Photo/Illutration The website of Dialogue for People, where Natsuki Yasuda reported that she was sexually victimized by Ryuichi Hirokawa. (Natsuki Yasuda)

Natsuki Yasuda said that she was one of the women sexually victimized by famed photojournalist Ryuichi Hirokawa, who was investigated by his former magazine for allegations of abuse against staffers and volunteers. 

Yasuda, a photojournalist who is the vice president of the nonprofit organization Dialogue for People, made the allegation on the NPO’s website on Feb. 27.

She said that Hirokawa sexually abused her while she was a student volunteer working for him while pursuing a career in photojournalism.

“Hirokawa has never faced up to what was fundamentally wrong about his actions,” Yasuda said in an interview with The Asahi Shimbun. “I thought that one day I would have to speak out publicly using my name.”

Hirokawa, who served as editor-in-chief of photojournalism magazine Days Japan, was investigated in 2019 by a committee set up by the magazine’s publisher.

The investigation determined that Hirokawa demanded that female employees and volunteers to have sexual intercourse with him, in addition to taking nude photographs and other abuses, between 2004 and 2017.

Yasuda reported her experience of Hirokawa’s abuse to the investigation committee at the time.

Yasuda explained that she has decided to come forward publicly at this time because of a ruling by the Tokyo District Court in January.

The ruling partially upheld Hirokawa’s argument in a lawsuit against Bungeishunju Ltd., publisher of tabloid magazines, for damages and other expenses, saying that Hirokawa was defamed in a 2019 online article that featured the testimony of a woman who said she had been sexually assaulted by Hirokawa.

The ruling acknowledged that there was reasonable justification to believe that the article, which claimed the woman had been demanded to have sexual intercourse, was true.

However, the ruling also determined that the word “rape” in the article’s headline gave the impression that Hirokawa had committed the crime of “forcible sexual intercourse,” which involves physical violence or intimidation.

The court ordered Bungeishunju to pay compensation and other damages to Hirokawa.

ONE OF THE WOMEN WHO SPOKE OUT

Yasuda also revealed for the first time on the NPO’s website that she was one of the seven women who responded anonymously to an article in the Shukan Bunshun accusing Hirokawa of sexual violence, which was published prior to the article that became the subject of the lawsuit.

“Hirokawa has been posting (on social media and elsewhere) emphasizing the parts of the lawsuit that he won, and I was concerned that the article itself would be seen as if it had no credibility. Women who spoke out should not be trampled on again and again,” Yasuda said in an interview with The Asahi Shimbun.

The Asahi Shimbun asked Hirokawa to respond to Yasuda’s comments.

He replied in a written statement, saying, “I believe the ruling was right to order compensation for using the word ‘rape’ in the title of the Bunshun article. However, the article also contained many misunderstandings, not only in its title but also in its body, so I plan to fight these by appealing to a higher court.”

(This article was written by Midori Iki and Kanako Sanada.)

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