop horror. stories. Being an idol is not easy. It's. not fun, nor is it for everyone. Everybody knows this. You've got to. sacrifice so much. You have to sacrifice. often times your family, your friends, your social life, practically everything. to be an idol.

But you kind of guess like that's what. I'm signing up for. Like these idols, they signed up for it. They're going. into this kind of knowing. But in today's case, there was more on the line than just a. social life being at risk. In order to. become a top idol at J&A, Johnny &. Associates, some said that you had to be. a victim first. The godfather of J-pop was allegedly one. of the most prolific predators the. entertainment industry had ever seen. I'm talking on a global scale.

Allegations started to come out that. Johnny was preying on the underage. trainees. One victim stated, "Boys would. be sleeping in a room, like a dorm. The. trainees were all in this building just. next to each other, in rooms next to. each other, in bunk beds next to each. other. It's not the most lavish thing as. a trainee. And you would hear Mr. Kitagawa coming. into one of the beds of the boys. And you would just think to yourself, "It's going to be my turn next." You. would pretend to be asleep, but when.

Johnny finished with one boy, he would. move on to the next. Then the next. So, let's talk about the man that. created the biggest boy group in Japan. and how he got away. with abusing them over and over again.

As always, full show notes are available. at rottenminglepodcast.com. Today's case is really unique in the. sense that it's not necessarily breaking. news, okay? It It's But the story has. been back in the headlines because of a. documentary that recently came out. It's. a BBC documentary. Came out in March. You can't even watch it outside of. England right now without a VPN. So, keep that in mind and I'm telling you. this documentary is controversial for so.

many reasons. I mean, 25 million. reasons. And again, this is not a new. case, which makes it so much worse. There have been allegations against. Johnny Kitagawa since the '90s. Kitagawa. even went to trial over these. allegations and lost. He lost, but he. never suffered any consequences. Wow. saw a Reddit comment. I was on these. Reddit forums talking about this because. I I also did consult a Japanese.

researcher for this. But they were. saying how in Japan most people think. it's just rumors. A lot of people don't even know that the. trial took place in Japan. Maybe Is it. because he has a lot of power? Oh, just you wait to see how much power. this man has. Another comment that I saw. that was startling was this man was. commenting and he was saying, "Yeah, I've been following up on this. documentary and my wife is Japanese. She. was born and raised in Japan. And I told. her about this documentary that came out. and she said, 'You know, you can't. believe everything you see online.'".

And he was just kind of shocked. So, that is the sentiment for a lot of. Japanese people that are in Japan. But I. also see a lot of people online being. like, "I'm literally in Japan. I've been. born and raised here and people need to. talk about this." But there are a whole. lot of reasons of why and how he was. able to get away with all of this and. we're going to get into all of it. But quick disclaimer, there is heavy. discussion about relations with minors. and in this case we're focusing on a man. that targeted male victims. And I've.

said this before, but I'm going to say. it again for the people in the back. Kitagawa does not represent the LGBTQ. community. It seems obvious, but there's. like always that one comment that gets. me so riled up. But if your mind needs a. refresher, go to like any other video on. this channel and witness the horrendous. atrocities that straight people have. committed, okay? So, with that being. said, have you ever hoped to be discovered? It's not an embarrassing dream. I think. most of us at one point have had a dream. of getting discovered, you know? There's.

always stories of Hollywood actresses. being chased down by agents that just. passed by them on the street. The And. they're like, "You're going to be the. next Margot Robbie." And if I'm not. mistaken, that's actually how Jennifer. Lawrence was discovered. She never. auditioned. She was found by a casting. agent. There were K-pop stars who were. chased down the street in their student. uniforms by casting agents from the big. four agencies begging them to audition. It's like a Wattpad dream in real life.

I mean, even considering how wild the. entertainment world is, the way Koji was. discovered. is even crazier. Imagine being at a. Blackpink concert, front row. And someone motions to you and they. said, "We want to make you the next. Blackpink." What? Wait, a Blackpink. concert? No, no, no, no. Okay, but like imagine. that. Oh, oh, oh. Imagine you're front row and. YG himself is like, "Hey, you. Come here. I'm making a new group, Baby. Monster. You're going to be a part of.

it.". Can you imagine? Mhm. That's exactly. what happened to Koji. Koji is holding his breath. He's. He's standing completely still. He can. hear the hairs vibrating on his arms. because the sound of these speakers is. out of this world. He had elbowed his. way all the way to the front from all. these like teenage girls that are like, "The Johnnys!" Okay, the group that he's. seeing are called The Johnnys. He had. watched every single TV aired concert. since their debut. He knew all of their.

dances to all of their songs. I mean, yeah, you could say that he was a fan of. The Johnnys. There's four Johnnys on stage. Literally. like Blackpink, okay? Koji has the hard. job of trying to watch every single one. of them. His eyes are like bouncing. One, one, one, one. He's looking at all. of them. He wants to just soak it all. in. And he's so focused. But from his. peripheral vision, he catches a man behind the stage. Like. you know how you can kind of see behind. the stage? There's just like this. creepy-looking middle-aged man peeking. his head out and staring directly at.

Koji. Okay, that's creepy. But if he's allowed backstage, he's not. some weirdo, right? Koji tries to focus. on The Johnnys. But that man behind the. stage, hat and sunglasses, is just. looking at him still. Koji's glancing. around. Okay, like there's no way he's. staring at me. Like that's weird. It's. not like I'm trespassing, right? He. thinks he's in trouble. He tries to. shake this feeling. He tries to focus on. the performance of The Johnnys. And he. feels a hand on his shoulder. He spins. around and it's the middle-aged man from.

behind the stage that was staring at. him. And he straight up asked him, "Who are. you here to see?" "The Johnnys." "What. do you do for work right now?" "I work. as a band hand.". "So, you're in show business, are you?". "Yes. Yes, sir, as a band hand.". Koji said he originally thought maybe. maybe he had been randomly chosen to go. backstage and like get an autograph from. The Johnnys or something. But the next. part of this conversation would change. Koji's life forever. The middle-aged man. looked at him and said, "Nice to meet you, son. My name is.

Johnny Kitagawa, manager of The Johnnys. and of this whole concert.". This. was the Johnny. that named The Johnnys. That's who they. were named after. Koji is thinking of a way. He's like, "Okay, maybe I need to ask him for an. autograph right now." But before he can. even ask, "Why don't you come work with The. Johnnys? We always need extra band hands. What do. you think? I'll look after you." So, a. band hand is someone that travels with. the band and they set up and.

They're assistants, but they're not even. like sound check managers. They're just. helping set up the stage and stuff. And. this is how Koji Matsushita became Kita. Koji. That's his stage name. The. all-star band member of Johnny. Kitagawa's newest band called The Four. Leaves. Koji would have everything that he.

dreamed of. Theoretically, what happened? He became a. Wait, what did he become? So, he became. a band hand, but he started as a trainee. at J&A and he became the newest member. of the biggest group of J&A at the time. Oh, so he became also a a star. idol. He became an idol. Literally just. discovered. front row at a concert. Can you imagine? Wow. And this guy has no background like. that. He grew up in a fishing village. Like he has no money. He works at a.

factory. And now he's the one on stage. dancing, singing in front of thousands. of people. He was a literal star. But he. was also Johnny's newest victim. Johnny. Kitagawa was the CEO and founder of. Johnny & Associates, Japan's biggest. J-pop management company. So think YG, SM, JYP, Big Hit, or Hype. And he was. also a prolific. predator. He assaulted countless idol. trainees for more than 50 years. Koji.

had no idea that he was making a deal. with the devil. He wouldn't even know. until it's too late. He had entered into. the devil's den. That's how he describes. it. And sure, he's training under this. massive company and he would debut as. one of the biggest boy bands. But behind. all of that, there were these really, really dark things that were just going. on behind the scenes. After Koji retired, he wrote a book on. everything that happened to him. He. dedicated a page to call it his public.

warning, a cry to all the other trainees. and idols at J&A agency. He detailed all of the assaults that he. endured under the mentorship of what. many consider a predator. And once this. book comes out, the floodgates open. Allegation after allegation starts. flooding out against the godfather of. J-pop. One victim stated, "I wish I. could forget what happened. I wish I could. He once visited me when. I was at home with my parents.

