SCREENING and PRESS CONFERENCE
Predator – BBC Documentary on Johnny Kitagawa

Mobeen Azhar, Journalist and filmmaker
Megumi Inman, Documentary director and filmmaker

14:00-16:00 Friday, March 17, 2023
(The speech and Q & A will be in English.)
Screening: 14:00-15:00 / Press Conference: 15:00-16:00
*Speakers are joining this event online.

Johnny Kitagawa was the most prominent figure in J-pop when he died in 2019. Kitagawa ran Japan's most powerful talent agency, Johnny & Associates, which ignited the careers of some of the best-loved Japanese pop acts of the last five decades, among them Four Leaves, Hikaru Genji, SMAP, Kinki Kids and V6. But allegations of sexual abuse persistently followed him throughout his career. These claims burst to the surface in 1999 when weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun ran a series of articles accusing Kitagawa of systematically abusing young boys. Kitagawa sued publisher Bungei Shunju for libel, but the Tokyo High Court overturned an earlier legal decision in July 2003, concluding that Kitagawa's legal team had failed to counter argue the allegations in the detailed testimony of the victimized youths. Kitagawa's final appeal was dismissed in 2005.

Nevertheless, Johnny & Associates continued to manage a roster of young men and Kitagawa was never charged. The few journalists who covered the story were furious that the mainstream media ignored the scandal, allegedly because of their ties to the company and its hugely popular roster of stars. Now the BBC has reignited discussion on Kitagawa with an explosive new documentary that includes an interview with another man who says he was sexually abused by the pop Svengali. The documentary has already been screened on the BBC's main channel but will be broadcast in Japanese this weekend. 

Ahead of the screening, the journalists who made the documentary have agreed to explain the contents and the controversy surrounding Kitagawa. Among the issues they will discuss is the continued media Omerta about the life of one of Japan's most revered and powerful entertainment figures.

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/MDMsPgxHAdviSnv26
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 13:30. However, please note that screening can not be filmed.  

Professional Activities Committee