Photo/Illutration Former members of Johnny & Associates Inc. Shimon Ishimaru, left, and Yukihiro Ohshima speak to lawmakers at the Diet on Aug. 30. (Amane Shimazaki)

Two former members of talent agency Johnny & Associates Inc. urged the government to step in and help victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by the company’s founder, Johnny Kitagawa.

Shimon Ishimaru, 55, and Yukihiro Ohshima, 38, both members of the recently established Johnny’s Sexual Assault Victims Association, spoke at a meeting in the Diet on Aug. 30 arranged by the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.

“In order to truly help the victims, the state, the agency and the victims association need to work together,” Ishimaru said. “State involvement is absolutely necessary to create a world where sexual abuse will never happen again.

The meeting was held a day after an investigative team released a report on the sexual abuse allegations against Kitagawa, a powerful showbiz mogul who died in 2019 at age 87.

The report said that Kitagawa, over several decades, may have sexually abused hundreds of teenage boys who belonged to his agency.

Ishimaru appreciated the report, which recognized the abuse by Kitagawa and urged the company to offer apologies and compensation to the victims. But he said that is not enough.

He called on the government to also look into the scandal, including interviewing the victims.
Oshima said that such an investigation is long overdue.

“Media have turned a blind eye to the issue and the government has failed to investigate it,” Oshima said. “They must not neglect us anymore.”

The investigative team, which was set up by Johnny & Associates, called for the resignation of Julie Keiko Fujishima, the agency’s current president and Kitagawa’s niece.

“She needs to meet us in person for dialogue, and resign only after everything has been settled,” Oshima said.

Some media reports have said Fujishima may not join the agency’s upcoming news conference on the issue.

Ishimaru said she should be present as the president of the company.

CDP lawmakers showed their support for the victims and urged the government to act.

“With the report released yesterday, the issue entered a new phase,” said Akira Nagatsuma, the CDP’s policy chief.

“The government and the ruling parties must not be bystanders. We have reached a stage where it is no longer possible to remain on the sidelines,” he added.

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