My parents put his like air mattress in. the same room as mine. That night he. placed my private parts in his mouth. You wouldn't believe it. My parents were. sleeping in the next room." Another. victim said, "Mr. Johnny liked to yell. from the bottom of his lungs to call. someone. Usually it'd be like, 'You, come get me a hair.' And then you'd have. to go to the dormitory restaurant, eat. with him. And the next time he'd say to a boy, 'You, get in bed.' That was the one you. really don't want to hear.". Another one stated, "When I was lying in my bed, he suddenly.

burst into the dorms. And I was alone. There was no one else in the bed. He slid in beside me and. I thought he was holding something. strange. He took it and rubbed it on my private. parts. It was like a sticky lotion. Then. he continued to assault me. Like full essay. I was scared so I. didn't turn my head to look. It just really hurt. It hurt really. badly. And afterwards he asked me, 'Do you want something?' I said, 'I I.

don't want anything.'. He said, 'You definitely want something. I'm sure of it.'. I said, 'No, I just No.'. In the morning I woke up and there was. $500 which was placed next to my bed. Mr. Kitagawa also awarded another. trainee who lived in the same dorm. But. he was known as the star maker. He could. make an idol out of thin air. He could. turn anybody into a star. He could make. the world fall in love with you. But he. would take your soul first. A lot of celebrities are accused of. selling their souls for fame, making a. deal with the devil. To many people,

Johnny Kitagawa was the devil. But he. didn't make any deals. He was so powerful, he could just take. your soul if that's what he wanted. And. there was nothing that you could do. about it. So let's talk about J&A. It is. often dubbed the boy band factory. And. it is founded and run by Johnny. Kitagawa. Johnny Kitagawa's parents had. immigrated from Japan to the US before. the US banned all immigration from. Japan. Love the anti-Asian sentiment, okay? Johnny was actually born in LA.

Yeah, he was born in LA a decade before. the start of World War II. So he's born in California is a great. place to be now as an Asian American. Back then, it was not a good place to. be. The US was so, so, so, so hostile. against Japanese people which just. resulted in all Asians by extension. because nobody cared to recognize the. difference and nobody cared to recognize. that Asia is made up of a lot of. different countries. It was pretty rough. for the Kitagawa family. Johnny had two.

older siblings and they all probably. suffered some form of discrimination and. racism growing up. So the whole family, when Johnny's like 10, get deported back. to Japan. The government is like, "We want. everyone. out of here.". Yeah, this is 1 year before the US. starts putting Japanese Americans into. concentration camps. So they narrowly. avoided this. But it doesn't seem like. it gets better for Johnny in Japan. I'm. not exactly sure how accurate this is, but there's not much that I could find. on Johnny's childhood. Apparently he.

narrowly avoided an air raid at one. point in Japan. So the guy is just like. going through a war. And this World War. is heavily impacting him. When he's 16, war is over. The family. move back to LA and LA is just not what. you think it is today. It's not big, it's not diverse. It was still. predominantly dominated by white people. who had a lot of Asian hate left over. from the war. Like what's new? I get it. Like people lost family members and. friends in the war, but they took it out.

on their Asian neighbors who were also. American-born citizens. What's going on? Where's the common. sense? It is not in this room. So Johnny. spent most of his time in a place called. Little Tokyo in LA. It's like a small area near downtown. that's got a lot of Japanese shops, restaurants, grocery stores. And it's. just a way for Johnny to shield himself. from the hate. He freaking loved it in. Little Tokyo. He would hang out there. every single day. And he loved going to. the theater. He loved watching movies. And he just had a thing for show.

business from the get-go. Like he loved. it. He starts translating for shows that. are coming into town. So there was like. a Japanese singer that would come into. Little Tokyo, he would offer to. translate for free. Japanese singers. would come and tour LA. He would be. like, "Yes, on the front lines. Like I. can speak both languages fluently." And. it was a pretty lucrative career path. Somehow this leads to him flying back to. Tokyo and translating professionally for. the US Embassy in Tokyo. We just know. that he was translating until he was. about 26 years old. That was like his.

main career. And he was bored out of his. freaking mind. It is the US Embassy. He's a low-security clearance. translator. I'm sure most of the. conversations that he's translating. aren't even that juicy. They're not even. privileged information between the two. countries. It's just like this person. lost their passport. And in Tokyo, he. decides to coach a middle school. baseball team. This is so random, but a. lot of people are like, "Yikes, okay, maybe this is where it starts." Or at. least that we know of. It's alleged. I.

don't know if he was good at baseball. I. couldn't find anything in his childhood. that indicated he was a baseball. fanatic, that he played baseball, but he. knew the rules of baseball. So I don't know. He just taught these. middle schoolers how to play baseball. And even more random and confusing, these middle schoolers were pretty good. at baseball. Like it's so random. They. started competing in baseball. tournaments and after each game, the. boys would follow Johnny back to his. apartment. Because these are middle. schoolers. Johnny's middle-aged. He. would They would follow him back and.

they thought it was so cool that he was. this full-fledged adult. He would have. all of these imported snacks from the US. that were very hard to get in other. areas of Japan. It was just fascinating. to these middle school boys. He had. access to American movies that a lot of. Japanese people weren't watching at the. time. And Johnny's sister Mary, she's. kind of pertinent to this story, but um. and also to the company later. Mary ran. a bar near the US Army base in Tokyo. So. Johnny would take the boys there, which. again, imagine being a middle schooler.

being taken to a bar. Like this is the. coolest thing that could ever happen to. you. Of course you're going to go. They would eat spaghetti, which also at. the time, another rare food to find in. Japan. They would hang out, eat. spaghetti, and eat snacks. And these. boys are allegedly the first victims of. Johnny's predatory. behavior. You know how every company has. like an origin story? Like, "Oh, the founder was in his mom's. basement." You know the ones? Johnny & Associates, the biggest J-pop. agency at the time,

has a strange origin story. The story starts with a play called West. Side Story. Side note, this is at a time. where most plays did not have people. singing and dancing. Like most plays. were people just acting. It was just. straight theater. And it's said that. singing and dancing plays were. popularized by African Americans. And. it's entirely possible that the emerging. African American music culture had this. huge influence on Johnny considering he. was super into jazz and dance. So which they never got credit for that, but anyway.

So he goes, he takes four boys from the. baseball team to see West Side Story, the play. They're singing on stage, they're dancing on stage, and their. lives changed. It was ballet meets jazz style. The boys. were so fascinated. Johnny took them. again to see it the very next day. And. then the next day, and the next day. after they went practically every single. day until the play stopped airing. They would all giggle on their way back. home just dancing through the streets. And they thought about how cool would it. be.

to dance on stage? And Johnny starts thinking. This was at. a time in Japan, and I'm telling you he. really was a pioneer for boy groups, maybe even in K-pop. Cuz. the way he did it is fascinating. At the. time when you saw a group of men on. stage performing and doing anything. musical related, it's kind of what you. imagine a traditional band. Everyone has. an instrument that they play, and. they're pretty sedentary on stage. Like. they'll stand there and they'll play. their guitar, and you have one lead. singer, and most of it is just kind of a.

little bit of jumping with the music, but that's about it. But Johnny was like, "No, what if they. don't play any musical instruments and. they just focus on dancing on stage?". Which is most of the boy groups now, right? And the girl groups. Recently, with the rise of Elvis Presley, Johnny. is like, "There is so much money to be. made in the teenage girl market. Hmm. So in America, teenage girls were. losing their minds over Elvis freaking. Presley, okay? They're going crazy. Not.

even just teenage girls, the whole world. went crazy for Elvis Presley. But Johnny. felt it deep in his soul. He wanted his. boys to dance. They're already dancing. the moves from West Side Story, and. they're pretty good. Okay, they were. never taught, they just watched the play. a couple times and they know the moves. Johnny's like, "I want to make Japanese. teenage girls go so crazy for my boys. like the American girls go crazy for. Elvis." Wait, and the boys were from the. baseball team? Yeah. Wow. It's a really weird origin. story, you know? And so he goes to his.

older sister Mary, who runs the bar, and. he's like, "Listen, Mary, [ __ ] the bar. We're about to make. teenage girls go wild." So they start a. talent training agency together. The. first group, the four boys from the. baseball team, were the Johnnys. Oh, they are the Johnnys? They are the Johnnys. Wow. He trained them for the next 3. years wanting them to be the next Elvis. He even invested money in taking them to. LA to get more vocal and dance lessons. They even signed a contract with Warner.

