It remains to be determined how the fans’ advocacy and their comments will influence a reckoning on the culture of sexual abuse that has been exposed within the Japanese Entertainment Industry at large.
Johnny & Associates: Fall of a Titan
For decades , Johnny & Associates was plagued by rumours and allegations of sexual abuse.
Kitagawa was the founder of the agency that only represented males. He was also known as “the king of Japanese boybands,” and responsible for the production of many popular boy bands. He was accused of sexually abusing young boys who signed up to his label between the 1950s and 2010.
Even though he was guilty, Kitagawa avoided punishment and culpability until his death. The power he held in the entertainment business and what Hiroshi Fujita, journalism professor from Sophia University in Tokyo has described as Japanese media’s ‘cautious, timid approach in dealing with sensitive subjects was instrumental in this.
In Tokyo, a sign is seen on the front of the Johnny & Associates talent agent’s headquarters in July 2019. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Predator is a documentary about a predator.
It seemed at one time that Johnny & Associates was untouchable.
In March 2023, the BBC released a document, The Secret Scandal Of J-Pop. The documentary revealed Kitagawa’s allegations of abuse as “Japan’s secret sex scam” and the national media coverup that hindered justice.
After an explosive response to the documentary both nationally and internationally and news of a United Nations Intervention to interview victims, Julie Fujishima, who took over the presidency of Johnny & Associates, admitted that the allegations were true .
Julie Keiko Fujishima and Noriyuki Higashiyama, the new president and outgoing president, respectively, of Johnny & Associates Inc., during a press conference in Tokyo on September 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Noriyuki Higashiyama is the new CEO of the company and a former Johnny’s talent.
Fans are left wondering about the future of the once-dominant Japanese entertainment company, with Higashiyama facing allegations of sexual abuse, and Japanese companies such as Nissan and McDonald’s cutting their ties to the agency and its talents.
Parasocial relations
According to Karen Sternheimer, sociologist and author of The American Dream and Celebrity Culture – what fans feel for their favorite music star or entertainment firm is often “parasocial” based on an imagined relationship with someone they don’t know.
It could be that a fan’s love of a particular entertainer can lead them to align with them emotionally, ideologically, and even politically, protecting them from criticism and shutting them down from unflattering discussions about them.
Brand loyalty in a company?
Some fans may extend their conception of the stardom of their favorite celebrity to the company that produced them.
Fans of Disney’s Hilary Duff and Miley Cyrus, as well as Selena Gomez, might consider themselves to be “Disney” fans. At the same time, those of Korean girl bands Girls’ Generation and Red Velvet, which are produced by Korean record company and management firm SM Entertainment, could call themselves “SM fans.”
It is particularly true when companies strategically encourage fanatical behaviors and mobilize emotional attachments around their company brand.
The creation of fan communities based on male talent, also known as Johnny’s Idols, is a perfect example.
Shimon Ishimaru (third from left), deputy head of Johnny’s Sexual Assault Victims Association, with other accusers, at a press conference in Tokyo on Sept. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Overzealous fans can be a problem.
Fans are known to defend celebrities they admire against criticism. They shut down any views that may harm their idol’s reputation.
Music Critics are afraid to criticize Taylor Swift due to her overzealous supporters, whom writer Kara Kennedy called ” like.”
When it comes to K-pop fans, journalists like Juwon Park or Raphael Rashid have raised the alarm about the way in which they have attacked critics who have dared ruin the fun by worshiping their favourite entertainers.
As with K-pop fan disrupting the Trump rally in 2020 and spreading health awareness on the internet in the early days of the COVID-19 epidemic, the social media power and organizational ability of celebrity fan culture can transform consumer power to sustained activism potential.