“It is reported that he told ‘SMILE-UP.’ to hire him, but he never said a word.”
The request for a meeting with Johnny’s Office (changed its name to SMILE-UP. on October 17th) and an apology, which had been requested by the Johnny’s Sexual Abuse Association, was finally realized on October 3rd.
“Through many twists and turns for 35 years, I have been complaining about Johnny Kitagawa’s sexual assault.At times, I was told that he would be deleted, and I felt my life was in danger.When I finally met him in person, he admitted that it was true. “Of course, it came too late, but it’s a big first step.”
Although the problem has yet to be resolved, Junya Hiramoto (57), the association’s representative, said this with a relieved look on his face.
[Related article: Junichi Okada remembers the past of joining Johnny’s on “Cheerful TV” after leaving the facility Takeshi Kitano says he has been sexually assaulted for a long time]
The meeting will take place at the law firm with which the firm has an advisory contract. There are 12 people from the association, including the oldest victim, Yoshitsugu Hattori (78), and from Johnny’s, president Noriyuki Higashiyama (57), former president Julie Keiko Fujishima (57), and three lawyers. A total of six staff members attended.
“When I entered the room, President Higashiyama was there, and I couldn’t help but greet him with, ‘Oh, Higashi.’ I’ve known him since he was 14 years old, so I said, ‘Higashi, how are you doing?’ and shook his hand. Afterwards, I also shook hands with Julie. President Higashiyama apologized, saying, “Thank you for making time for me today. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to make it until now.” Julie also said, “Johnny Kitagawa’s… I apologize for the sexual assault. I’m sorry.” (Mr. Hiramoto, hereinafter the same)
As soon as we met, President Higashiyama and I were joined, and we started talking about memories from our time together, just like a reunion of former Johnny’s Jr.’s members who were happy to be reunited.
“Actually, there was a scene where Julie burst into tears. Immediately after the September press conference, she went to Hawaii to see her daughter. He was angry. He started crying and said, “Why did I have to write like that when I went to see her face because I was worried about her?” We were surprised, but we were also very disappointed. I guess.”
The peaceful atmosphere changed when the Victim Relief Committee proposed by the same office came up.
“We had already requested in September that a committee be established to investigate the facts and provide relief. However, what Johnny’s actually set up was a relief committee consisting of three former judges. If this happens, the victims will be scared and won’t meet with them.They are not prepared to be close to the victims, and I told them first that I do not recognize this committee itself. Please let us in as victims’ representatives, and also include lawyers and mental health professionals designated by us. Otherwise, we will not be able to hear the voices of the victims. I told them that I couldn’t do that.However, I couldn’t get a clear answer from them.”
As a result, no decision was reached during the two-hour discussion.
“Still, I think the fact that we were able to create a conduit for dialogue was an achievement. We took a diplomatic approach, believing that it was important to have a discussion first.”
However, some members were dissatisfied with the association’s stance. One of them, Yukihiro Oshima (38), announced his resignation on his own X (formerly Twitter).
“I believe that relief committees should be created with victims like us at the center.However, after hearing Mr. Hiramoto’s argument on this day, I realized that our way of thinking is different. The group and I are the same. We are talking about doing our best together.” (Mr. Oshima)
Yasunobu Shiga (55), a former ninja who attended the meeting, also resigned. In addition, Kyohei Iida (35) and Koji Nagato (40), former members of Kis-My-Ft2, have joined the group, and some reports say the group is in a state of “disintegration in the air.” Mr. Kenri Nihongi (40) of , says:
“They joined us from the beginning on the assumption that they would be sued, so they probably wanted us to show more of a fighting stance.However, we are not ruling out litigation as an option.In the future, we will also ask overseas parties to We plan to ask for opinions. Mr. Kitagawa may have been an American citizen throughout his life, and in that case, as an American, he would have committed sexual assault against a Japanese person. Although the outcome is unknown, it may have had some social impact. I think it will be given to you.”
As the group’s activities become more global, it is sure to gain more attention around the world.
(Weekly FLASH October 31, 2023 issue)
