J-pop agency chief quits over abuse scandal

TOKYO: The head of an influential J-pop talent agency has stepped down after investigators said the family-held business turned a blind eye to decades of sexual abuse by its late founder.

The resignation of Julie Keiko Fujishima, the niece of Johnny & Associates founder Johnny Kitagawa, follows an investigation which found the music impresario abused “at least hundreds of victims” between the early 1970s and mid-2010s.

The investigators’ report also said the agency’s management culture, with key decisions made by family members, allowed the misconduct to continue.

“As an agency, and as an individual, I understand that there was sexual abuse by Johnny Kitagawa,” Fujishima said on Thursday, appearing before media in person for the first time to address the scandal.

It was also the first time the agency confirmed abuse by Kitagawa, who built a stable of…