Brothers, the Warner Brothers. They were. going to release an album in the States. It didn't really plan out the way that. it was, you know. Anyway, no album with the Warner Bros, but a few songs, and they they did have. a pretty good little peak. Johnny. realized that these were the people that. were around him when he had this big. idea. But he needed to go a different route. He wanted even bigger, and he didn't. think the Johnnys could go there. So after a while, he disbanded them and.

focused on making Johnny & Associates. and his next big band, the Four Leaves, including Koji. The Four Leaves? Yeah, the Four Leaves. So his agency, he. just wanted it to be a household name. He starts holding auditions, recruiting. more talent, and the process that he had. is very similar to K-pop nowadays. So. you want to debut with J&A? Here's how. it works. I've talked about this before, if you. guys follow us on YouTube, but before I. met my fiance, I went through a phase in. my life where I struggled with debt,

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of their aesthetic. And I mean, this. part isn't that crazy. Like, even in. K-pop, every agency kind of has an. overall aesthetic that they go for, and. you can see that in all of their. trainees. But second, if your resume is approved, you're going to be called in for an. audition. Most of the people at these. auditions would be 12 to 15-year-old. boys. Hundreds. Wow. Hundreds of them would be lined out. the door. These are already the boys. that passed the audition process or the. resume process. Then they go in, and.

they go in with these groups in front of. a panel of judges, and they do a dance, they do a song, and Johnny was on the. panel at every audition. He was known. for being very harsh and very decisive. He said that he could take one look at a. face and figure out if they could be a. star or not. That's it, just one glance, that's all it took. Sometimes, out of a. hundred of boys, like 200 boys at. audition, only two would become. trainees. And not every trainee debut. The rest. were rejected. Then the next step would.

be training, and the ones that passed. would be entered into J&A as trainees. They would have to move into the J&A. dorms with other trainees, and they're. not just trained in voice and dancing, which are the most important, but acting. and PR training, media training, everything. It's said that Johnny was. very involved during this part of the. process. He was so particular about his. trainees, he would practically mentor. over them for every little thing. The. trainees were told, "You are not allowed. to have your own life. You're not. allowed to have your own thoughts.

You're not allowed to have your own. social media. We control every aspect of. your image." If you thought K-pop was. bad, the way that Johnny ran. insane. Insane. He's basically telling. them, "You are a commodity of my. business, so you don't get to have your. own identity. You are whoever I say you. are. If I say you like sweets and you're. a sweet boy, you like sweets and you're. a sweet boy." Everything they did, everything they said was so heavily. monitored. It was really crazy. He would.

personally mentor each trainee and try. to give them opportunities to work, you. know, as backup dancers, appear in TV or. or in magazines. But ultimately, that's. just if he liked you. Every trainee. would be forever stuck in this limbo. period unless he made the decision that. you could debut. Johnny was the only person that could. make that decision, to give these. trainees an actual career. Keep this in. mind. After debut, Johnny is way less. involved, but the idols would shift into. this very strict manager and PR world,

and enter the life of an idol. Johnny &. Associates was basically a boy band. factory. Again, this is when this stuff. is so rare. Boy bands back then were. instrumental. They were all about the. instruments and the drums and the. guitar. But now you're talking about a. bunch of boys, teenage boys, that are. just dancing on stage. This was a. completely new concept back then. And it. killed it. The business model was. ingenious. Johnny was a genius marketer. He understood the average Japanese.

person and how consumerism worked. He. knew that in order for teenage girls to. be able to spend money on his boy. groups, he needed to not only win the. love of the teenage girls, but their. parents. Hmm. He's like, "No mom is going to sit there. and be like, 'Yes, my daughter, please. go crazy over this half-naked man on. TV.'" So he wanted all of his boys to be. wholesome, innocent, good examples, good. role models, relatable, someone that. even parents could get behind when they. were interviewed. That's how he made his.

boy groups. And it worked. Soon enough, his boy. groups were on the cover of every. magazine, every single show, every. single TV at every hour of every single. day. They were in ads for things like. real estate, like contact lenses. They. were practically everywhere. Some of his. artists even collaborated with big. Western names like Bruno Mars. J&A was. one of the biggest players in Japan's. entertainment industry, not even their. pop industry, just entertainment. They. were releasing new groups left and. right, and the only thing.

that they had was the ultimate power. Not just a little bit of power, not just. a little bit of money, ultimate power. So, fun fact, Johnny did. not let anyone use the idols' photos. without explicit permission from him. The idols were not caught outside by. paparazzi. The idols were not allowed to. post on social media. Photos weren't. allowed to be used in newspapers or in. print or even online. Even J&A's own website didn't have. pictures of their idols until 2011.

Wait, why? He wanted full control of. photos and how they get used. He would sue people if they used any of. his idols' photos without explicit. permission. When it came to music, Johnny owned the rights and masters to. every single song that was ever created. by any of the idols, ever. Johnny. personally has control over the idols'. image, their public image, public. perception, and their literal image, like literal photos. If anyone wanted to use a song, they. would have to get permission from Johnny. himself. He controlled everything, which.

I know what you're thinking, that's. freaking annoying. Why would anyone want. to work with Johnny? The public loves Johnny's idols. So all. of these newspapers, these magazines, these TV shows, they are begging for. Johnny's permission, because they will. get views, they will get revenue, because people will tune in as long as. Johnny's idols are in their media. He. could control basically every magazine, every newspaper, every TV station, everyone, because all of his boys were. the it boys. And one of those boys was Koji.

Koji has a really, really strong, inspirational origin story. He grew up. in a fishing village where everyone. would scoff at him because, you know, if you tell anyone from a. small town that you want to be an idol. one day, they're just going to laugh at you, okay? Koji's parents could barely afford. food. They're like, you're going to be. an idol? You can't even afford anything. but rice right now. When it was really. bad, his whole family gathered around a. table of just rice and beans. And if you. think about the way that a lot of um. Asians eat in general, it a lot of like.

family sharing. So, just have rice and. beans on the table, it's pretty dire. financial situations. I think as a kid, Koji starts dreaming. up all of these ways of making it big. He thought, you know what? I'm going to. be an Olympian. That was his first. dream. Olympic champion. His dream was. to get a gold medal and represent Japan. and make his parents proud. That was his. ticket out of poverty. It's not a random dream. He actually was. pretty good at gymnastics, but being an. Olympian is very, very expensive. He did. not have the proper gym, trainers,

coaches. He's good, but there's no way. he's going to go up against the best of. the best athletes with world-class. training behind them. He just had to. come to terms with it. It's really hard. to be an Olympian when you're broke. And life is very unforgiving. So, by the. time that he's 15, he ends up dropping. out of high school and he's trying to. support his parents. This is where his. dreams of becoming an idol start. He. grows up very fast. He tries taking all. these odd jobs in the fishing village, but he decides, I need to go to Osaka,

get into a factory and send money back. home cuz I'm not making good income. This is where he gets exposed to the. idol world. It's a bit random, but a lot. of these factories, the workers would. live in dorms and they would have this. little common room with a TV and you. could eat like ramen and stuff. He and. his roommate were the two teenagers. That's it. Everyone else was like. middle-aged men working in this factory. And I guess they felt bad for the two. teenage boys. So, every time the two teenage boys came. in, the TV, you know, at the time they. only had like 10 channels and they they.

watched the news. So, they'd be like, "Oh, poor kids. Okay, let's turn on I. don't know. What do young people like?". And they would turn on a random show and. it would always be idols dancing. Dancing and singing and Koji would get. so into it. He would literally drop. everything, go in front of directly in. front of the TV and dance along. And. these old men would just be watching and. clapping and they would try to dance. along, too. It was It was like really. cute, okay? But Koji was the Johnny's.

biggest freaking fan, okay? This is. before they were disbanded and there. were they were Johnny's only boy band at. the time. Which side note, Johnny's is. now used to refer to any of Johnny. Kitagawa's idols. Mm, okay. So, you're like a junior Johnny if. you're a trainee at J&A. And then you. could be like, "Oh, that's a Johnny.". It's just a term for they work for J&A. Anyway, Koji freaking loved it. It was. the highlight of his day. Koji would go. to sleep at night dreaming of his life. if he were an idol.

