On May 14, the president of Johnny & Associates, Julie Keiko Fujishima, issued a 正式な謝罪 (seishikina shazai, formal apology) over sexual assault claims against the talent agency’s late founder, Johnny Kitagawa (Fujishima’s uncle), as former music personalities and others spoke out about inappropriate incidents.
In a video and written statement on the company’s website, Fujishima used the term “心よりお詫び申し上げます” (kokoro yori o-wabi mōshiagemasu, I apologize from the bottom of my heart).
She apologized in a carefully worded way to the 被害を訴えられている方々 (higai o uttaerarete-iru kata-gata, people filing complaints because of harm) as well as the broader community by saying, “世の中を大きくお騒がせしておりますこと” (yononaka o ōkiku o-sawagase shite-orimasu koto, causing a great disturbance in society) and “ファンの皆様に大きな失望とご不安を与えてしまいましたこと” (fan no mina-sama ni ōkina shitsubō to go-fuan o ataete-shimaimashita koto, causing a significant disappointment and concerns among the fandom).