As the mainstream media in Japan finally discusses the systematic sexual abuse of young male stars by the late idol impresario Johnny Kitagawa, it seems obvious that news outlets and the companies that own them should accept some of the blame.
The abuse was subjected to international scrutiny when the British Broadcasting Corporation aired “Predator: The Secret Scandal of J-Pop” in March. This in-depth documentary on Kitagawa was subsequently fortified by the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan, which held a news conference in April for one of the young men who says he was a victim of that abuse.
In actuality, Kitagawa’s alleged transgressions have been an open secret for decades, but because Japan’s media companies are so reliant on agencies like Johnny & Associates for talent, the news organizations controlled by these companies avoided the topic for fear of being blacklisted. It took outside actors to force the matter into the open, where domestic news couldn’t avoid it.