Claimed to Be a "Johnny's Junior" but Was Exposed as a Fraud
Raped an Actress Twice After Suggesting They "Go for a Walk"
Structural Problems in Japan's Entertainment Industry Revealed
The arrest of a Japanese entertainment agency CEO on charges of sexually assaulting a female actress under his management has once again brought to light the structural problems and the reality of sexual crimes involving abuse of power in Japan's entertainment industry. On January 18, local media outlets such as Smart Flash reported that Saitama Prefectural Police arrested Takuma Yamanaka (39), CEO of an entertainment agency, on January 16 on charges of sexual intercourse by abuse of occupational authority.
Yamanaka is accused of raping actress A, who was in her 20s at the time, on two occasions in August 2023 at his agency's office and accommodation facilities in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture. According to police investigations, Yamanaka allegedly lured A by suggesting they "go for a walk" and then committed the crime. It was reported that A stated she found it difficult to refuse because Yamanaka was the head of the agency. During police questioning, Yamanaka admitted to having sexual relations but denied the charges, claiming it was not forced.
Following this incident, Yamanaka's falsified professional history was also exposed. He had claimed to be a former member of the major Japanese male entertainment agency "Johnny's Junior" and to have worked as a backup dancer for a famous group for eight years. However, police investigations revealed that he had never been affiliated with Johnny's. It was also found that he used these false credentials to gain the trust of aspiring rookie actresses and approach them, leading to criticism that this was a typical case of sexual crime exploiting hierarchical relationships within the entertainment industry.
Some observers have pointed out that this case is part of a series of recurring sexual crime issues in the Japanese entertainment industry in recent years. Notably, Johnny & Associates, once Japan's leading entertainment agency, was embroiled in a major controversy last year over decades-long sexual abuse of minors by its founder, Johnny Kitagawa. As numerous victims came forward belatedly, the Johnny's scandal reignited the #MeToo movement in Japan.
In 2023, a well-known male announcer at the private broadcaster Fuji TV was revealed to have sexually harassed a junior female announcer, bringing attention to the prevalence of sexual violence within the media industry as well. However, the #MeToo movement has yet to gain significant traction across Japanese society, and there are growing calls for urgent structural reforms, as many victims remain silent out of fear of secondary harm.
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