The issue of the late Johnny Kitagawa sexually assaulting young boys is attracting a lot of attention. There is also criticism that the late Mary Kitagawa, who ran Johnny’s Office in tandem with Johnny, is also guilty of the same crime, and criticism is also being directed at major media outlets that have not reported on this issue. Although it cannot be said that there was no media deception or negligence on the part of the media, I personally view this case as a structural problem of the media and, by extension, of society.
There is such a thing as unconscious bias in humans. Johnny’s sexual assault seems to have been going on since the 1960s, but we ordinary people tend to view the entertainment industry as a special or unique world. For example, it’s an open secret that celebrities engage in pillow sales to people in the industry, and they automatically believe that they can’t survive unless they do so. Therefore, I have never viewed it as a particular problem, nor have I seen it as a social issue. This is typical unconscious bias. To be honest, I still believe that the entertainment industry is like that, and Johnny’s case doesn’t really surprise me. However, the common sense of the times has changed, and society no longer tolerates such customs. That’s why it’s only now being brought up as a big issue. Things that were previously not seen as a problem and were not reported on by the media often come to the fore and become widely covered. Behind this is a change in common sense. Things that were once commonplace no longer become commonplace, or things that were once commonplace become commonplace. Johnny’s case was brought to light as a result of changes in common sense, and it is more like a structural problem than media deception or negligence. Therefore, these problems will continue to occur. If I had to say it, the problem is that it became a big problem after Johnny and Mary passed away. I should have raised this issue while I was still alive. It is impossible to properly verify the facts without talking to the dead person. (Kei Kitajima)