Johnny H. Kitagawa

Johnny H. Kitagawa (born October 23, 1931, Los Angeles, California, USA – died July 9, 2019), known professionally as Johnny Kitagawa (ジャニー喜多川), was a Japanese-American businessman and talent manager. He was the founder and president of Johnny & Associates, a production agency for numerous popular boy bands in Japan. He is the youngest brother of Mary Kitagawa, who administrated Johnny & Associates for many years. In March 2023, BBC released a documentary centered on the sexual harassment claims against Kitagawa, titled Predator: The Secret Scandal of J-Pop. In April 2023, musician and former Johnny's Jr. Kauan Okamoto told a press conference held at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan that he had been subjected to sexual abuse by Kitagawa on a number of occasions between 2012 and 2016, and called on the company's current management to acknowledge the misconduct. Okamoto estimated that between 100 and 200 boys were invited to Kitagawa's home during his time at Johnny's, and claimed that when Kitagawa told one of his guests to go to bed early, everyone knew "it was your turn." On May 14, 2023, Johnny & Associates president Julie Keiko Fujishima (a niece of Johnny Kitagawa) issued an apology to those that have alleged sexual abuse by Kitagawa. She added that she was committed to implementing measures addressing the victim's needs.