crime

Member of Japan pop group Tokio apologizes for kissing girl

35 Comments
By Mari Yamaguchi

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The apologises are mood music, semantics, Yubaru, Educator60

The question cuts to a the heart of the system, Legal maxim, justice under the law, the supposed belief that the basic promise of any legal system through legislation, that legal system is just, that everyone will be held equally accountable.

Yamaguchi. accompanied by his lawyer, his agency, Johnny & Associates, was able to purchase through legal services, thus influence the probability of conviction. So for the wealthy there is a defined optimal level of deterrence, all circumspect in comparison to the subjective cost for the less well heeled.

So forced indecency of a sixteen year old , this is not kiss chase around the furniture, whose legal consequences can be circumvented, if one can meet the price tag.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

ok please explain? How do things work here...Thought so.

Thought wrong, ...YOUR bad. in response to THIS comment!

I don't see why these star figures have to make a public apology ,

The Japanese public hold celebrities, public figures, politicians, and what not, to a higher standard when it comes to issues like this! Just like the "apology" press conferences for businesses, the public do not want to see or hear about the foibles of celebrities, as people (right or wrongly, and IMHO most wrongly) hold them up as people to be looked up to, deserving or otherwise.

It comes from the "group" mentality, these folks are outside the group, in a manner of speaking, as they "stick out" and because they stick out, people expect a different set of decorum or manners from them because of their position in the spotlight.

Is it logical? Hell no. But it's reality, HERE.

People in public positions here can get away with an awful lot of crap, and often do, just so long as it never becomes public. If by chance it does...EVERYONE and their mother EXPECTS a public apology, tears, (real or fake, mostly fake) a period of "reflection and remorse" and then openly welcomed back into the "public" eye so long as they "humble" themselves to the country.

Does it make sense? Probably not to a lot of people, but it's how a lot of stuff goes down here!

ok please explain? How do things work here...Thought so.

Now it's YOUR turn to step up, apologize, and perform contrition for your sarcasm and mistake!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

johnny knoxville,

the celebrity blubbers and cries crocodile tears and acts contrite, the public feels sorry for him (some even cry along with him), he goes off the air for awhile and then comes back with all forgiven. thats it in a nurshell. sick? well, yes, but thats how its done here.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Wolfpack

But if the girl is 18 or 19 then that’s a different matter. In that case the payoff is for public relations purposes only.

No. No. No. Age is irrelevant! This is a matter of kissing her without consent. That's sexual assault. She could have been 90 years old, and he would be just as guilty. The fact that he did it to a minor (regardless of her age) makes things all the more worse.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

@Steven Fennel

How is HE the victim? If anything, he did this to himself! So a 46 year man forces himself on a MINOR, and she's suppose not do anything just because he's a alcoholic celebrity? BS! As matter of fact, I would commend the girl for speaking up and exposing this scum for what he really is: a washed up, no talent, alcoholic, pedophile!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

What he did was wrong, but it sounds like he has actual problems with alcohol in real life. This makes him a victim in the sense that others using the now-cliched "I was drunk" excuse for conscious acts reduce or destroy any sympathy we might/should have for people who are genuine alcoholics.

Someone talking openly and honestly about alcoholism, or even just personal demons, would likely be better 99.99% of the closed-shop dirge churned out on TV by the Japanese entertainment industry.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

@Jonny Knoxville

Public apologies by celebrities is not just a "Japan thing". It happens everywhere (especially in the States) You often see the "if I offended anyone..." non-apologies after they did or said something highly offensive. In Japan, they just take it a step further because doing something offensive not only causes trouble for his victim, but also his publicists, his fans, his sponsors, his group, his agency...blah blah blah, and the industry stands to lose a lot of money from this. THIS is who he is really apologizing to. How the victim feels is completely irrelevant.

Also, its an effort to preserve their public image, and get public forgiveness so that they can still have a career after everything blows over. After all, without the public, these people don't have a job. Public approval is their life and their bread and butter. Without public approval, they are nobodies and they have to get a job like real people.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

He's just going through the motions. Another star tricked by a cash hungry minor. She should apologize too for the damage she's caused to his career. Police really need to question her too

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

I wanted him to apologize but I didn't want to see him blubbering like an idiot like that.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

It doesn't matter that the girl / her parents accepted a monetary settlement. A 46-old-man sexually assaulted a minor and should be prosecuted.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

So how old exactly was the girl at the time of the incident. If she was 17 or younger then I hope he gets more than a slap on the wrist from his agency. Particularly because it seems the girl in question was also in the entertainment business. But if the girl is 18 or 19 then that’s a different matter. In that case the payoff is for public relations purposes only. More details in this story would have been helpful in determining just how bad the misconduct was.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

OK, all he needs is counseling! He has a drinking problem. I hope that he gets the help that he needs. If he here a "pedo", then we would have heard about it long before not. He is clearly NOT! It's too easy to play "armchair warrior" when one does not know all of the facts. I once got drunk and took the stage to sing some Roxette covers...