His friend was a bit more realistic and. he just had fun dancing and singing. He. never thought that he could ever go on. stage. So, Koji slowly transitions from. working at this iron factory to being a. band hand. Someone that travels with the. band, helps them set up like an assist, right? And it's a freaking rough job. It. is not glamorous. At least for Koji it. wasn't. He doesn't get paid well. He has. to travel with the band in the cargo. car. So, he's just sitting on this cold. metal floor of the van, bopping his head.

on the roof and there's like guitar. slamming into him, drum set slamming. into him. It was just miserable. And. since he's from a poor fishing village, anytime the band performed in one of the. big cities in Japan, people would start. making fun of his accent, calling him. mean words. that are basically slurs to refer to. country boys, basically. And he was just. so self-conscious. He just altogether. stopped talking. He had so much social anxiety. He was. just about to quit because of how rough. the pay was, go back to the factory.

when he heard the band was going to be. performing at a concert. that the Johnny's were also performing. at. So, he's like, "Okay, let me just. stick it through." Because he didn't. even think he was going to get. discovered. He had no plans to like go. harass Johnny Kitagawa and find a job. He just wanted to see them live in. person. He's like, "I'm going to quit. after I see the Johnny's." And that's. when he was discovered by Kitagawa. himself. That's how he became Kitta. Koji. And the Kitta part is in honor of.

Johnny Kitagawa. Johnny really, really. liked Koji. He didn't think that he had. a funny accent. He just thought he had a. very innocent face and a good work. ethic. Koji debuted with the Four Leaves and. they were the next big hit. Koji would even do backflips on stage. because remember he has a gymnastics. background. And Four Leaves was like the. One Direction before One Direction. Koji's hard work, it pays off. He's on. TV. He's an idol, but things change.

Time goes on and leaves fall. For the. Four Leaves, it took 10 years for the. leaves to start falling apart. 10 years after they debut, they were. disbanded. Audience just wanted. something new. And Koji felt like his. entire world had fallen apart. I mean, this was his life. What was he supposed. to do now? And this is back before, you. know, a lot of idols can make a living. going on variety shows and being an. entertainer, being a personality or. going into acting. Like this was before. that. It's just you're done.

He genuinely thought that maybe he was. meant to die with the Four Leaves. He said, "Our last performance as the. Four Leaves, the boys and I sing so loud. and we dance like never before. as if we are freeing ourselves from. everything that we had experienced in. the past 10 years. Fans were yelling at us, 'Don't quit.'. But they were yelling for people who. don't exist. It was all a facade. On the. day of our disbandment, I felt like I received my kiss of. death." It's such a big emotion. Like I. can't even imagine it. Koji said that he.

fell into drugs at this point. He was. directionless. He was lost after. disbandment. He tried to get into. acting, but it didn't really catch on. It proved to be really, really hard to. build a new career while struggling with. substance abuse. So, all he did was. write. He wrote a lot to explore his. thoughts and his emotions. And And. exactly 20 years after his debut, he. wrote his exposé, a book dedicated to. his life as an idol. And it was almost a. public warning to the newest leading boy. band from J&A. He warned them that they.

are not alone and what they might have. had to do to get where they are is not. their fault. He wanted them to know he was on their. side just in case Johnny Kitagawa was. sexually assaulting them, too. Koji. talked about the numerous times he would. walk off stage straight into Kitagawa's. open arms. How he was just a teenager, but he felt like he owed Johnny. something. How he felt like if he didn't. do this for Johnny, his career would be. over before it even started. He exposed.

Johnny Kitagawa and said this was his. public warning. There is a predator out. there offering to take Japan's children. and train them into superstars, but he's. assaulting them. It was a really, really. raw book. It wasn't a way for him to get attention. or like back into the spotlight, which a. lot of people accuse him of writing the. book for that. If you know what it's. like in any culture coming out with. allegations of abuse against someone so. popular and loved, it's terrifying. In East Asian culture, particularly in.

Japan, where politeness is not a. positive, but a mandatory, where. politeness is the bare minimum, this is. not normal. This is not like clout. But he hoped that he could save future. trainees from this type of abuse. He. wrote in his book that during his. trainee days, Johnny would invite him. into his room. Johnny would take his. private parts into his mouth. and would not stop. until the deed was done, if you will. Koji said Johnny did this almost every.

single night for four to five years. while Koji was a trainee. Koji said it. was confusing. because Johnny's would basically. convince him that these assaults were. acts of love. He made it seem like he. wasn't abusing him. He was just taking. care of him in a way that every single. good caretaker or guardian would. He. provided these boys with everything, you. know, their lives, their future, and. even their families' livelihood. And. Johnny knew that. Even if they could see. through his mental manipulation, how are.

they going to say no? How are these. trainees going to say, "No, that's not. an act of love. That's literally. assault." There were more than enough. reasons for their brains to convince. themselves, "Actually, maybe this is. what I want, too.". Many of them thought that this is just. the price of being an idol. Koji said. that he lived with Johnny for a while. like a married couple. But once he got. famous, Koji felt like he could kind of. reject Johnny's advances just a little. bit. He finally felt a little bit of. power. And it wasn't a lot, like nowhere. near what Johnny still had over him, but. a little bit of something. He was still.

terrified of Johnny's reaction to his. rejections, but Johnny didn't seem to. care. Koji said that he just moved on to. younger trainee idols. Koji said this. was one of the big reasons that he. turned to drugs in the first place. He. thought that if the sexual assault. during his trainee days was indeed love, it was just the admission price to his. dream life. He just thought, "This is. what I have to pay. And maybe it's worth it if my parents. don't struggle anymore." So, he. convinces himself this. And once he. debuts in an as an idol, he's like, "Oh,

okay. This is what I worked so hard for. And maybe it was worth it and I'm just. so busy." So, he's busy with his. schedule and everything that he had as. an idol. He didn't think too much into. it. He tried not to. He just distracted. himself. But once the band disbanded, he. was left alone with his thoughts and he. was just so torn. Side note, this is a. thing that happens frequently when. someone is assaulted before they've. matured or mentally mentally developed. They might believe that it's not. assault, especially if they've been. groomed. But a lot of times, these kids.

will turn into adults and realize that. the thoughts. of having any similar relations with. minors make someone to gag. They start. realizing that what they experienced is. not love. It's not parental love. It's. not big brother love. They realize it's. straight-up assault. Like as an adult, they can never imagine doing that. And. that's when it slowly dawns on them that. they were groomed. That's most likely. what happened to Koji. So, he releases. this book and it does pave the way for a.

lot of other victims to come forward. with their experiences. But, overall, everything is just swept under the rug. And it's not because there's no. substance behind these claims, but. because J&A has such a strong grip over. the media. They are a huge mega. corporation at this point. If anyone was. going to release any information about. these allegations, J&A would cut them. off from their idols. And without these idols, these news. publications, newspapers, magazines, TV. stations, their revenue would be. obliterated. Which is crazy because.

something as explosive as allegations of. predatory behavior from one of the most. powerful people in the entertainment. industry, I mean, you would imagine that. it's all over the news, right? So, a lot of the public, they. understandably thought, "Well, those are just rumors. If there. was evidence, it would have been on like. CNN. It would have been on all these big. news stations." Some people went as far. to claim that Koji was just looking for. another moment in the spotlight. They. chalked it up to him struggling with. being irrelevant. Side note, I know.

there might be people like, "Well, oh my. god, people always sleep with their. bosses to make more money, and then they. want to say something about the power. imbalance later.". Koji? Okay, first of all, that whole thinking. is really messed up. But, Koji wasn't. even making idol money, okay? I I just. want to tell you, even now it's pretty. common knowledge that idols, especially. in J-pop, K-pop, they still give a. pretty sizable chunk to their labels. But, back then, Koji was making a. thousand dollars a month. That is calculated with inflation. Near.

