Photo/Illutration Kenshi Koba, left, chairman of Takarazuka Revue Co., bows at a news conference on Nov. 14 regarding the death of a troupe member in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture. (Masaru Komiyaji)

TAKARAZUKA, Hyogo Prefecture--The chairman of the Takarazuka Revue Co. has announced his resignation and apologized over the death of a 25-year-old member of the all-female troupe even though an investigation into reports of abuse was inconclusive.  

“It is undeniable that a strong psychological burden was placed on (the woman), and we did not sufficiently fulfill our duty of care for her safety,” Chairman Kenshi Koba said at a news conference here on Nov. 14 in apologizing to the woman's bereaved family. 

The woman was found collapsed and dead on the morning of Sept. 30 in the grounds of her apartment complex in Takarazuka.

Hyogo prefectural police believe her death was most likely a suicide. The woman's family has made public accusations that overwork and power harassment that the Takarazuka Revue allowed led to her death.

The report from the independent investigation noted that, “It is undeniable that the combination of long hours of activities and pressure from senior members may have placed a psychological burden on (the woman).”

However, the report continued, “we could not confirm (that it was intentional)” that a senior member of the theater troupe had burned the woman’s forehead with a hair iron, as reported in a weekly magazine.

In addition, a hearing with the troupe members indicated that senior troupe members had reprimanded the woman, saying she was a "liar" and "unmotivated," but the report concluded that "all of this is hearsay, so it is not certifiable.”

Koba held a news conference on Oct. 7 where he announced the establishment of an investigation team consisting of outside attorneys.

The team has been conducting interviews, mainly with people involved in the Cosmos Troupe to which the woman belonged, to determine the circumstances that led to her death.

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