A Fukushima prefectural government spokesperson, saying the prefecture will continue to feature male idol group Tokio, which belongs to Johnny & Associates, in its projects promoting the prefecture's products, despite many advertisers severing ties with Johnny & Associates due to sex abuse over decades by Johnny Kitagawa, the late founder of the biggest talent agency in Japan.
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quote of the day
While sexual abuse is impermissible, we're grateful to the members as they have always supported Fukushima.
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divinda
If you're not part of the solution, then you're part of the problem.
Little joey
While sexual abuse is impermissible, we're grateful to the members as they have always supported Fukushima
David Brent
A great example of how seriously sexual assault and pedophilia are taken in Japan.
GillislowTier
Basically “our prefecture name is so touchy, all that money we spent to hire these pretty boys to pose in our PR campaigns can’t be replaced.”
Man it sucks for them though, the victims of the abuse or ones associated with the brand having their careers destroyed over night because everyone suddenly cares. Feels hollow as heck but it’s better to rip the bandaid off I guess.
Granted the big names ain’t going nowhere. The Arashi, SMAP, and so on are too entrenched in daily media to get rid of them (and some not actually being Jonny’s anymore I guess)
virusrex
Prefectural governments must have a very high standard about how they spend people's money and what they support with it. With this decision they are making clear they consider much more important their personal relationship with the idol group (or more likely with the popularity they bring) than to the very serious problem of decades of sexual abuse.
Being grateful would justify giving the group contracts even if they left the disgraced agency, not acting as if nothing happened.
Redemption
Would have been better to not make any statement.
dan
Just abhorrent tbh
Ricky Kaminski13
The sentiments are worthy and not made in malice in any way, shape or form. He is not condoning the despicable behavior of the old (but now very dead) pervert. Publicly supporting the young band connected to the chronically struggling prefecture is actually quite touching.
The messaging of this statement unfortunately needs work Mr Spokesman. Tread carefully when the cancel culture folks smell blood. You may end up as a cherry picked single sentence statement of the day on JT! Ki o tsukemasho.
wallace
Tokio did not commit any sexual abuse.
virusrex
But by being part of the agency they lend their name and popularity to it, and indirectly justify the abuse, even if they were completely unaware of anything bad happening (which is not really believable).
The best that Tokio could do is for all members to quit and negotiate again all their business agreements, then they (and those that choose to employ them) could argue to be against the abuse.
gcFd1
There's probably a common, contract-related reason why they can't just quit and negotiate again.
Wow.
Stay in your lane.
virusrex
Money is not a justification to disregard sexual abuse. People with integrity would prefer to suffer penalties instead of implicitly support decades of crime.
Or what? are you again trying to force people to stop writing opinions because you don't like them?
wallace
virusrex
They didn't justify it if they didn't know about it.
The best thing they can do is continue with their careers.
wallace
You cannot be guilty of association.
virusrex
So you think Tokio members are not aware of the accusations and how the agency already recognize them? That is not believable. This is not about something the band did a decade ago (and even then accusations were already public) but something they keep doing now, after everybody knows what the agency allowed.
Even if that means they are prioritizing their personal benefits over the crimes committed by the agency they are working with? That is not what "the best" would be for anybody that is morally sound.
Of course you can, if your association means you are lending support for an institution that promoted the rape of children for decades.
To be clear, nobody is accusing Tokio (or the Government of Fukushima prefecture) of sexual abuse (that would be the fallacy), but of implicitly supporting the institution that made that abuse possible for decades, all for money, in that case the association is what can be criticized.
By not quitting they are making the statement that the crimes (and the responsibility of the agency) are much less important than their jobs, so they choose to keep them.
wallace
virusrex
Tokio committed no crimes and has never been charged with any. Even if they were aware of the accusations they didn't commit any crimes. You cannot be guilty just by association. There is no law that says I have committed a crime if I go for a drink with a known criminal.
I think you are overboard on this one. All the acts from the agency need to continue with their careers.
virusrex
This is a terribly bad justification for them to legitimize systematic rape with their support for their agency. They are clearly siding with Johnny's here (by keeping their contracts) which means they are against the vicitms.
Again, guilty of the abuse no, but guilty of keeping the association even when it is obvious this means an implicit support? yes, they can.
But if that means you are taking his side against the victims that would not make you an example either.
What would you think if someone you personally know was a victim? would you be able to let any celebrity support the people that make the crime possible by saying "they are not guilty of any crime, it is fine if they keep making the criminals rich with their popularity"?
If the only argument you can make about them is that they have not been accused of a crime that already means you understand they are not acting with integrity and responsibility, just legally.
Ricky Kaminski13
And that’s what we call collective guilt. People being punished for no fault of their own, takes a certain mindset to sit easy with this notion.
Too bad Tokio, guilt by association. So sorry…
Personally think if I had to choose, the mayors sentiments are more inline with integrity and moral wisdom.
virusrex
Implicit support for a company that allowed serious crimes is definitely something to find fault, the criticism is not about the band doing something to the victims, but about they supporting the agency that for literally decades allowed sexual abuse to happen. That is NOT guilty by association but guilty of supporting the criminals.
If someone close to you was victimized, and another person benefited from defending the criminal and making him look better you likely would feel different. Empathy for the victims is not something easy to have for some people unless they are personally affected.