Johnny-come-lately niece quits over J-pop sex fiasco

The niece of Johnny Kitagawa, the late J-pop mogul at the center of a sex scandal that has shocked Japan, said yesterday that she had stepped down as the

head of the talent agency her uncle had founded.

Kitagawa, who died in 2019 aged 87, has been accused of sexually abusing hundreds of boys and young men over decades while heading the most powerful talent agency in the J-pop industry.

Since the BBC aired a tell-all documentary in March, the national sense of outrage in Japan has borne similarities to the reactions seen in the United States and Britain after the scandals involving Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, and TV star Jimmy Savile.

As more Japanese media took up the story, lawmakers voiced outrage, while UN human rights experts also criticized the agency.

Founded by Kitagawa in 1962, Johnny & Associates has an outsized presence in Japan, producing some of the most popular names in J-pop such as SMAP and Arashi.

At a press conference, Kitagawa's niece Julie Fujishima, 57, bowed deeply, apologizing for the abuses and saying she had stepped down Tuesday.

Noriyuki Higashiyama, a former member of the hit 1980s boy-band Shonentai, is the new head.

The 56-year-old said he had never been a victim of the abuse or witnessed it, but was aware of rumors.

"I couldn't, and didn't, do anything about it," he said. "It will take time to win back the lost trust, but I will devote the rest of my life to dealing with this problem."

Calling the scandal "the most pitiful incident in human history," he said there had been debate, but no conclusion, as to whether the agency should change its name.