Rockin’ On Japan’s Editor-in-Chief Yamazaki Yoichiro apologizes after 1994 Interview with Oyamada Keigo (Cornelius) resurfaces

Many are demanding the resignation of musician Oyamada Keigo (aka music artist, Cornelius), a member of the creative team of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics and one of the producers of the opening ceremonies for the Tokyo Olympics, after a January 1994 interview from “Rockin’ On Japan”  has resurfaced.

In the interview, Oyamada proudly boasted of bullying a classmate with disabilities.

Yamazaki Yoichiro, the Editor-in-Chief of “Rockin’ On Japan” wrote:

Following the selection of Oyamada Keigo, as a member of the creative team for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, a comment of bullying in junior high school was written in an interview published in the January 1994 issue of “Rockin’On Japan”.

The interviewer of the article at this time was me and I was the Editor-in-Chief.  I think that the attitude as an interviewer and the judgment as the editor-in-chief who posted it was a wrong decision and lack of ethics and sincerity when it comes to the problems of bullying.  The article is from 27-years ago, but it’s something that has been read for a long time and I believe that it is my responsibility as a publisher, it should be continue to be questioned.

We deeply apologize to the victim who has been hurt, their family and those who have been uncomfortable wit the article.  We deeply reflect on the mistakes we have made and strive for sound media activities without making such wrong decisions again.

Oyamada sent an apology on his website, writing “I apologize from the bottom of my heart, of course to the classmate himself whom I have hurt, and all my fans, friends and other people involved”.

Oyamada wrote on Twitter that he hopes to contact the person he had bullied and apologize and wrote that he was “immature” and that it was because of his guilt that prevented him from coming forward.

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