the end, when he was the peak of the. peak, like imagine he is he is. Blackpink. He's BTS, okay? Well, maybe. not on like a global scale, you get it. Like he was the top name in J-pop. He. was making seventeen thousand dollars a. month, which is a lot, don't get me. wrong. But, can you imagine being Taylor. Swift and making seventeen thousand. dollars a month? Think about how much. the agency is pocketing. They're. pocketing probably millions of dollars a. month. Yeah, sounds like they give the. idols like zero point one percent of.

what they actually making. Absolutely. nothing. Like, you're the it guy of the. nation making seventeen K a month. It. doesn't even make sense. The Four Leaves. was bringing in millions of dollars of. revenue for J&A every single year, and. Johnny was just taking it all. When the. band was disbanded, J&A paid them a. small severance fee of seventy thousand. dollars. That's it. Seventy thousand not. a month, just a one-time fee. They're. still young. There isn't That isn't even. enough to retire. I mean, just think. about it. You were bringing in millions. and millions of dollars, and now you.

don't have enough to retire. You can't. get a normal job because people are. going to be like, "Oh my god, can I get. your autograph?" Like, can you imagine. being a cashier and they're like asking. for your autograph? Your boss would fire. you. But, then you can't stay in the. limelight because Japanese entertainment. is kind of like Korea, where it's. predominantly. run by a couple of agencies. So, if. you're not signed with one of them, it's. really hard to get airtime. I do think. that there was a brief Four Leaves. reunion, but other than that, he. remained relatively private. Koji got married. He got divorced.

Eventually, he settled down and had a. daughter. Sadly, in 2011, he was diagnosed with. liver cancer. And he passed away. What's heartbreaking is before he. passed, he posted on his blog. His final. entry was released by his management. company, and they said that Koji lived a. happy life and asked his fans to not. grieve for him. He even addressed Johnny. and Johnny's business partner/sister. directly, saying, "Thank you. I'm. grateful for you." He had every right to. be angry and bitter about the abuse, but.

he wasn't. He just wanted to show. gratitude to the people in the business. that had made his dream come true, even. if it was only for a little while. But, that doesn't change the fact that. this story doesn't really have a happy. ending. After Koji, many more boys. become Johnny's prey. The next book to. come out was written by a real Natukani. Natukani was one of the original members. of the very first band. He was part of. the Johnny's. He was one of the baseball. boys. He had known Johnny since his. middle school days, since his baseball. team days, and he alleged Johnny was.

sexual with all of them while he was. coaching baseball. He said some of their. middle school baseball teammates were as. young as eleven years old when the. assault started. Natukani alleged that. at least for him, Johnny would invite. them to his apartment, and it was the. first time that Johnny and Natukani were. alone, and Johnny said that, you know, just like be comfortable. Natukani did. not have anything to worry about, or at. least he didn't think so. He trusted. Johnny like an older brother. But, that's when the sexual advances started. Johnny started touching him through his.

pants. Eventually, undressed him, and it was. weird because he made it seem like it. was completely natural and completely. normal. He would say things like, "Oh, if you do this, this feels good." And he. just kept going until Natukani had. finished. Natukani had no idea what the. hell was going on. I mean, he's still so. young. This was the first few years of. being a teenager, and this is back in. the fifties, where I don't know if they. even had sex ed. They had no means of. figuring it out. There was really no. readily accessible internet where these.

young kids could realize what was going. on. So, he thought, "Okay, well, maybe. this is how people hang out.". He went back to some of his baseball. teammates, and they said, "You know, the. same thing happened to me, too.". Once they realized that Johnny had done. this to all four of them, they thought, "Oh, well, then for sure. this is just a normal thing." Cuz it. happened all of us. I mean, it does feel strange, but maybe. we're just young. Natukani said he. didn't realize he was a victim of SA. until he was much, much older. He said,

"At the time, I didn't know how. important sexual behaviors were. So, I. didn't really feel violated. Then, when. I got older, I realized how different my. first experiences of sex were from other. people's.". And that kind of came as a huge shock to. me. I'm like, "What do you mean, your. baseball teacher didn't do that to you?". After Natukani grew up and the Johnny's. were no longer playing, he fell into. drugs to help him cope with all these. realizations. And so, now Koji and Natukani, two of. the biggest names to come out of J&A at. the time, they're coming out with these.

allegations. More and more boys start. coming out, and side note, a lot of. these boys chose to stay anonymous, keep. that in mind. But, one of them said, "Mr. Johnny would call me. He would invite me to the dormitory to. have dinner, and then he'd say, 'Why. don't you go to sleep?'" "When I went to. bed, he would come into my room, and he. would get into my bed. He touched my genitals, and. he put them in his mouth. Then, he would apply something slimy and. start the penetrations.". In the BBC documentary, a trainee named.

Junya said that he started training with. J&A when he was just sixteen years old. He trained for six years, but he never. debuted. The BBC journalist asked him. about his experience, and he said, "Johnny's main job was scouting and. developing talent. Johnny always came to. my lessons, rehearsals, and the shows. He I mean, he always came. He would. always invite us to dinner and to the. movies or for a drive. You know, Johnny definitely was someone with. certain habits. He definitely had an. overly affectionate way with children. From my experience, there was only one.

boy who didn't like it and ran away.". The reporter asked, "What do you What. does that refer to? Like he was. affectionate with children.". "He would just He would put his hands. all over our bodies and fondle the. precious parts.". The boys were elementary or middle. school aged. Most of them had no sexual experience. The former trainee said, "We would even. joke today that our first sexual. experience was with Johnny.". And I'm sure many kids went along with. it, had no understanding that they were. being hurt. But, there were also kids. who understood. and were like, "Johnny, I love you," and.

went towards him and towards the. assaults. In fact, my impression is that. kids were fighting for Johnny's. attention. So, another huge thing to. note, there is an obvious power. imbalance here. A, the boys are. brainwashed into thinking that what. Johnny was doing was love and was. completely normal. B, Johnny literally. held their entire future in their hands. He could ruin their dreams with the the. snap of a finger. Also, if these boys. didn't know that what Johnny was doing. was wrong, they probably considered it. the price of admission into being an.

idol. The reporter asked, "So, you wouldn't. consider that a boundary was. overstepped?" He nervously laughed and. waved his hand in front of his face. The. victim on the BBC documentary said, "He. didn't get me that much. I wasn't. sexually abused or anything. There were. just some massages that went a tiny bit. further. It felt like family.". The reporter asked, "Do you think the. other boys' parents had a clue about. what was going on?". "Yes, of course. The parents knew the. truth, but they wanted their kids to get. in. They'd say to their kids, 'You'd. better offer your arse to Johnny.' So,

it was common knowledge that Johnny was. a homosexual with a liking for young. boys. The parents knew, but they didn't. say no.". But, can you see how. that crosses the boundary into something. criminal? The victim says, "If he really was a. criminal or committed a crime, he. wouldn't have had all that support. But, Japan accepted him and elevated his. business to the top. That's how Japan. is." So, there is so much to dissect. from this interview. And just a quick. disclaimer, I am no therapist or. psychologist, and this is not a.

professional analysis. But, from my. non-qualified perspective, I feel like. the victim is. is almost kind of running from reality. Like, maybe he's heard other boys come. forward and called Kitagawa's actions. pedophilia, criminal, sexual assault, and. and I think maybe he himself doesn't. want to think of himself as a victim of. all of those things. He could be using. Kitagawa's fame and power to justify. that. Maybe he's thinking, "Well, a. criminal wouldn't have all of this. success. A criminal would be in prison. If Japan had made this man successful. and given him all of this support, he.

can't be evil.". That's a fallacy. Someone can be a hard. worker and a business genius and a. master marketer, and also be a pedophile. and rapist. The second thing is, Johnny said that. the boys' parents knew what Kitagawa was. doing, but they didn't care, and even. told their sons to offer themselves to. Johnny if it meant that they'd become an. idol. That sounds despicable. I could. believe it, maybe, if it was one or two. parents, but so many? I don't know how. to feel about it. Like, honestly, statistic-wise, I'm also wondering if.

that's not true. I Maybe it's just I. don't want to believe that hundreds of. parents would be A-okay with their sons. getting abused. But maybe when Johnny was an idol, the. boys played Kitagawa's abuse off like it. was nothing, and. maybe they said their parents were okay. with it because maybe they didn't tell. their parents the true extent of the. abuse. The BBC doc is controversial in. the fact that it never expands on that. I almost feel like the journalist didn't. know what questions to ask to get more. information on this, so he just kind of.

skipped over it. There's going to be. more about this BBC doc in a second. But. another victim said that he was first. assaulted when he was a trainee. Johnny. told him to go to the bathroom and take. a bath. Johnny even helped him fill the. bath, and the trainee genuinely thought. that this Johnny, CEO, founder was so. kind. But then he tried to take him. his clothes off. And the trainee kept telling Johnny, I. can do it myself. Like, thank you, but. you can leave now. But Johnny continued. silently undressing him completely until.

he was naked. Then he put him in the. bath and washed his whole body like he. was a doll. Then he was told to come back, and um. he he did tell his trainee friend, and. the trainee friend said, "Your dreams. have been shattered, but you have to put. up with it, or else you won't succeed.". So the assaults continued. He said. Johnny would bother him all night long, even until he saw the sun come up. Nobody around him was quitting because. of it, so he was confused whether or not. this was really that bad. If it was. really that bad, wouldn't all the. trainees quit?

