Johnny & Associates official position on sexual assault accusation

On the 14th, Johnny’s office announced its opinion on the official website regarding the issue that former talent of Johnny’s office complained that they were sexually assaulted by former president Kitagawa Johnny  (age 87).

President Fujishima Julie Keiko appeared for the first time, and a video and a question-and-answer format document were also released.

Fujishima appeared in the video and said, “I am Fujishima Julie, the president of Johnny & Associates Inc. First and foremost, I would like to deeply apologize to those who have sued for damages. It’s very late, but I will answer the questions I received from various quarters in writing after this.”

–Why didn’t you hold a press conference immediately?
“I thought that we should first confirm the facts and then respond responsibly. Since this was an extremely delicate and sensitive issue that also involved personal privacy, we sought the cooperation of experts such as counselors and lawyers to voice our opinions. Since we had carefully proceeded with meeting with those who raised complaints, conducting internal investigations, and discussing specific countermeasures, it took some time before we could widely inform everyone. I would like to apologize for this matter.”

–What is your reaction to the BBC program report and the accusation made by Okamoto Cowan?
“If it is true, first of all, how should we deal with the people who are complaining about the damage? I thought that I had to respond with sincerity.”

–Is the BBC program report and Okamoto Cowan’s accusation true?
“Naturally, I don’t think there were any problems at all. In addition, both as a company and as an individual, I believe that such conduct itself is not permissible. On the other hand, the parties involved It is not easy for us to say in one word that we accept or reject individual accusations as “facts,” even though we cannot confirm with Kitagawa Johnny. We would like to ask for your understanding regarding this point as we must carefully consider the damage. Nonetheless, we take very seriously the fact that there are people who claim to have been victims before us, and we take it very seriously.”

— Neither the agency nor President Julie knew about Kitagawa Johnny’s sexual assault. Was it?
“I think it’s a story that can never be forgiven if I didn’t know, but I didn’t know. In explaining this, I would like to explain how the Johnny’s office was operated at the time. When I was interviewed by Shukan Bunshun in 1999, I was in the position of director, but for a long time, Johnny & Associates had Kitagawa Johnny in charge of talent production, and Mary in charge of company management. Kitagawa was in charge, and everything was decided by these two alone. Unfortunately, except for these two people, including me, it was a situation where they could not comment on the management and operation of the company other than the roles they were entrusted with. In the first place, information such as what happened outside the jurisdiction of the site and what kind of instructions were given was not shared throughout the company, and there was no meeting of what could be called a board of directors meeting. No. Important information related to the management of the company, including this case, was constantly in a state where no one but the two of us could know it. However, since we have grown under this system since our founding in 1962, everyone at the company took it for granted that Johnny and Mary were the two-person system = Johnny & Associates. I myself couldn’t feel uncomfortable with that abnormality, so I’m just pathetic and deeply regret it.

–Did he still not admit the fact of sexual assault at that time? Did you take any other action?
“In this lawsuit, Mary indignantly said that the article in Shukan Bunshun was “an unforgivable lie,” and Johnny’s was accused of defamation. The office filed a lawsuit against Bungeishunjusha and others, but the details were not shared with me. I was not able to grasp the details. It’s just my guess, but when Mary herself thinks about Johnny’s actions that are considered problematic, she thinks from the bottom of her heart, “There’s no way she’s doing it, it can’t be.” I’m assuming you filed a lawsuit in civil court. In the end, we lost part of the case, and it was decided that the article in Shukan Bunshun could not be said to be defamatory. However, Johnny himself strongly denied any wrongdoing, and in the end, it seems that Mary and his lawyer only gave Johnny a strict warning not to be misunderstood. In any case, I personally believe that I was at fault for not being able to actively fulfill my responsibilities as a director.”

— What are your thoughts on recurrence prevention measures?
“In devising measures to prevent recurrence, from the early stages, we have received suggestions and opinions from experts in various fields, including lawyers, regarding problems as a company and improvement measures. Since I assumed the position of CEO, we have abandoned the prejudice that the world of the entertainment industry is unique, and have been working to strengthen compliance. We have been promoting the implementation of briefing sessions for compliance, implementation of compliance education, and participation in activities from parents’ homes.  We have established a ‘Compliance Committee’ with the cooperation of outside parties, and we will strengthen and thoroughly implement our efforts. Furthermore, we will ask whether there are any concerns regarding the corporate structure and social responsibility. Whether there is appropriate communication inside and outside the company, and whether decisions are being made based only on internal values ​​and common sense. We are currently in the process of selecting and requesting the appointment of new outside directors so that they can be thoroughly reviewed. From the beginning, from the standpoint that this issue should not be resolved within the company alone, we have been discussing how to thoroughly investigate the actual situation by establishing a third-party committee with lawyers and outside experts and experts. However, at the investigation stage, outside experts also warned that there was a high possibility that people who did not want to be interviewed would also be subject, and that the situation and psychological burden of each person being interviewed would be taken into account. However, we have been instructed that we need to be careful, so we have decided to take another approach regarding this issue. Within the month, we will set up an external contact point to receive consultation under the guidance of external counselors, experts, lawyers and doctors. In order to protect the confidentiality of the consulter and to listen objectively, we plan to obtain the cooperation of outside experts.”

–Have you met Okamoto Cowan ? If you met, why did you meet?
“I met him. I met him in person and talked with each other for a long time. I understand. On the other hand, I would like to express my opinion regarding the privacy issues of others and comments that encourage speculation. We take it seriously.”

–How do you plan to deal with those who have complained?
“The content is sensitive and we are still considering the details, but for those who are complaining about damages and those who are suffering mentally, we will ask for the help of counselors and other experts. We will face each other with sincerity. I believe that without doing this, we have no future.”

–How do you feel about your own management responsibilities? Also, if you are responsible, how do you think you will take responsibility?
“I believe that I had a responsibility. At that time, I was only a director in name, and I was not able to fulfill my duties. I believe that I am responsible for what I did not pursue. As for how to take responsibility, I also considered the option of resigning. What we should do now is not to run away from this problem, but to the people who have complained about the damage. Furthermore, in order to prevent a similar problem from happening again, I believe that we must carry out the management reforms that have already begun and the drastic improvement of internal awareness. I believe that it is the way I can take responsibility that I can hold dialogue while respecting the present and future thoughts of the talents belong to us.

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