Japan boyband agency admits founder's sexual abuse for first time

Japan boyband agency admits founder's sexual abuse for first time

The president of Japan's biggest talent agency acknowledges sexual abuse committed by the company's late founder and apologises to the victims. "I apologise from the bottom of my heart" says Julie Fujishima, the niece of Johnny and Associates founder Johnny Kitagawa, who also announces that she is stepping down as the agency's president.

Allegations of abuse by Kitagawa, targetting aspiring young stars, surfaced in 1999, but it wasn't until early this year that an in-depth probe was launched.

The media mogul died in 2019 at the age of 87.