Besides, there were no other adults that. you could really talk to about it, so it. was hard to speak up. He said, "The boys that became famous. thanks to Johnny, you know, their lives. changed the moment they entered the. agency. I think they're all just very. grateful.". But their careers are very different. from the sex crimes that took place. So. I think that's what makes it even. tougher for victims. On one hand, you. have a predator. On the other hand, when. this predator is not preying on you and. assaulting you, he can be sweet and kind. and a business genius that can make your. career dreams come true. You almost.

start to reason with yourself that this. is the price you pay. One victim states. that they were assaulted by Johnny, but. said this, "To put it simply, I don't. dislike Johnny. In fact, I really like. him. Even now, I love him." "Johnny was. really a wonderful person, and I owe him. a lot. I still think that we were. treated with a lot of love, which is why. I can smile and talk about what happened. now." A lot of the victims even talk. about wanting more attention from Johnny. and almost fighting over him because he. was a status symbol to be favored by. Johnny. It meant something for your.

career. One trainee said, and I think. that this shows how complicated it is. This reminds me of the JMS cult. situation, where girls would feel. honored to be chosen as the Lord's. bride, but on the other hand, they felt. absolutely disgusted by what was being. done to them because they were. essentially being R-worded by a. predator, but in their heads, they're. like, "I am the Lord's bride." It just. became this exhausting internal mental. battle that they should have never been. forced to fight in the first place. The. victim said, "Regarding Johnny's sexual. harassment allegations, if I'm honest, I.

don't really think it was that bad. It's. true that those things are something. that really happened in the dorms. I. just don't think that his motives for. doing what he did was that bad. You. know, no one really dug deep into it. Everyone knew that it was just something. that you have to go through as part of. J&A, but nobody really cared too much. about it. At the time, there were rumors. that if you accepted Johnny's advances, you would be famous. So I don't think. you can blame either side. To be honest, my dream was to be famous, so I think I would have just accepted. it. Yeah, I I think if it happened to.

me, I would have just accepted it.". Wow. Again, Wow. I'm nowhere near qualified. enough to begin unpacking this, but. let's listen to someone who is. The BBC. doc did interview Nabuki, a therapist. who specializes in helping male. survivors of sexual abuse. He gave off. really calming vibes, and he just had. this aura that was very, very peaceful. He said, "It can be self-protection in some ways. to deny that it was abuse. In order to. survive, you don't want to fight the. abuse. So rather than the painful,

traumatic sexual abuse trauma, why not. make it more fun and loving in your. memory? And often abusers, they will use. this very natural thing to their. advantage. It's also very natural for. our bodies to feel pleasure, even if we. don't want it. And often abusers will. even tell them, 'Look, your body, it's. physically reacting, so you must be. enjoying it,' which in the long term is. going to affect with your mental. perception of this abuse. That's what makes it so complicated and. confusing.

And Japan has, what he says, a culture. of shame. If something's your personal. problem, you don't talk about it because. it brings a burden to the people that. you're talking to about.". Mhm. Yes, that's so It's kind of a. Korean thing as well. So any problem. that you bring up to a group of people, you are now burdening them with this. problem, because if they didn't know. this problem existed, they would not be. in a pickle where they have to think, "Huh, what do we do now?" Sexual abuse makes. it even harder in Japan, and especially.

harder for male sexual abuse victims. Side note, we're going to get into it, but another trainee kind of confirmed. this mental manipulation that Johnny. used, and they stated, "We would go to. Johnny's house. His house was like. Disneyland. And it's not like I was. sexually harassed every single time. Besides, I came to understand if I. accepted his actions, I would gradually. be appointed to better positions during. TV recordings and magazine shoots. There. was another trainee who rejected him, and he was always put at the edge of the. stage where no one could see him. After.

all, I was just happy to see my band was. doing well, and that my bandmates were. doing well, too. So I thought that my. actions possibly getting in the way of. upsetting our band or making the band. worse, or even disappointing the fans, I. just didn't want to do anything that. would cause problems.". Wow. So he's thinking that if he reject. him, his bandmates will suffer, and fans. will suffer. Because they wouldn't be featured. anymore, and they'd be like, "Why are. you not putting out new music?". "Some people recommended that I go to.

the police at the time, but I was going. to Kitagawa's place on my own accord. It's not like he forced me, and I didn't. feel like I was hurt in any way, so I. couldn't see myself as a victim. I think. a lot of other former trainees also felt. the same way. But a say is still a say, and allegations against someone Johnny's. size should have been explosive, right? There were a ton of allegations coming. out left, right, and center, one after. the other, most of them including very. moving, very detailed, specific. statements from victims. So why was this. not international news? Why is Johnny.

Kitagawa not talked about the same way. that we now talk about Harvey Weinstein, R. Kelly, all these people? Why is he so. beloved by so many? And from just these. victims' statements alone, we can. conclude that there's probably more. victims that have not come forward. So. why haven't they? Even anonymously? There are a lot of things that go into. this. For one, these are male victims of. sexual trauma. These boys, so far, all. became victims in the '80s or '90s. It's. really difficult for male victims to. come out today, but imagine how much.

harder it was 30, 40 years ago. The Japanese public, and really around. the world, do not think that men can be. victims of sexual crime. Rape is something that happens to women, and even then, nobody cares. Japan. didn't even legally qualify men as rape. victims. Japan's law, up until 2017, 17, did not recognize that men could be. victims of sexual violence. The age of consent also in Japan, to. this day, to this day is 13. 13. Do you.

know what that means? That means if a. person convinces a 13-year-old to have. sex with them, no matter the age or. power dynamic, that person cannot be. held legally responsible because the. 13-year-old was not tied down. Basically, sexual assault and. exploitation of men isn't just taboo, it. is invisible. The boys who came out only. got judged. People would say, "What do. you mean you got raped? You're a man.". That's like saying, "What do you mean. your wallet got stolen? You're 5'7". How. does that even correlate? It doesn't. even correlate. The victims who did come.

out on the record, meaning with their. face and their names attached to the. story, they had trouble existing in. society afterwards. Not only did they. have to deal with their trauma, but it. was hard finding jobs who would hire. them because. a lot of East Asian cultures don't like. troublemakers. Don't like outspoken people. Because. people who accuse other people of sexual. assault, quote, "rock the boat." And. East Asia is known for not liking people. who rock the boat and make waves. Japan. also has huge politeness culture, and.

being impolite isn't just annoying or. rude, it's socially unacceptable. And. it's a big belief that to inconvenience. others should be avoided at all cost. Accusing someone of sexual assault is. inconveniencing people. It makes people. uncomfortable hearing about the story, which is also rude, and most people shy. away from discussing topics like this. So this type of environment discourages. victims from calling out their abusers, especially if they're people of power. Just the act of throwing out allegations. burdens the workers, and if the police.

were to investigate, or if the company. were to go under because of that, it. would burden the employees and the. idols, and it's just you are a bad. person. Considering all of this, I. really do admire the people who have. come out. There are so many obstacles, but they. were brave enough to stand up. They put. themselves through all of this in hopes. to save future trainees. But still, I. mean, I would imagine that there would. be some mainstream media outlets, because, you know, I get it. Media is. controlled by people with money and. power, but sometimes things get too big,

and you can't not cover it. Nope, the. only newspaper was a local newspaper. called the Shukan Bunshun that was. covering it and they were the only ones. that had no fear going up against J&A. A. few sources online refer to Bunshun as a. tabloid, but others say that they're a. highly regarded source for investigative. journalism and I am inclined to believe. the latter because Bunshun actually went. up against the Japanese government at. one point and that was a whole scandal. for them, but they start picking up. stories from Kitagawa's victims. They. publish a few allegations, nine to be.

