Tokyo: Experts from a U.N. Human Rights Council working group voiced doubts on Friday about “the transparency and legitimacy” of Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates Inc.’s probes into alleged sexual abuse by its late former president, Johnny Kitagawa.
They held a press conference at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo after conducting hearings with people who claim to have been sexually abused by Kitagawa.
“Our interactions with victims…have exposed deeply alarming allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse involving several hundreds of the company’s talents,” said Pichamon Yeophantong, one of the experts.
Media companies in Japan have been “reportedly implicated in covering up the scandal for decades,” Yeophantong added.
The Japanese government needs to serve as “the primary duty bearer” and work to “ensure transparent investigations of perpetrators” so that victims obtain effective remedies in the form of an apology or financial compensation, based on the U.N. Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
All Japanese businesses, especially but not only media and entertainment companies, must conduct human rights due diligence to proactively manage potential and actual adverse human rights impacts with which they are involved, the experts said.
They also urged companies to provide human rights abuse victims with outlooks on how long it would take for them to receive relief.
The experts arrived in Japan on July 24 at the invitation of the Japanese government, in order to examine Japanese public and private organizations’ efforts to address human rights issues.
Over the alleged sexual abuse by Kitagawa, the experts met with people claiming to be victims in Tokyo and Osaka. They also held talks with representatives from Johnny & Associates.
The experts are set to release a final report on their Japan visit in June 2024.
Johnny & Associates in May established a special team headed by former Prosecutor-General Makoto Hayashi to investigate the sexual abuse scandal.
Also on Friday, seven members, including former Johnny & Associates performers, of a group of people claiming to be victims of abuse by Kitagawa held a press conference.
“The U.N. experts took our messages (during the hearings) with sincerity,” said Junya Hiramoto, the 57-year-old head of the group.
Shimon Ishimaru, 55, deputy head of the group, said that the abuse is “not something of the past as there are people still suffering from mental problems and struggling to live.”
JIJI Press