SCREENING and PRESS CONFERENCE

Johnny's Abuse Allegations Widen
Mobeen Azhar, Journalist and filmmaker
Megumi Inman, Documentary director and filmmaker

14:30-16:00 Wednesday, April 10, 2023
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in English.
Screening: 14:30-15:00 / Press Conference: 15:00-16:00
*Speakers are joining this event online.

Inman and Azhar are set to discuss fresh allegations that two more individuals sexually abused boys at Johnnys & Associates. Their latest BBC documentary on the Johnnys scandal includes victims saying that the process set up for compensating victims is slow and opaque.

Inman and Azhar are addressing the club again more than a year after visiting to discuss their award-winning report based on accounts of sex abuse victims of Johnny Kitagawa, the J-Pop talent agency's late founder. That segment led to the shutdown of Johnnys after mainstream Japanese media were compelled to pick up on a story they'd largely ignored for decades.

Almost 1,000 men have come forward to say they were abused by Kitagawa since the BBC's blockbuster 2023 report. After shutting Johnnys, the company's management formed Smile Up to handle recompense, including payments, to victims. Former Johnnys performer Noriyuki Higashiyama is CEO of Smile Up and the source of the allegation that two more individuals at Johnnys were involved in sexual abuse.

How to attend:
Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, the name of your media outlet, and FCCJ membership number. Due to space restrictions attendance will be limited. Doors open 15 minutes before the event. Please sign in, giving your name and contact details at the reception, and have your temperature taken before proceeding.

How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live
Livestreaming of the press events will be available and video of this event will be uploaded to our FCCJ YouTube channel. Please note that screening will not be live-streamed or upload on our YouTube channel. .

How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/sSHQx9TBdtV4zCk76
Members watching the event online can submit questions for the speakers in advance using this submission form.

TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 14:00. However, please note that screening can not be filmed. 

Professional Activities Committee