because this is important because all. nine allegations are going to be taken. to court. One, if the boys refuse the advances, Mr. Kitagawa would place them in a bad. position on stage out of the limelight. or they would not appear on television. altogether. Two, Mr. Kitagawa let the. minors drink alcohol and smoke on a. daily basis in the dorms. Three, when. his underage pop group Junior Four were. taken in under custody for shoplifting, J&A conspired with affiliated TV. networks to put a lid on the story and.

keep it from being reported. This also. happened with other similar incidents. Four, J&A and the particular office. managers singled out members of the Four. Leaves pop group for abuse and. mistreatment. Five, adult talent who had. previously worked for J&A were treated. coldly for long periods of time. Six, the underage boys were given such busy. schedules they weren't able to attend. school. Seven, the talent employed by. J&A were routinely not paid money owed. to them. Eight, J&A affiliated fan clubs. were managed in such a way that they. ignored And nine, the mass media scared.

of J&A only prints flattering things. about them. They published 14 articles about J&A and. the journalists were able to find 12. boys who gave victim statements. One of. them was only 12 years old. This time. the case blew up. Bunshun basically. alleged the top entertainment. conglomerate of being rotten and being. led by a pedophile. Of course, there's. going to be a reaction. Kitagawa read. the article, so did everyone else at. J&A. This wasn't some ex-idol that came. out and this was an article that a. reputable news outlet had published.

This could bring down their entire. company. So, Kitagawa sued them. J&A. sued Bunshun for libel, which basically. means they sued Bunshun on the grounds. that their article was full of lies, made them lose out on profit and caused. damage to the company off of falsehoods. Bunshun fired back that their article. was not full of lies and that they were. going to stand by the journalists that. wrote the articles. They went to court. Two of the 12 victims were who talked to. the journalists were willing to appear. in court and you have to remember these.

two victims were not subpoenaed. So, technically they didn't have to testify. because this was not a criminal. investigation. They would gain nothing. from it either way. They weren't being. asked by prosecutors to do this. They. just wanted to stand by what they said. But when the defense asked one of the. boys what feeling they had towards. Johnny as they sat there in the witness. box, the victim said, "I wish he live a long good life.". Most people saw this as how manipulated. and brainwashed these boys were, but. Kitagawa was like, "See? I'm not.

assaulting these boys. They like me." He. denied everything in court. He said that. the boys were lying and that this was. affecting his personal image. He said. that he couldn't sexually assault anyone. because 20 years ago he had an operation. on his private parts for a disease and. after that surgery he lost all sexual. function. He submitted a medical. certificate to prove this, but the. certificate said nothing other than the. fact that he had surgery. Now, you can. have the surgery and not have your. sexual function impacted. Like it's not. a A plus B equals C thing. It's like,

"Oh, I got LASIK surgery, so I can't. have R-worded that person.". It's like, I mean, doesn't really make. sense. Basically, the courts were like, "You. can't prove that your private parts. don't work, so we don't really care if. you had surgery or not." Johnny went on. stage and he would just talk in circles, just really not answering anything. So, I'll give you an example. When Kitagawa. was being cross-examined, the. prosecutors asked or Bunshun side asked, "Simply put, why did boy A lie? Can you. give me a short answer, please? You.

think that boy A lied because he was. lonely? That's what you said, right?". "In short, I think that both boy A and. boy B are in the same place right now, but that is just pure speculation. It's. just that I found both boy A and boy B. myself. You know, they are now friends, but. in such a lonely existence. In short, even if we say that we're a family, there are people who will think that. Therefore, as I said yesterday, there is. nothing more lonesome than not having. blood ties. In that sense, maybe it it was me that was lonely. So,

so to make it clearer, I don't resent. the boys or anything, but but to say. that the boys lied, like your honor. said, it's hard for me to say they made. a false statement. Honestly, I never. meant to sexually harass anyone, but the. boys were so adorable and the bond that. we had was very strong that I felt it. was terrible that we were not blood. relatives. I was merely trying to bridge. this gap when suddenly the boys cried. harassment. The reason they claim. harassment is not because they dislike. gay activity. They just wanted to betray.

me. I'm sure they feel guilty about it. now, but I can't definitely say that their. testimony is entirely made up.". I'm so confused. What is he trying to. say? He's basically saying that the boys have. no family members who love them, so. Johnny Kitagawa was trying to be like a. dad figure to them, but then the boys. mistook it as sexual harassment and now. they're crying sexual harassment, but. they probably feel guilty about it now. because all he did was be nice to them. I see. But then he's like, "Also, I can't say. for sure that I didn't sexually harass. them.". Basically going, "The These boys are.

troubled and crying abuse cuz they're. lonely." And it also was not a short. answer, okay? Does that sound like a. short answer? Does that also not sound. like an admission of guilt, you guys? The court did not agree. They sided with. Johnny Kitagawa and ordered Bunshun to. pay $70,000 in damages adjusted for. inflation. No. Bunshun again refused. They appealed to. the Japanese High Court and this time. the High Court ruled in favor of. Bunshun, so they won, which adds more. weight to the allegations, but this.

libel case never led to a criminal one. J&A tried to appeal this decision, but. they were rejected. So now, now there. was some attention and briefly. politicians were asked, "What are you. going to do about this case?" The. politicians stated that Johnny could not. be charged as a criminal because. the age of consent is 13. Most of these. boys were older than 13. Another thing. is that. boys could not be R-worded in Japan. until 2017 and Johnny was not their. parent or guardian, so he couldn't even.

be classified as child abuse. Wow. There was really no law that they could. charge him on. So, everything just. worked out in his favor. Yeah. Do you like see all the loopholes. that really work for a predator? I mean, I mean, these aren't even small cracks. They're giant cracks in the system. It's. not even, "Wow, this really obscure. loophole that nobody would have ever. known." What's going on? Who are we. really protecting here? So, fine, but. what about a full-fledged cancellation? Cancel this guy's career, right? I'm not.

sure that happened either. The. journalists who covered the libel case. said, "In Japan, love affairs or sexual. relations between men, it's like people. don't want to talk about it. People. don't believe it." When he and other. reporters tried to cover the libel case, they were pressured into not saying. anything. The reporter said, "I was. treated as a dangerous person who did. some sort of shady reporting. When we. went to print, I was harassed. TV, newspapers, publishers are profiting. from J&A, so they tried to stamp out. this story." In the BBC doc, this same. journalist gave an interview and said,

"I have been in despair for 23 years.". Reporters Without Borders ranked Japan. number 68 out of 180 countries for press. freedom, which classifies it as having a. problematic situation. Wait, one what? 68? 68 out of. Number 68. Out of 180 being North Korea. Norway and Ireland take the spot of. number one and number two, meaning they. have the most freedom of press. Cuz. like, you know, every country, we're. like, "We're Democrats. That's a.

democratic system. We've got freedom of. press." No, we don't. No, we don't. The. Japanese government and businesses. routinely apply pressure on the. management of mainstream media, so it's. self-censorship. It It might not be. government-controlled censorship like. you would imagine in more communist. areas, but it's self-censorship. It's. practically the same thing. It's pretty bad. It's basically don't. bite the hand that feeds you. And they. knew that Johnny likes to play games. Kitagawa wouldn't even let his boys.

appear on just anybody's shows. He had. rules. So, if you were this huge TV. network that needed their idols to come. onto your TV station so that you can. make money and views off of your ads, you can't just ask for the biggest star. Johnny would make deals with you. "I. will give you the biggest star if you. feature our new group three times in. prime slots. That's the only way. Take. it or leave it. You are also not allowed to promote any. idols from rival agencies or publish. anything negative about us or else this.

stops." If they did, Kitagawa would. refuse to allow any J&A idol on their. programs and they would lose both. audience reach and advertising dollars. So, yeah. A lot of the times these big TV. shows would run these variety shows or. like random network shows and they don't. need an idol, but you would just see a. rookie J&A idol. just there. Basically, just to get. airtime, but like genuinely not giving. input. Like, why are you there? It said, "If Johnny wanted an idol on that show,

an idol would be on that show." So, what. does this all mean? This means J&A felt. no effects from the libel case or the. accusations, literally felt none of the. heat. In fact, J&A only became more. lucrative. Their bottom line was only. getting greener. They brought home $36. million a year in profits. So, this is. not like This is after operating costs. This is take-home. Johnny held the world record for the. most number one artists, number one. singles, and the most concerts produced. by a single individual at the time. And. in July of 2019,

Johnny Kitagawa had a stroke and was. taken to the hospital. Trainees visited. him, shared food, talked about their. memories with him, and even sang for. him. Johnny ultimately passed July 9th of. 2019. Japan held a two-day memorial. concert in his honor. Over 88,000 people were in attendance. #thankyoumrjohnny. was trending on Twitter immediately. after his death. Over 150 J&A idols. performed at the memorial concert. The.

