News On Japan

Fans demand Johnny's talent agency investigate sexual abuse claims

TOKYO, May 13 (Kyodo) - Fans of idols belonging to Johnny & Associates Inc., one of Japan's most powerful talent agencies, said Thursday they have submitted a petition with around 16,000 signatures demanding that the firm investigate allegations of sexual abuse by its late founder Johnny Kitagawa.

The supporters, who spoke at a press conference in Tokyo, launched in April a group called Penlight to protest the agency's handling of such allegations after Kauan Okamoto, a 26-year-old Japanese-Brazilian singer and songwriter, claimed Kitagawa sexually abused him on multiple occasions as a young teen.

Kitagawa was the subject of numerous allegations of sexual misconduct, with the Japanese weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun publishing in 1999 a series detailing accusations of child abuse and sexual exploitation by several boys he had taken under his wing. ...continue reading

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

As the exchange of attacks between Israel and Iran continues, the evacuation of Japanese nationals from Israel has commenced.

Nippon Steel has completed its acquisition of US Steel, spending approximately 2 trillion yen over a period of 18 months. Speaking at a press conference the day after the announcement, Chairman Hashimoto emphasized that "profitability and management flexibility have been secured."

Japan Post is facing the suspension of approximately 2,500 trucks for five years after failing to appear at a hearing held by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism over improper safety checks on drivers. With no objection raised by Japan Post, the penalty is expected to be finalized as early as June.

An iron bridge in Kumatori, Osaka Prefecture, has been identified as Japan's oldest existing iron bridge, having been repurposed from a railway bridge constructed 150 years ago. The Omiyabashi bridge, which spans a river in Kumatori, was completed in 1931, measuring approximately 21 meters long and 6 meters wide.

Actress Kanako Kojima has suffered a serious facial injury after being bitten by a dog, requiring around 30 stitches.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

Now foreign people regard tentacles as just crazy porn from Japan, but it is part of our traditional culture. Look at this painting. This style is called shunga. It was painted by the famous Japanese artist Hokusai in 1840, over 200 years ago. He drew tentacles, and it has a history longer than Canada and almost as long as the United States. (Japanese Comedian Meshida)

Japan’s oldest functioning water wheel, known as the “Triple Water Wheel,” has started operating once again in Asakura City, Fukuoka Prefecture, as the rice planting season begins.

On the morning of June 17th, a man was led by police officers at the Mukojima Police Station in Tokyo, sending a sharp glare toward the cameras. The man was identified as 49-year-old Takeshi Kuratani, a former ballet instructor. He was arrested on suspicion of engaging in inappropriate conduct toward a female junior high school student at a ballet studio he operated in Sumida Ward, Tokyo.

The Supreme Court has finalized the sentence of 18 years in prison for Yoshikazu Okubo, who conspired with a former doctor to carry out an assisted death in Kyoto in 2019 at the request of a female patient suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Police have conducted a large-scale inspection of host clubs in Osaka ahead of the enforcement of a revised adult entertainment business law that strengthens regulations and penalties against malicious practices.

A veterinarian in Mie Prefecture has died after treating a cat infected with Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS), a disease transmitted by ticks and other vectors.

Riding a bicycle while holding an umbrella, a practice often seen during the rainy season in Japan, poses significant danger as it becomes more frequent with the arrival of June rains.

The family of an elderly man who died after a key was discovered lodged in his throat while he was hospitalized in Osaka has filed a lawsuit against the hospital, alleging negligence in handling the object.