Allegations against Johnny Kitagawa, a powerful figure in Japanese entertainment and the founder of Johnny & Associates, have been tossed around for more than 20 years, although he was never charged with crimes. He died in 2019.
The scandal has served as a wake-up call for Japan's lagging fight against sexual harassment. A consumer boycott has begun against Johnny's, as the company is also known, making for an extensive list, as dozens of the "tarento," or "talent," appear in various advertisements. A petition drive expressing outrage has collected thousands of signatures.
That kind of testimony from musician Kauan Okamoto, appearing at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Tokyo last month, raised the level of criticism against Johnny's. Okamoto was the first accuser who appeared before reporters under his real name to share his story and be photographed.