00:00 A solemn gesture from management at talent agency Johnny's in recognition and apology
00:05 to victims of late founder Johnny Kitagawa's abuse.
00:08 After Kitagawa's niece resigned as president, the man chosen to take the reins was revealed.
00:15 Noriyuki Higashiyama, a J-pop star,
00:18 he himself facing allegations of abuse published in this book.
00:22 When questioned on this by journalists, he responded,
00:26 "I don't remember clearly. Maybe it happened. Maybe it didn't."
00:30 Higashiyama acknowledged he may have done things as a teen or in his 20s that he wouldn't do now.
00:36 He described the scandal around Kitagawa's abuse as
00:39 quote "the most pitiful incident in human history."
00:42 "I am determined to devote my life to tackling this problem."
00:48 While victims reacted positively to the company's symbolic apology,
00:55 the choice of president didn't go down well.
00:57 "It felt like a dream to hear Johnny and associates holding a press conference regarding
01:04 fact-finding, relief and compensation for the victims. However, for a top company in Japan
01:10 to pick Mr. Higashiyama, who was covering up stories from that time, it is very disappointing."
01:15 The company's actions come a week after third-party investigators found Kitagawa
01:21 abused hundreds of boys and young men over several decades. It also found that a lack
01:26 of media coverage had protected Kitagawa, who died in 2019, having never faced criminal charges.
01:32 The investigation was commissioned by the company after a BBC documentary earlier this year
01:38 sparked national outrage and drew criticism from UN human rights experts.