I apparently thought I was in the band. The point is that people do dumb things when they are drunk and we should really let this one pass!

I am also glad the mother did not go overboard! Sounds like there are a few good people involved with this incident. "Let it GO"!

0 ( +2 / -2 )

It’s looking very likely that he is an alcoholic or near. People who are alcoholic or just happen to be very drunk do stupid things they otherwise probably would not do. That’s not an excuse but an explanation. If he doesn’t get turned around Yamaguchi won’t be the first person who ruins their life by drink and causes heaps of trouble for those around him.

Thanks for sharing the background info since this article doesn't provide any of it.

I believe he also had a wife and 2 kids, but got divorced a couple years ago. I wonder if that was due to his drinking problems, too.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

His little apology/performance on TV is pretty pathetic.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I bet there's a lot of Rock & Pop stars out there worrying about what they may have done in the past that now may come back to haunt them...

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Why these high school girls go with him in his apartment knowing that he is drunk? Common sense?

stop blaming Yamaguchi’s actions he already acknowledge his mistake and is suffering now..there is a three sides of the story ..Yamaguchi,the girls and the truth!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Please Yubaru, elaborate, enlighten, how do things work here in Japan?..... Tatsuya Yamaguchi, 46 has been accused of an act of indecency, a criminal offence.

Tokio member Tatsuya Yamaguchi investigated over indecent act with high school girl.......

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/04/25/national/crime-legal/bass-player-japanese-pop-group-tokio-referred-prosecutors-alleged-indecent-act-high-school-aged-girl/

The Jihismo system of entertainment talent agencies have a toxic, I suggest twisted and corrupt, refractory influence whose tentacles reach into every facet of the entertainment, media, and broadcast industry.

The business model is to create a iron-clad, medium to long term revenue stream from a manufactured cardboard cut-out boy bands, from inception to market, even controlling distribution.

Artists are employees, salaried workers, in a claustrophobic closed system.

Japanese male pop group Tokio are merely a product.

Johnny & Associates have reached settlement , brought off, attempted to smother further judicial recourse.

It is time government considers a media ombudsman with the legislative power to separate. curtail the influence and power of agencies similar to Johnny & Associates.

"It's extremely regrettable. That's all I can say," Tokyo Gov Yuriko Koike said..........

Times up..... a political dimension has now been added. Could this be another Tokyo 2020 scandal in the making?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Because you don't understand Japan, it's that simple. If you understood how things work here, you wouldn't make this comment. Sorry but that's the way things are.

ok please explain? How do things work here...

Thought so..

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

No need to be dragged into court if the charges are withdrawn.

Simple solution to a simple mistake. Private agreements are made all the time in Japan. A quick public apology and a few fake tears the rest will be forgotten when the next star gets caught doing something silly.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

These girls are in the age range of 13-19 years.

It has been reported in other places that the girl he supposedly kissed was a HS girl, and there is NO mention of the age of the "friend" so you can not assume that "these" girls were of that age group.

I don't see why these star figures have to make a public apology ,

Because you don't understand Japan, it's that simple. If you understood how things work here, you wouldn't make this comment. Sorry but that's the way things are.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

I don't see why these star figures have to make a public apology , It's no ones business what trouble they get into in their private life so why does the media drag them trhu the mud? Both are to blame anyway, the guy 46 inviting teens to his place and the girls in their teens goingto a guy 46 regardless of being a star, what did they think was gonna happen or should I say this is excatly what they hope would happen, an out of court cash settlement.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

And the predictable victim blaming dominates the comments.

I see Yamaguchi is using the 'I was drunk' excuse. What a pathetic man he is.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Atare mae, he's using the "I was drunk and don't remember" routine, but this is the first time I've heard someone being "heavily drunk" and not remembering.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but this may be the shortest amount of time between exposure of a celebrity and their apology.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

HE at 46 is I believe considered an adult, she under aged is not. Invited to his appartment. Pretty simple jigsaw. But HERES JONNNY so it's apparently her fault being naive enough to go there. The victim card is a great fall back....here.

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

Why do I want to think that this was a "honey pot" kind of thing. Underage girl, the other they don't state the age, setting up a drunk famous guy, getting a quick pay off, and suddenly agreeing to drop any complaints.

I hope the cops investigate her too.

2 ( +8 / -6 )

Suspended? Girl paid off. Jonnys at it again. Don't threaten his beauties. Forget that a 42 year old man invited a high school student to his appartment. HERES JONNNY.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

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