Prime Minister of Japan sent a. condolence letter. An idol from J&A said, "Johnny-san. taught me the wonderful things about. entertainment. I still can't sort out my. feelings and Johnny-san would surely. scold me if he saw me crying on TV.". Fans who attended the memorial said, "Mr. Kitagawa had trained so many idols. over the years and left behind such. achievements in the Japanese. entertainment industry. I wish to offer. my sincere prayers for him. My life has. become happy because of Johnny's idols. I have come here today to thank him. I.

think Johnny-san made his entertainment. with love. So, I want this practice to. be passed on to the next generation." An. idol from J&A even wrote a song as a. tribute for Johnny's death and I'll play. a clip. The title is literally called. Johnny and some of the lyrics say things. like, "Didn't know you would change my. world as a lover that would take your. time. Am I good enough to take your. heart and give my love? Will you go? Will you stay? Yes, I'm forever your. lover. Never leave you alone.".

Again, we can't be sure that this idol. wasn't just using a song he already had. and titling it Johnny and paying tribute. because of his death, but a lot of. people outside the situation saw it as a. very. heartbreaking love story for a potential. victim. I don't know if he is. I'm just. reporting what I read online. That's how. a lot of people felt. Speaking of, even.

after Johnny's death, a lot of idols. that stated they were abused by Johnny. still expressed condolences and grief. for his passing. They showed gratitude. for what he had done with their lives. I. mean, this has got to be the most. complicated feeling that someone can. feel. I think again, like in the. Japanese culture, at the end of the day, someone has passed. So, one big thing. that exists in I don't want to just say. Japanese culture because I can see a lot. of it in Korean culture as well being a. Korean American, but.

there is a really big thing of like, "Let's just not speak ill of the dead.". You know, he already died, why bring it. up? But it's kind of. confusing cuz the victims are not dead. Like you can't just bury everything all. the bad things someone has done just. because they passed and then just try to. remember them in a good light. After. Kitagawa's death, the control of J&A was. passed down to his niece. So, her mother. Mary is Kitagawa's sister and co-founder. of J&A. She was in her late 80s, so she. couldn't take over, so her daughter did. Her name is Julie Fujishima. She has.

been working for J&A for 15 years and in. response to the resurgence of the. allegations with the BBC doc, she said, "Since the death of our former. representative in 2019, we are working. to establish highly transparent. organizational structures adapting to. the times in compliance with laws, regulations, and strengthened governance. with impartial experts." Every major. news outlet covered Kitagawa's death, but almost none of them talked about his. allegations. Journalists who were covering the. memorial concert said, "I was one of the.

people who assumed that when Kitagawa. died, the dam would finally break. I. assumed that there would be a flood of. revelations now that he no longer had. his hold over the media. When I asked. about the lack of conversation, I was. told. the Japanese don't like to speak ill of. the dead. I find that a very. unconvincing response. This wasn't. somebody's grandfather. This was a very powerful person and. somebody who is also a public figure. I. think the media hid behind that excuse, that cultural taboo, because it was. uncomfortable in many ways. They refused.

to say what everybody knew.". Another thing, I see a lot of. commentators online and a lot of them. are stans of idols and look, that is not a group that I want to mess. with, but I just want to say, I don't. think anyone wants anything to harm. J&A's idols. Nobody wants to boycott. J&A. Nobody wants to take down J&A. Nobody wants to take down the company. and then the idols are left with. nothing. Nobody wants that. I think more. now, especially the fact that Johnny.

Kitagawa has since passed, I think. people just want to understand the full. extent of what happened so that the. victims maybe can get closure, can get. some sort of. even payout cuz I I don't think money. solves anything, but. they were already Like think about it. You don't think it could solve a little. bit of something at least? Even. symbolically? And to also learn how to. prevent this from happening to the next. generation? Like I think that's just. what people want. I don't think people. want J&A to go down.

I don't even think they wanted J&A to go. down when Johnny was around. I mean, maybe he would step down and someone. else would run it, even if it was his. niece. No one wanted No one's sitting. here like, "Take down the idols." No. one's doing that. It's literally protect idols and future. idols. But it's been a bit of a mess. Even the BBC documentary is super. controversial. I do think that they. would have highly benefited from having. a Japanese reporter, someone that knows. the cultural significance of everything, someone who could relate to the. pressures that the victims faced. The.

interviews felt very journalist-led. instead of participant-led. And the. journalist didn't feel. as understanding as I thought that he. could have been. The tone that the. reporter had throughout was, at least to. me, felt very. "I don't understand why this is. happening, so therefore this shouldn't. be happening in this world.". When it should have been, "I don't. understand why this is happening, so. please help us see whatever I'm not. seeing. Help me see a cultural. difference. Maybe that's it. Like help. me understand." Yeah, it's a lot more. complex than you.

make it. Yeah, it's a lot more complex. than like, "Well, we don't hate Johnny. and we some of us actually wanted. Johnny's attention." And the reporter is. just like, "That doesn't make sense.". But it's like, "No, but. it's really complicated, okay? Like so. complicated. There's. just so much." The documentary has also. gotten a bit of pushback because it. feels like trauma tourism. Like, "Oh, look what's going on in this country. that's not ours, guys. They're crazy. over there. Don't you feel better about. being here?" Kind of felt like that.

without bringing in the cultural aspect. It just felt very, you know, it feels. like when people are like, "The dark. sides of K-pop." But they do it in a way. that feels very much like, "Good thing we don't have that in. Hollywood." When it's like, "Yeah, you. do. You freaking do." But on the bright. side, the documentary did spark a lot of. international conversation. Though I. don't think that you can even view this. documentary in Japan. And actually a lot. of Japanese netizens were not happy with. this documentary. They commented, "It's. a story of the past, so why bring it up.

now?" And I saw another comment that. said, "This is very rude towards the. dead." Nakamura, the journalist who. covered the initial libel case, the one. that he said was mourning for 23 years, responded to that comment and said, "Then what are you going to do when your. human rights are threatened?" Someone. else clapped back. "Considering the. mental pain of Johnny's talents, it's. difficult for fans to know how to react. correctly. I want to know the truth, but. if the fans make too much noise, it'll. have a negative impact on the activities. of the talents who are just doing their. best.".

Which I get it, but again, no one is. going after the idols. But still, to not. talk about it is not a great option. either. So, it's hard to know where to. go from here. Some netizens compared. Kitagawa to other famous pedophiles like. R. Kelly and Jeffrey Epstein, but I mean, I can see the comparisons. since they all targeted younger people, but. I don't know. For them, even after. death, cuz Epstein is dead, their reputations are completely ruined, rightfully so. They've been at least.

criminally and publicly canceled. Kitagawa's case is a bit different. He's. still considered a legend in J-pop and I. can't imagine being one of the victims. and seeing this guy still be considered. the ultimate legend. What are your. thoughts? I see some netizens arguing. that art and personal life should be. separate, but that's kind of confusing. because no one actually holds actual. idols to that standard. I mean, idols. get canceled for literally like gaining. 2 lbs and they'll get canceled. So, why. are these big, big.

men in positions of power held. differently? I don't know. What are your. thoughts? Please just stay safe out. there and I will see you guys on Sunday. for the minisode.