A tearful Fujishima conceded at Thursday’s press convention that her uncle had used his music mogul standing to sexually assault kids. The admission was accompanied by the announcement that Noriyuki Higashiyama can be taking up as the brand new president of Johnny & Associates.

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Thursday’s press convention rapidly took a flip, nevertheless, when journalists requested Higashiyama about allegations that he had additionally abused boys. A ebook delving into the widening scandal has claimed that he made essentially the most of his place as a senior member of the company to therapeutic massage youthful boys’ crotches and expose his genitals.

He was additionally requested whether or not the declare that he instructed at the very least one boy to “eat my sausage” was correct.

“I don’t keep in mind clearly,” he mentioned. “Possibly it occurred, possibly it didn’t. I’ve hassle remembering.”

Higashiyama additionally mentioned it was troublesome to recollect whether or not he had bullied different members of the company, saying that it was potential he had been “stricter” with them. He added that he could have finished issues in his 20s that he wouldn’t do now.

The day after the press convention, shut enterprise companions moved to distance themselves from the corporate.

Foods and drinks large Kirin Holdings mentioned it’ll halt the event of latest adverts and promotional supplies with any entertainers represented by the company, nationwide broadcaster NHK reported. Kirin added that it’s going to not renew any present contracts with the corporate.

Asahi Group Holdings, one other main meals and drinks agency, additionally introduced that it’s going to now not use Johnny & Associates performers and won’t renew current contracts.

Asahi, which presently has 23 celebrities from the company selling its merchandise, known as on the company to compensate the victims and introduce measures to forestall a recurrence of such incidents.

Japan Airways had beforehand halted utilizing Johnny & Associates stars whereas Tokio Marine & Nichido Hearth Insurance coverage is contemplating terminating its contracts with the company. Extra firms are anticipated to observe go well with.

“The very least they may do at this level can be to alter the identify,” mentioned Makoto Watanabe, a professor of media and communications at Hokkaido Bunkyo College in Sapporo. “That model is now poisonous, but they insist that they don’t seem to be going to alter the identify. It’s onerous to imagine.”

Watanabe mentioned the efforts to journey out the preliminary criticisms had failed and administration was trying to resolve that with extra modifications, however it will likely be onerous to take care of enterprise as typical on the company.

“So they modify the president, however she is staying within the firm and he or she holds all of its inventory and successfully stays in management,” he mentioned. “After which it seems that the brand new chief additionally has complaints of sexual abuse towards him.”

“No one who sees this can ever imagine the corporate has modified or is dedicated to reforming itself, it doesn’t matter what the administration says,” Watanabe added.

Feedback on social media known as for the corporate to face stricter punishment for its failures to cease the sexual abuse of its stars.

“The top of an organisation has been sexually assaulting tons of of minors over a number of a long time and folks within the organisation knew about it however didn’t do something to cease it or labored onerous to cowl it up by placing stress on these concerned,” mentioned one message on the Yahoo Japan information website.

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“I imagine the group may be labelled an delinquent organisation and will due to this fact be handled the identical as a yakuza (organised crime) group,” it added.

One other put up mentioned extra firms ought to refuse to work with Johnny & Associates and that its stars, who aren’t at fault, must be transferred to different companies.

“The truth that they determined to maintain the identify of the corporate – which is that of a felony who has dedicated sexual assault towards minors – exhibits that they don’t perceive the seriousness of the matter in any respect,” mentioned one other.