Famed directors denounce sexual abuse in Japanese film industry

That means empowered people must respect everyone as partners

The above should go without saying, but maybe in a rigidly hierarchical culture, especially one where sempai-kohai is so dominant it probably needs to be said repeatedly, and more importantly there needs to be consequences when violations occur and a resolution process that doesn't involve the victim being dragged through the muck.

As a professional photographer in Japan, I can tell you that there is a problem not only with the film industry but also with the photography world as well. The mix of people involved deem to feel that the creatives have a license to sex like drinking coffee in the morning. After the project and even during, people in the industry are casual about having sex and becomes part of the profession. I had to back peddle after having a few encounters that were not warranted. Now I am a nature photographer.

I mean you just have to watch any Japanese television show to see how sexualised Japanese women are! Disgusting considering they are the backbone of Japanese culture! Respect the ladies!

Very glad to see male directors speaking out - it matters, since women are very often unable to speak out themselves out of fear of reprisal.

That’s surely a common problem in all branches or fields that are linked to art or requiring only soft skills as well all rare jobs with high career or income chances. You can usually get a manufacturing job or one in science at average income if you are engaged, skilled and have knowledge, without too often being offended or assaulted sexually. But to become an actor on stage, an idol, a top ten Hitparaden musician, a celebrity or TV star and all that, you have surely massive difficulties to get or keep your position if not willing to completely or temporarily give up your own sexual self determination. On the other side, they all know what is going wrong in those fields and what career they are wishing for and what is in most cases expected to get there, so there’s no need to complain afterwards. They could all simply have chosen a normal job or life instead.

With my personal connections, I have heard some foul things about Sono. There was no hiding or secrecy about what he has been doing!

That means empowered people must respect everyone as partners, the directors said

From seeing everyone as your brother to seeing everyone as your partner (if you are empowered).

Lovely but it seems excessively idealistic and unrealistic.

In the cases mentioned above whose agency or coercion involved also seems vague.

I mean you just have to watch any Japanese television show to see how sexualised Japanese women are!

I wonder just how much Japanese TV you actually watch now a days?

I never see Japanese women sexualized watching NHK news.

The problem with over generalizing is that it makes your argument look ignorant of reality. Sure there are some programs here that sexualize women, but not "any"! There are some that sexualize men too, but I'll bet you hold the TV networks to a different standard when it comes to that.

Sexualization of either sex, like it or not, sells. You dont have to watch it, that's your choice. Yet you have to be watching some, to be able to make a comment like this, otherwise, it's just stereotyping BS.

They're barely scratching the surface. The exact same if not worse thing is happening in the music industry, specifically with the idols, where it's no secret that a lot of them work as escorts on the side and even quit the band to become porn stars. We also have the Johnny's Entertainment scandals with young boys and the list is endless. Japan is still where the west was decades ago: men in charge were pretty much entitled to as much sex as they could get.

Lots of Japanese,men do not have a healthy psychological feeling for a woman,never had,never will

I doubt if anything will change, it's a cultural thing deeply entrenched and until that changes Japanese women and in some case men will continue to struggle with Sexual abuse.

It reminds me of the allegations against Harvey Weinstein in October 2017

Kore-Eda is an A lister director. And it’s not just the film industry, it’s the entire Japanese society that is sexist. I’m not surprised Kore-Eda signed the petition considering how most of his films are about underdogs forgotten by society.

It's not just the women. Johnny's, anyone?

His Shoplifters movie should have won an Academy Award but Japan's LDP and Shinzo Abe were extremely angry at his truthful depiction of the Japanese current socioeconomic status.

My lady friends took a look at pictures of Shion Sono, Houka Kinoshita and Hideo Sasaki and made comments like “These guys aren’t even good looking” and “ no wonder they had to resort to rape“.

Some Japanese girls demand it!

Even with high class sex industry, Japan still has these problems.

Sion Sono, no doubt, his early films were all porn. He is and will be like "Kim Ki-Duk" of South Korea. Totally ignored by whole South Korean public. Nobody can or will speak favor of either him or his films.